For fifty years, «I communicate, therefore I am»: the lectio magistralis by Gerry Scotti at the University of Insubria

The University of Insubria today awarded Gerry Scotti an honorary Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Techniques, in recognition of his contribution, over nearly fifty years of his career, to Italian communication culture and to the spread of forms of expression capable of reaching different audiences with authority, empathy and immediacy. The ceremony was held in the Main Hall of the Rectorate in Varese in the presence of the Minister of Universities and Research Anna Maria Bernini, the President of the Conference of Italian University Rectors Laura Ramacciotti, political, military and civil authorities, members of the academic community, Mediaset senior executives, and the new graduate’s friends, family and colleagues.

• Photo gallery 

The event was opened by Rector Maria Pierro: «Today marks a particularly significant moment in the life of our University. A university has the task of preserving, transmitting and renewing forms of knowledge, but also of recognising experiences in which knowledge is translated into exemplary practice, where professional ability becomes a collective asset. Gerry Scotti’s experience is emblematic». 

The Rector praised «Gerry Scotti’s approach to communication, never marked by self-assertion, but by his ability to combine tradition and innovation, popular culture and complex media languages, building trust and credibility, avoiding emphasis and artifice, interpreting and recognising viewers’ needs without ever abandoning restraint». 

And she added: «In a media system where success is fleeting, visibility is not guaranteed, collective attention shifts extremely rapidly and excess sometimes becomes the rule, Gerry Scotti’s ability to remain recognisable over time through his courteous and authentic presenting style, his empathy and spontaneity, and his charisma, is an extraordinary achievement – almost unique – that deserves to be studied even before it is celebrated. Gerry Scotti’s experience is an example for those studying in our classrooms today. Students of Communication must be aware that essential skills must always be accompanied by commitment, determination and sacrifice, but also by humility and the ability to understand the profoundly relational nature of their work».

«Gerry Scotti has spanned different generations while retaining the rare ability to speak to them all», said Minister of Universities and Research Anna Maria Bernini. «His career shows that the most effective communication is communication that can create relationships and trust, and that entertainment, when it is of high quality, can also convey culture, stimulate curiosity and support people’s growth. For this reason, the honorary degree awarded by the University of Insubria recognises the value of a professional career that has left a profound mark on Italian television and communication».

A video message from the President of the Lombardy Region, Attilio Fontana, was then shown. He recalled that Gerry Scotti recently received the Rosa Camuna award and was appointed Ambassador for Research, a role through which he promotes scientific culture, particularly among young people. 

In the Laudatio, the central moment of the ceremony, Professor Giulio Facchetti, Professor of Glottology and Linguistics, highlighted how Gerry Scotti’s style is characterised by «empathy and emotional closeness, the Grammar of Good Humour, the ability to manage silence and rhythm, and visual reassurance», observing that «his gentle physical presence, combined with open gestures and a constant smile, conveys a sense of welcome and stability. Gerry Scotti represents the viewer’s visual “comfort zone”». 

Facchetti also emphasised «the ability to engage with technological change, experiencing the rise of social networks and digital languages as a new expressive opportunity», becoming «a semiotic bridge between the analogue culture of parents and the digital culture of their children».

The Director of the Department of Human Sciences and Innovation for the Territory, Paola Biavaschi, reviewed the reasons for the award: «The defining feature of his public persona is his ability to establish a bond of trust with millions of viewers, based on empathy and on a communication style that avoids emphasis and artifice in favour of authenticity, clarity and respect. These qualities make Gerry Scotti an exemplary model of a democratic communicator, combining tradition and innovation, popular culture and complex media languages».

Gerry Scotti, whose given name is Virginio, was born in the province of Pavia in 1956. He delivered his lectio magistralis with his customary ease, speaking about himself with great sincerity and moments of emotion, especially when recalling his parents. He began with «Goodness, are you talking about me? Can I believe my ears?», before quoting Descartes, Martin Luther King, Gandhi and Galileo and explaining that, in the end, it is right to «believe in the power of one’s own thought», which for him means speaking to people: «For fifty years, I have communicated, therefore I am». The first stage he examined was the meaning of being born in the provinces; he then addressed the subject of the outskirts, recalling his father, a worker at Corriere della Sera, and his mother, who made him the inclusive snack of bread, butter and sugar. In the chapter on education, he recalled his two failed subjects, Latin and Greek, which he celebrated (because there were only two) with a “votive” lunch at the Sacro Monte of Varese.

He recalled his time as a Law student, when he was two years short of graduating, and told the young men and women: «Do not disappoint your parents. Always try to see it through to the end; believe in it». He described his early days in radio, putting vinyl records in order, and the turning point that came when he was about to leave for the United States but received a phone call from Claudio Cecchetto. He spoke about advertising and television, and touched on social media, memes and artificial intelligence. He concluded by quoting Mother Teresa of Calcutta, «a great influencer, who urged people not to put off living and to be happy in the moment». 

Final reflection: «I am truly delighted because each of these stages awakened in me the curiosity to set out again, to start over, and to understand that always having something to learn is the only feeling that gives you the strength to keep moving forward every day. That is why being awarded a degree now feels a little strange, because I was used to thinking of myself as a student who had been behind schedule for 50 years! But thank you all; I am moved».

At the end of his address, the new graduate received the degree certificate and academic cap, accompanied by a long and affectionate round of applause. With this warmly attended ceremony, the University of Insubria welcomed Gerry Scotti into its academic community, «symbolically as a student, but in fact as a master of Communication Science – as Rector Maria Pierro said in her address – recognising not only the achievements of an extraordinary life, but also the cultural value of a courteous way of relating to the public that has strengthened the bond between the media and Italian society».

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Biography of Gerry Scotti

Virginio Scotti, known as Gerry Scotti, was born on 7 August 1956 in Camporinaldo, a hamlet of Miradolo Terme in the province of Pavia. Born near Pavia and later based in Milan, he moved there with his family in the 1960s. After graduating from Carducci classical high school, he enrolled in Law at the University of Milan. In the same years, he became one of the pioneers of Italian private radio, moving from Radio Hinterland Milano 2 to Radio Milano International, where his musical expertise and talent for entertainment stood out. He also worked as a copywriter for McCann-Erickson.

In 1982, Claudio Cecchetto invited him to join the newly founded Radio Deejay, where he became the station’s first voice. The following year, he made his television debut with «Deejay Television», Italy’s first programme devoted to music videos. He has since presented more than one hundred programmes on the Mediaset networks, including many landmarks of Italian television: «Festivalbar», «Il gioco dei 9», «Passaparola», «Chi vuol essere milionario?», «La Corrida», «Paperissima», «Io canto», «Lo show dei record» and «La ruota della fortuna». He has also acted in television dramas and films and fronted campaigns for major Italian brands.

From 1987 to 1992, he was a Member of Parliament, elected as an independent on the Socialist Party lists. Alongside television, he is involved in wine production with Fratelli Giorgi in Canneto Pavese. Father of Edoardo and grandfather of Virginia, Pietro and Olivia, he remains one of Italian television’s most popular and recognisable figures.

University of Insubria honorary degree roll

This is the second honorary degree awarded this year by the University of Insubria: Andrea Carcano received the honour on 16 February at the Teatro Sociale in Como, during the opening of the academic year. It is also the thirteenth entry in the University’s roll of honour since its foundation on 14 July 1998, following Uto Ughi (2002), Mario Monti (2004), Walter Bonatti (2005), Joaquín Navarro-Valls and Robert C. Gallo (2006), Michele Parrinello and Niles Eldredge (2007), Alfredo Ambrosetti and Cornelio Sommaruga (2008), Evandro Agazzi (2012), Gerardo Severino (2019), and Andrea Carcano (2026).

• Attached and available at the link below are photographs from the ceremony: 

https://www.swisstransfer.com/d/2cafffdd-cdb1-48ad-81d9-9b6a4e51f1ea