Defending the characteristics and peculiarities of each university without compromising fair play “and always bearing in mind that common growth is good for everyone”. The rector of the University of Turin, Stefano Geuna, does not deny that the suggestion of a single large university in the North-West can clash with the desire to emerge individually of each university. But he stresses that “competition is still necessary, it pushes people to do the best. And when we improve, we improve all together ».
When we imagine the university world we tend to think of realities that compete with each other, as if certain types of parochialism were stronger than time and the changing world. It is still so?
All universities historically have their own independence and also tend to compete with each other, often even within the departments belonging to the same university. In general, the academic system also lives thanks to measuring itself against oneself and with others. Having said that, even in the North West area, what I observe is that, despite the competition, the approach and the climate between universities is in any case one of great collaboration. If we talk about the territory of the North West, the level of interaction and mutual support is a consolidated reality.
The great university of the North-West with almost 250,000 members is really just a suggestion or really the new alliances between the different academic realities, which are increasingly forming a team, putting aside ancient rivalries to look forward, can give added value to the system university as a whole?
If you try to look a little beyond our nose it is impossible, in terms of positive effects, of impact, you will realize that being together, collaborating, is not so much good for individual universities rather for how important it is to do. system to grow. The North-West territory, also due to its geographic conformation and the peculiar characteristics of each region, is ideal for competing in this type of collaboration. The goal is always common growth.
The University of Turin, in terms of enrollments, has been a growing university for some years. How much can academic collaborations influence in making your university acquire more and more importance?
They can have a great influence and, in our case, they are part of a strategy that aims to characterize UniTo as a ‘proximity university’. We work, in fact, to confirm ourselves as a university of international prestige which, however, has its roots in the specificities of the territory, in the vocation to innovate and create value. Therefore, it is the main driver of economic and cultural development.
In addition to the alliance between universities, an important point is also that between universities and businesses.
What we are trying to do, for some time now and thanks to the academic collaboration and that with the main stakeholders of the territory, is to send an important signal, which is capable of giving perspective to a long-term vision of our territory. . The latest example is the construction of the new university scientific center of Grugliasco. At the conclusion of the works, in 2024, the spaces dedicated to teaching and research are in fact available for an additional 50,000 square meters to be used for specific initiatives connected to economic development in conjunction with companies. An extraordinary pool of technical and instrumental resources, basic research facilities and advanced research laboratories will be available to a broad base of potential users and will contribute to strengthening technology transfer from the university to businesses.