# Ministry of Education, University and Research

The Ministry of Education and Merit (in Italian: Ministero dell'Istruzione e del Merito or MIM) is the ministry of the Italian government for the national education system, the Italian universities and research agencies. The current Italian Minister of Public Education is Giuseppe Valditara and the Italian Minister of University and Research is Anna Maria Bernini.

## History

In 1988, the Ministry of University and Research was split off from the Ministry of Public Education. In the first Prodi cabinet the two were merged back into the Ministry of Education, University and Scientific and Technological Research, then as the Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) in the second and third Berlusconi cabinets. The two were re-separated in the second Prodi cabinet of 17 May 2006, but then re-merged in the fourth Berlusconi cabinet of 7 May 2008.
In 2019, the ministry drafted a policy combining evaluation of grants to research institutions with a requirement to publish research outputs in open access mode.

## Structure
### National level

* Department for ministerial planning and for ministerial management of the education budget, human resources and information
* Department for education
* Department for the universities, higher education establishments in art, music and dance,
The three Departments carry out policies dictated by the Ministry and form the body which directs and programs educational policy.

### Local level

Regional education "uffici", which are autonomous administrative centres, carrying out the instructions of the Departments, directly supporting individual schools, and articulating the policies on the ground.

## Ministers
### Since 2001

| Name (Born-Died) | Name (Born-Died) | Term of Office | Term of Office | Party | Cabinet |
| Minister of Education, University and Research (MIUR) |||||||
| | Letizia Moratti (1949– ) | 11 June 2001 | 17 May 2006 | Forza Italia | Berlusconi II Berlusconi III |
| Minister of Public Education |||||||
| | Giuseppe Fioroni (1958– ) | 17 May 2006 | 8 May 2008 | The Daisy Democratic Party | Prodi II |
| Minister of University and Research |||||||
| | Fabio Mussi (1948– ) | 17 May 2006 | 8 May 2008 | Democrats of the Left Democratic Left | Prodi II |
| Minister of Education, University and Research (MIUR) |||||||
| | Mariastella Gelmini (1973– ) | 8 May 2008 | 16 November 2011 | The People of Freedom | Berlusconi IV |
| | Francesco Profumo (1953– ) | 16 November 2011 | 28 April 2013 | Independent | Monti |
| | Maria Chiara Carrozza (1965– ) | 28 April 2013 | 22 February 2014 | Democratic Party | Letta |
| | Stefania Giannini (1960– ) | 22 February 2014 | 12 December 2016 | Civic Choice Democratic Party | Renzi |
| | Valeria Fedeli (1949– ) | 12 December 2016 | 1 June 2018 | Democratic Party | Gentiloni |
| | Marco Bussetti (1962– ) | 1 June 2018 | 5 September 2019 | Lega Nord | Conte I |
| | Lorenzo Fioramonti (1977– ) | 5 September 2019 | 25 December 2019 | Five Star Movement | Conte II |
| Minister of Public Education |||||||
| | Lucia Azzolina (1982– ) | 10 January 2020 | 13 February 2021 | Five Star Movement | Conte II |
| | Patrizio Bianchi (1952– ) | 13 February 2021 | 22 October 2022 | Independent | Draghi |
| | Giuseppe Valditara (1961– ) | 22 October 2022 | Incumbent | League | Meloni |
| Minister of University and Research |||||||
| | Gaetano Manfredi (1964– ) | 10 January 2020 | 13 February 2021 | Independent | Conte II |
| | Maria Cristina Messa (1961– ) | 13 February 2021 | 22 October 2022 | Independent | Draghi |
| | Anna Maria Bernini (1965– ) | 22 October 2022 | Incumbent | Forza Italia | Meloni |