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MILAN, Nov. 17-- The recent opening of a new high-tech medical school campus boosted the bid for Italy's economic capital to headquarter the much-coveted European Union (EU) Medicines Agency. With a total investment of about 100 million euros (117.7 U.S. dollars), the new Humanitas Medical University campus was in fact officially inaugurated at the outskirts of Milan earlier this week, in combination with the launching of the academic year. Stretching over 25,000 square meters, alongside a research and teaching hospital, the campus now encompasses an advanced Simulation Lab that extends on a 2,000-meter-square area. The medical school is strongly internationally oriented, teaching some 1,200 students from 31 different countries. Foreign students represent an average 44 percent of the total, according to the university authorities. As the new campus was inaugurated on Tuesday, Italian President Sergio Mattarella took the chance to remark that being selected to host the European Medicines Agency (EMA) would be crucial for Milan's ambition to become a center of excellence for research, medicine, and life sciences. The announcement from the EMA -- which is due to leave London after Britain's decision to leave the EU -- is expected on Nov. 20, and 19 EU cities are vying for it. "(Winning the race) would represent a further step forward for this city's leading role in Europe," Mattarella said. | 
