Student Living Italy 2025

We are thrilled to announce Student Living Italy 2025, returning to Milan for the third consecutive year. Following the success of last year’s forum—praised for its collaborative spirit in bringing together universities and private sector leaders to explore shared goals—this year’s event will build on the learnings from previous editions to work towards collaborative, sector-wide strategies.

Italy is at a pivotal moment for student living and learning. It has become one of the top three most searched study destinations in Europe. Yet with only a 4% student housing provision rate, the growing demand and lack of supply will lead to a unmet demand of 225.000 beds by 2030.

The urgency for coordinated, impactful action is clear. The Student Living Forum Italy is therefore not just a gathering - it’s a launchpad. This one-day, high-impact event brings together pioneers in real estate, higher education, and city governance to co-design Italy’s path forward. Through strategic dialogue, shared data, and outcome-focused workshops, we aim to forge the foundation for a National Action Framework (NAF) for student housing - built around four core pillars:

  • Availability
  • Accessibility
  • Student Experience
  • Collaboration

Join us as we once again convene a diverse group of stakeholders, from policy makers to investors, operators, and educational institutions, to help inform the development of a common agenda for change. Through site tours, workshop sessions, and thought leadership panels, we’ll reflect on the progress made and explore new approaches to keep working collectively towards the future of student living.

Agenda.

10:30 - 11:20

Registration and Networking

The programme will take place at Hub Lombardini22, a uniquely stylish and innovative venue:

Via Elia Lombardini, 13, 20143 Milano MI, Italy
11:30 - 12:45

Workshop Session : Enhancing Student Experience in Italy

We will open the Forum with a deep dive into what lies at the heart of our mission: the student experience.

Part 1 – Data Insight – 11:30 - 11:45
Presentation of the Student Experience pillar of the NAF, featuring exclusive insight from the European Student Living Monitor.

Part 2 – Operator Best Practices - 11:45 - 12:00

Industry leaders share case studies on how they are investing in and innovating the student experience.

Part 3 – Group Workshop - 12:00 - 12:30


Each group will take on one stakeholder perspective — Investor, Operator, University, or Regional/National Authority — and work to:

  • Define a shared goal to improve the student experience
  • Propose a recommendation or practical action  

Part 4: Feedback/Takeaways - 12:30 - 12:45

Feed it back to the wider group by moderators or a person nominated from the group

Outputs will directly feed into the development of the Student Experience pillar of the NAF.

12:45 - 14:00

Networking Lunch

14:00 - 14:05

Welcoming Remarks

A Vision for Success: A Story by L22

Speaker:

Marco Zanibelli, Managing Director – Education and Student Housing | Lombardini22

14:05 - 14:45

Setting the Scene: Housing, Higher Education and Fiscal Realities

Three experts will provide the latest data that shape the supply and demand imbalance in Italian. We will identify the data that shape the trends and make forecasts for future scenario’s with focus on three interdependent policy areas: housing, higher education and fiscal.  

Speakers:

Frank Uffen - Co-founder | The Class Foundation

Paolo Reyneri di Lagnasco - Student Housing Specialist | JLL

Lucia Guglielmi - Commercial Process Coordinator & University Advisor | StudyPortals

Simone Monesi - Partner, Head of Urban Dynamics, Italy | Osborne Clarke

Together, they will explore:

  • The rise in English-taught programmes
  • Shortfalls in housing provision
  • Regulatory and legal barriers to delivery

This act lays the groundwork for the NAF’s Availability and Accessibility pillars.

14:50- 15:50

Next Gen Capital: Opportunities and Bottlenecks

Speakers:

Carlo Matta - CEO | Nido Living

Paolo Reyneri - Student Housing Specialist | JLL

Anna Ivannikova - Senior Acquisitions and Transactions Manager | Milestone

Luca Migliaccio - Director | Ardian

Stefano Pagliani - Senior Director Living | Hines Italy

This session explores:

  • Converting growing domestic and international capital interest in Italian PBSA
  • The barriers currently impeding progress — from administrative hurdles to funding gaps
  • Tackle why the market has been slow to accelerate despite the interest and what needs to change to activate it.  

The conversation will surface real solutions to accelerate delivery and quality of supply.

16:00 - 17:00

Forging a Common Path: Italy’s National Action Framework

This is the Forum’s central proposition: collaborative development of a National Action Framework (NAF) for student housing.

Speakers:

Elisabetta Tagliente - Country Director, Italy | RELIFE

Manuel Farina - CEO | Demosion Consulting S.r.l.

Maria Teresa Gullace - Senior Architect | Politecnico di Milano

Elena Cattani - Regional Development Director, Italy | The Social Hub

Paola Delmonte - Chair of the Student Housing Committee | Confindustria AssoImmobiliare  

This session introduces:

  • The NAF’s core pillars: Availability, Accessibility, Student Experience, Collaboration

Key goals for the NAF:

  • Appointment of a National Student Housing Coordinator
  • Development of a National Housing Monitor
  • Agreement on clear, actionable targets

Participants will explore how to refine and apply these proposals across public, private, and academic sectors.

17:00 – 17:15

Catalysing Action: Our Commitment to the Future

The final session will cover:

  • Key takeaways from each session
  • A collective commitment to the NAF’s principles
  • Tangible next steps for implementation

18:00 - 20:00

Site Tour and Evening Reception

A closing opportunity to continue conversations and celebrate the day’s progress in a relaxed and social setting.

Via Durando 10, Milano, Italy
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Silver Sponsors

Attending organisations
"We get to meet a lot of our existing clients and prospective ones as well."

Laura Wollard

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Lavanda

"Internationalization is the key word for this event."

Jaime Caruncho

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Micampus Residencias

"It is a great place to meet industry leaders and really get market insights."

Emily Sims

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Yugo

"The diversity of the people who come to conference is amazing, I don’t think we get to see a crowd like this in any other conference."

Henri Vuong

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INREV

"We really respect the work that The Class is doing across Europe in expanding the footprint of student accommodation sector."

Brian Welsh

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Nido

"This is hands down the coolest conference I have been to."

Jacob Chai

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Events.

The Class Conference 2020

November 19, 2020
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The Class Conference 2019

November 6, 2019
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The Class Conference 2021

November 17, 2021
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The Class Conference 2022

November 16, 2022
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The Class Conference 2025

November 5, 2025
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The Class Conference 2024

November 13, 2024
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The Class Conference 2023

November 8, 2023
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