Book presentation: The Third Mission in Italian Universities. Policies and activities in twelve universities

Two of the authors of the book “The Third Mission in Italian Universities”, Stefano Boffo and Roberto Moscati, will present their work in a dialogue with Sveva Avveduto and Luciano Benadusi, moderated by Enrico Pugliese.

The progressive opening of universities to the economy and society is part of a process that has long characterized most higher education systems. This is a significant evolution that modifies some fundamental characteristics of universities and the professional activities of academic and technical-administrative staff.
The interpretative hypothesis guiding the research presented in this volume is that the Third Mission represents the primary tool for engagement with the local territory and for opening universities to society and the economy. To study the Third Mission at the university level, it is necessary to consider, on one hand, the policies of openness through the choices and strategies of university governance and, on the other, the concrete activities carried out by universities in the economic and social fields. The study, therefore, examined both the policies and the Third Mission activities in twelve Italian universities, varying in size and geographical location, through the analysis of documents and interviews with qualified witnesses. (Guerini e Associati publisher’s summary)