Eleonora Benecchi appointed new director of the Bachelor in Communication

Eleonora Benecchi, lecturer and researcher at the Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society at Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), has been appointed as the new director of the Bachelor in Communication. Benecchi succeeds Professor Gabriele Balbi, who led the programme for almost six years before taking on the role of Pro-rector for Education and Students' Experience at USI.

In assuming leadership of the Bachelor's programme, Eleonora Benecchi expressed her intention to build on the strong foundations laid by her colleague Gabriele Balbi while also adding her own unique contributions to enhance the educational experience. While explaining her plans for her term, the new director emphasised that the programme's purpose goes beyond knowledge transfer: "I believe that the role of a Bachelor's degree in communication is not only to transfer knowledge to students but also to equip them with the necessary tools to interpret the reality that surrounds them critically. As the new director, my commitment will be to develop a learning environment that focuses on dialogue between students, faculty, and communication professionals. This will foster the integration of theory and practice to provide students with useful skills and critical analytical abilities." The valuable work carried out by his predecessor provides an important foundation in this sense: "I am fortunate to begin with a strong foundation laid by the previous Bachelor's degree director, Prof. Gabriele Balbi. He expanded the programme by staying abreast of new communication trends and incorporating interdisciplinary perspectives."

Looking to the future, Benecchi aims to take a dynamic approach to address the constantly changing field of communication: "It is a constantly evolving field and requires a dynamic and flexible approach to grasp the transformations taking place and to critically integrate them into a coherent and effective academic path. My task will be to build on the solid foundations of the current programme, creating new opportunities and learning spaces for students so that further potential can emerge. In this respect, I am confident that my diverse experience in the field of communication, which includes academic research, teaching and journalistic work, will be an important asset in helping the programme grow." For the new director, the mission of the Bachelor is clear: "to train communicators and professionals who can interpret and manage the complexities of communication, while also possessing a strong sense of ethics and social awareness. To achieve this, it's important to accompany each student in their training with respect and attention and to encourage them to participate actively. I believe that the active participation of students is crucial for their personal and professional growth. How can we achieve this? By listening to their needs, promoting critical discussions, and supporting their creativity, we can help each student reach their full potential and become a leader in their own learning process. This process is always a journey of discovery, not only of new knowledge, but also of new relationships and new aspects of one's identity. This is the direction in which I want to work."

With this bold vision, the new director Eleonora Benecchi inaugurates a new phase for USI Bachelor in Communication, which continues to establish itself as a programme of excellence, capable of combining theory and practice in an interdisciplinary and innovative context.