APDesign In the News

Kansas State University in Italy Hosted AACUPI Annual Meeting in Orvieto

ORVIETO, ITALY — On Friday, Feb. 13, Kansas State University in Italy, in collaboration with the Fondazione per il Centro Studi Città di Orvieto and under the patronage of the Municipality of Orvieto, hosted the first of four annual meetings of the Association of North American Colleges and Universities Offering Study Programs in Italy at the historic Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo.

Founded in 1978, AACUPI was established to address the shared need among North American universities operating in Italy to collaborate on legal, fiscal, bureaucratic and organizational matters, while fostering ongoing dialogue with Italian institutions. Today, the association represents 151 colleges and universities from the United States and Canada. AACUPI is chaired by Fabrizio Ricciardelli, who succeeded Portia Prebys, treasurer and co-founder of the organization.

Each year, approximately 35,000 North American students choose Italy as a destination for study abroad, generating an estimated €697 million in annual economic impact and supporting approximately 11,000 jobs, according to the 2024 IRPET Report.

Three AACUPI member institutions maintain programs in Orvieto: Gordon College, active since 1998; the University of Arizona, since 2002; and Kansas State University, since 2006. Their presence underscores Orvieto’s reputation as an ideal setting for residential study abroad programs.

“2026 is a particularly significant year for Kansas State University in Italy,” said Serena Croce, director of programs. “This April, we will celebrate our twentieth anniversary in Orvieto. Our first program launched in spring 2006 with 15 students and one faculty member from the College of Architecture, Planning & Design.”

Since its founding, the Kansas State University program in Orvieto has expanded substantially. In addition to spring and fall architecture semesters, multidisciplinary summer offerings began in 2017 and now include coursework in business, leadership, fashion, biology, Italian language, photojournalism, music, art, architecture, and food and wine. These programs collectively serve more than 150 students annually.

The return of the AACUPI meeting to Orvieto — exactly 20 years after the December 2006 gathering — marked a meaningful milestone and served as the official launch of Kansas State University’s twentieth anniversary celebrations in Italy.

“This gathering in Orvieto reflected the strength and longevity of Kansas State University’s global engagement,” said Michael McClure, dean of the College of Architecture, Planning & Design at Kansas State University. “For two decades, our presence in Orvieto has demonstrated the transformative power of place-based education. We are proud to partner with AACUPI and our Italian colleagues to advance international collaboration and to celebrate the enduring relationship between Kansas State University and this remarkable city.”

The meeting opened with greetings from Orvieto Mayor Roberta Tardani and Liliana Grasso, president of the Fondazione per il Centro Studi Città di Orvieto. McClure and Grant Chapman, associate provost for the Office of International Programs at Kansas State University, also participated in the program. They announced plans to return to Orvieto in April to formally inaugurate the twentieth anniversary celebrations alongside the Dean’s Advisory Council of the College of Architecture, Planning & Design.

For Kansas State University, the AACUPI meeting not only highlighted Orvieto’s role within the broader landscape of North American study abroad in Italy, but also affirmed the university’s long-standing commitment to immersive, place-based global education.