USI, culture and public resources - The Rector's opinion

USI Rector Luisa Lambertini has returned to share her thoughts on the current and future state of the university in the pages of Corriere del Ticino. Her contribution follows a previous article on the same subject written by the Director, Paride Pelli. Below is the full text.

I refer to the editorial written by the director Paride Pelli in the pages of Corriere del Ticino a few days ago, in which he discussed the downsizing of public resources for culture and education and the need to choose in which strategic sectors to continue investing. The director used the examples of USI and the Locarno Film Festival, both of which have a strong capacity for self-financing but also rely on public and political support from the region. It is important to note that USI depends on cantonal contributions for less than 1/3 of its total budget (out of 134 million per year, total figure 2024). This percentage marks a significant difference compared to other universities like Zurich or Lausanne, which receive cantonal contributions in the range of 40-50%.

USI has experienced significant growth in recent years, largely due to the increase in student enrollment and the competitive research funding obtained by the faculty from various sources, first and foremost from the Swiss National Science Foundation, but also from the prestigious ERC (European Research Council). I think it is only fitting to emphasise this to not give the taxpayer the impression that USI is an institution that lives on public funding alone. On the contrary, our institution operates in a highly competitive environment. Our professors and lecturers are constantly engaged in cutting-edge research projects, competing with their counterparts at other universities to secure the resources needed to advance their work.

Today, USI stands out for its significant contributions to various fields of research and education in areas such as biomedicine, artificial intelligence, digitalisation, information technology, and finance - to name but a few. The education we offer aims to prepare the next generation of qualified specialists and managers in areas relevant to the progress of our country, in an environment that is evolving at an ever-increasing pace. Just think of the latest addition to our training programmes, the Bachelor in Data Science. However, I, along with my fellow Swiss rectors, express concern that despite our success and the contribution that Swiss universities have made to the country, without strong political support in the coming years, we risk having to make difficult choices. These choices could include downsizing strategic programs or failing to seize new opportunities. This would not only limit the future prospects of students and researchers but would also have a negative impact on our country's economic and cultural development. One of the cornerstones of USI's Planning 25-28 will be to strengthen transfer and innovation activities, enabling us to achieve a broader impact on society and the economy.

These efforts will be framed within a cantonal and city development scenario, through which we hope to build a future in which innovation, education and research not only survive but thrive, benefiting many. To identify the best opportunities for development, the USI Rectorate has recently conducted a mapping exercise to highlight the most promising projects. This was done in close consultation with the Deans and various internal and external stakeholders, and the projects were then prioritised based on available resources. The focus will soon shift from academic to political discussions. It is hoped that these discussions will not solely revolve around costs but also recognise culture, education, research, and innovation as investments for the future. This approach will position us to make a meaningful contribution to the region.