This article is inspired by the observation that the statistics clearly indicate that few Italian universities occupy positions of prestige among the research universities.
To bridge this gap, we must invest more in research, but without a major overhaul of management practices and strict controls, it is impossible that the major investments required will give the expected results. In this context, the opinion of the CEPR concerning indicators of scientific productivity is remarkably relevant. In particular, it focuses on three aspects: attention to the recruitment of scholars; method to evaluate the merit of researchers; balance between general evaluation criteria and specific features of each scientific area, in particular legal research.
Finally, the article argues that a reform of the standards and procedures of recruitment, in line with those prevailing in the European arena, should be considered as an opportunity for a fuller involvement of Italian researchers in a wider community, rather than as an external limit.