When she was young, Chiara wanted to further her studies as a way to the truth and had enrolled at University. The Second World War put an end to her plans, preventing her from attending. Later in life, she received numerous academic awards for her contribution to cultural life during the significant changes of the twentieth century.
On December 7, 2007, by Pontifical Decree, the Sophia University Institute was established, based in the little town of Loppiano. This, the last of the works she founded, was officially inaugurated on 1 December 2008, being a development of the Abba School (founded in 1990) and rooted in the spirituality of unity and the rich experience of the Movement.
The time was ripe for Chiara Lubich to realise a dream of hers from the 1960s: to establish a university. On 7 December 2007, Chiara Lubich, already suffering from illness, received in her home, the Pontifical Decree with which the Sophia University Institute was founded, based in the citadel of Loppiano (Incisa Valdarno, Florence)
