[2] In the 1990s, in Rozzano (Milan), Rocca founded the Istituto Clinico Humanitas,[3][4] today one of Europe's most important hospitals with an international research and teaching centre.

In 2010, through an agreement with the Università degli Studi di Milano, an International Medical School[7] was instituted at the Istituto Clinico Humanitas in Rozzano offering an English-language degree course in Medicine and Surgery.

[11] At the international level, he is a member of many organizations: the Trilateral Commission, the European Advisory Board of Harvard Business School, the executive committee of Aspen Institute, the European Round Table of Industrialists and the International Advisory Board of the Cancer Center of the Beth Israel Medical Center.

In 2005, in memory of his father, the foundation announced the "Progetto Roberto Rocca",[16] an innovative agreement between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Milan Politecnico to promote cooperation between the two distinguished universities through exchanges of graduate students and post-doctorate researchers in Italy and the US.

[citation needed] In 2007 Rocca was made a Cavaliere del Lavoro[17] and in 2009 he was awarded an honorary degree in Management Engineering by Milan Politecnico.

In 2010 the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, presented Rocca with the 2009 Leonardo Award[18] for his contribution to enhancing Italy's international standing in steelmaking, energy and infrastructure.

The experience prepared the ground for the conquest of the Cerro Torre by the "Ragni di Lecco" in 1974 and was the start of Gianfelice Rocca's long-standing association with the group.

In 2008 mountaineers Christian Brenna and Hervè Barmasse became the first to climb the north face of the Piergiorgio, dedicating their ascent to Agostino Rocca by calling it La Routa de l'Hermano.