The Monash University, Prato campus marks 25 years as our gateway to Europe

In September 2026, Monash University celebrates 25 years since the establishment of its campus in Prato, Italy.

Opened on 17 September 2001 in the historic Palazzo Vaj, the Monash University, Prato campus was founded as a European base for international research and education collaboration, supported by the Region of Tuscany, the City of Prato, and the philanthropic contribution of Rino and Diana Grollo.

Reflecting on the site’s enduring role, Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Sharon Pickering said the campus exemplifies Monash’s approach to global engagement.

“For 25 years, the Monash University, Prato campus has embodied our commitment to sustained international engagement,” she said. “It reflects Monash’s belief that global impact is built through long-term presence, trusted partnerships and deep collaboration.”

Founding Director the late Emeritus Professor Bill Kent – a world authority on the Italian Renaissance – established the site to foster collaboration between Monash and European scholars, and to provide students with immersive educational experiences in Europe.

The campus has evolved into one of the largest Australian university presences in Europe. It hosts hundreds of Monash students each year through semester and intensive programs, and industry placements. Anchored in its local community, the campus allows students and early‑career researchers to encounter Europe as a vibrant lived academic and cultural experience.

Each year, the campus hosts up to 40 international conferences and meetings that spark knowledge-exchange and collaborative projects involving European researchers and academics across Monash’s international campus network.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International) and Senior Vice-President Professor Craig Jeffrey said the campus is an exemplar of how Monash strives to transcend borders, yet anchors each of its international campuses within its local community.

“The Monash University, Prato campus exemplifies what it means to be globally connected and locally embedded,” he said. “It enables Monash to convene, collaborate and contribute in Europe while strengthening wider connections between Europe and the Indo-Pacific.”

Key milestones in the campus’s development include:

  • Welcoming the first students in 2002 through programs in History, Fine Arts, and Law.
  • Expanding classrooms and office space in 2006 to accommodate growing student and academic numbers.
  • Convening joint initiatives in research, graduate training and education with the University of Warwick University after the formalisation of the Monash Warwick Alliance in 2012.
  • Expanding its role as a hub for visiting scholars, artists in residence and leadership programs. This work has often drawn on the City of Prato’s textile heritage and contemporary textile district, and its exceptionally multicultural community, creating a reciprocal knowledge-sharing system that enhances local and international research, education and creative practice.
  • The restoration of a carpark at the Palazzo Vaj into a Renaissance-inspired Italian garden in 2016 – generously supported by the Carla Zampatti Foundation – symbolises Monash’s commitment to stewardship and community engagement.

More recently, the Monash University, Prato campus has taken on growing strategic significance in Monash’s engagement with European research ecosystems and funding frameworks. Through the campus – and in particular through the Monash University European Research Foundation ETS housed within its walls – Monash researchers are able to build partnerships with European institutions, participate in Horizon Europe funded projects, and contribute to global responses to shared challenges.

Professor Cecilia Hewlett, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Europe) says the campus has made a distinctive contribution to both Monash and the local community.

“Over many years, I have seen how this campus nurtures relationships, supports scholarship and welcomes students and colleagues into both the University and the life of the city,” she said. “It builds human connections.”

The anniversary reflects the contribution of generations of staff, students and partners, and underscores Monash’s continued commitment to Europe.

Find out more about 25 years of Monash Prato via the dedicated website.