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President

The President of ANVUR holds the legal representation of the Agency and ensures its strategic and operational coordination, guaranteeing the unity of its activities. The President is appointed by Decree of the President of the Republic, following consultation with the competent Parliamentary Committees, from among figures — including those of international standing — of high and recognised qualification and experience in the field of higher education and research, as well as in the evaluation of such activities.

The President appoints, from among the members of the Governing Board, a Vice-President, who shall act in his stead in the event of absence or incapacity.

Prof. Venerando Marano

Venerando Marano

President of the National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes since 8 July 2026.

Venerando Marano, Full Professor in academic disciplinary group GIUR-07/A Law and Religion (formerly IUS 11, Canon Law and Ecclesiastical Law), has served as Director of the Department of Law and Pro-Rector for Regulatory Review and Institutional Relations at the University of Rome Tor Vergata since 2021.
He has been a member of the Academic Senate of the University of Rome Tor Vergata since 3 December 2020 (D.R. No. 2131/2020, D.R. No. 117/2022, D.R. No. 3784/2024), within which he serves as Chair of the Committee on Statutory and Regulatory Affairs.
He is a member of the University Committee for the Proper Implementation of the Quality Assurance System.
He is Coordinator of the Study programme leading to a single-cycle master’s degree in Law (LMG01).
He served as President of the Disciplinary Board of the University of Rome Tor Vergata for two consecutive terms.
He served as a member of the Committee responsible for assessing amendments to the Code of Ethics and Conduct of the University of Rome Tor Vergata.

As regards his involvement in leading national and international academic associations, he is a member of:

  • the Governing Board of the Consociatio Internationalis Studio Iuris Canonici Promovendo, which seeks to advance and disseminate the study of canon law and State law relating to the Catholic Church and other Churches and ecclesial communities;
  • the Association of University Lecturers in the Legal Regulation of Religion (ADEC).

He holds numerous positions with leading specialist scientific journals and academic book series.
In particular, he is Scientific Director of the “Vatican Law” section of the journal Diritto e religioni, published by Pellegrini Editore.
With regard to scientific and editorial boards:

  • he is a member of the Scientific Committee of the book series published by the Department of Law of the University of Brescia;
  • he is a member of the Scientific Committee of the journal Il Carabiniere, published by the Arma dei Carabinieri.

He has served as a peer reviewer for leading national specialist journals and academic book series.

At other higher education institutions, he has served as a member of:

  • the Management Committee of the Advanced Training Course in Management of Ecclesiastical Bodies and the Advanced Training Course in Management of Catholic Healthcare Facilities at the Libera Università Maria Santissima Assunta (LUMSA);
  • the Governing Board of the Centre for Studies on Ecclesiastical Bodies (CESEN) at Università Cattolica.

He has also undertaken institutional activities outside the university sector, holding numerous senior positions in the field of State–Church relations, and currently serves as President of the Vatican Court of First Instance.

His particularly extensive and distinguished scholarly output focuses primarily on current issues concerning relations between the State and religious denominations and the European dimension of the legal regulation of religion; family law, with specific reference to the development of the institution of marriage and civil unions and the related recognition and protection of civil rights; fundamental rights of the individual within religious legal systems, with particular reference to the recognition and protection of social formations of an associative nature; and the development of legislation on personal data protection within both the national and European Union legal systems.
He has taken part, as chair and speaker, in numerous major national and international conferences on ecclesiastical and canon law, organised and promoted in both academic and institutional settings.