NABA introduces its Purpose, Vision, and Core Values, three guiding perspectives (a purpose, a vision, and a set of unwavering values) that give voice to the Academy’s identity and shape its daily initiatives.
This is not merely a list of goals or strategies but a genuine commitment that, for the first time, has taken written form to convey the essence of NABA—unchanged since its founding—to those who do not yet know it or only know it in part.
The Purpose reads: “Through Artistic Intelligence, we nurture people to design a new tomorrow.” That is: through the Artistic Intelligence, all of us – lecturers, students, staff, and everyone involved in the NABA ecosystem – nurture individuals so that they can shape a new tomorrow. The term “nurture” is a deliberate choice: the Academy is not solely concerned with transmitting knowledge, but with offering a comprehensive and holistic growth path.
Artistic Intelligence serves as the unifying thread across all NABA’s activities: not a rigid or predefined concept, but a set of four core attitudes that enable students – guided by the Faculty – to approach creativity in a personal and distinctive way.
These four attitudes include curiosity, through which every element, no matter how small or large, becomes a source of inspiration and discovery; awareness, as a process of understanding and developing a personal interpretation of creative vision; critical thinking, which challenges the status quo and is key to cultivating an independent and innovative outlook; and imagination/expression, the ability to engage in dialogue with others – a foundation for dynamic and creative learning.
And then there is tomorrow: not an abstract, distant or idealised concept, but a near, tangible and achievable time. For NABA – which bears the word “Nuova” (“New”) in its name – tomorrow is part of its DNA. From the intentions of its founders, the Academy has always interpreted the future with a contemporary and innovative outlook, while remaining rooted in tradition.
One of the key aspirations for tomorrow is also expressed in its Vision: “Be the worldwide Leading Italian Art and Design Institution for academic quality and innovation.” This goal is gradually taking shape over time: over the years, NABA has been recognised by the QS World University Rankings® by Subject—the most authoritative international university ranking—as the first and only Italian Academy of Fine Arts to be included among the world’s top 100 universities in the field of Art & Design.
This achievement is also the result of the Academy’s ongoing commitment to its Core Values:
- Caring: The Academy supports each student throughout their educational journey, encouraging them to gain a full understanding of themselves and their goals and paying constant attention to their well-being.
- Multiculturalism: NABA fosters an open environment where every student is free to express their own creative and cultural identity. With 30% of enrolled students coming from abroad, the Milan and Rome campuses are genuine no settings where exchanging diverse experiences and perspectives enriches daily learning.
- Artistic Intelligence: The section dedicated to the Academy’s Purpose already defines this concept.
- Social Integrity: The Academy, as an institution, recognises its social responsibility for the territory and the entire Italian and international artistic community. Every decision made and project realised generates an impact and opens up new horizons.
- Creative Critical Mindset: NABA cultivates students’ ability to combine creative intuition with analytical thinking, redefining the boundaries of art and design.
