USI invites to debate the future of Ticino: the project "Tavolo del Confronto"

The project “Tavolo del Confronto” (TaCo) is promoted by USI Institute of Argumentation, Linguistics and Semiotics (IALS) of the Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society. It will launch on Monday, 2 March at 5:30 pm in the Lugano campus auditorium. The name of the project speaks for itself: it intends to bring together different points of view on current issues in a public and open debate involving civil society. Four guest speakers, a first topic for discussion: which is the future of Ticino? Will it be a hub for excellence or a dormitory for those who will work in Zurich?

This first question will open a discussion on the changes taking place in the region in various areas. With the inauguration of Alptransit and the expansion of new top research centres, but also with the crises of the financial centre and of Lugano airport, what are the real development prospects for Ticino? Christian Vitta, State Councillor, Director of the Department of Finance and Economy, Tito Tettamanti, entrepreneur (financial expert), Boas Erez, Rector of USI, and Franco Gervasoni, Director General of SUPSI, will tackle these issues with the audience.

In recent years, USI has carried out a large number of activities aimed at the public by carrying on its third mandate: serving the region. The TaCo project stems from the desire to further strengthen this service and promote a critical dialogue between the academic world and civil society on issues of public interest. "The TaCo makes it possible to find common ground between the University areas of expertise - interdisciplinarity that the renewed Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society particularly values - and to show the contribution of research and academic activity to an open and innovative socio-economic development of the country. In this sense, understanding the expectations of the public towards the university, taking criticism and ideas from it, is fundamental" explains Giancarlo Dillena, project manager and moderator of the encounters.

The next TaCo “Il segreto trasparente” will be held on 30 March 2020 at USI.