ITALY: Nepotism drags down universities: Study

The decline of Italy's universities, none of which currently appear in the world's top 200, is a constant source of lament among the country's chattering classes, writes Michael Day for The Independent. But the reason for this sorry state is laid bare by new research that shows the extent of nepotism in higher education. The grip of family fiefdoms is being blamed for a nationwide brain drain.

The investigative magazine L'Espresso and the newspaper La Repubblica have revealed the astonishing degree to which lecturing jobs are kept in the family in Italy's sclerotic higher education system. The country's higher institutions are 10 times more likely than other places of work to employ two or more members of the same family.
Full report on The Independent site