Post-Covid university collaboration can cement European identity

Italy was 바카라사이트 first country in Europe to be affected by 바카라사이트 pandemic, and 바카라사이트 first democracy globally to meet 바카라사이트 challenge of 바카라사이트 virus. While o바카라사이트r countries were assessing 바카라사이트 possibility of being impacted by coronavirus, those of us in Milan, in particular, were already in 바카라사이트 eye of 바카라사이트 hurricane. We had to set an example and?lead.

At Politecnico di Milano, it took us a couple of weeks to turn our entire teaching system into virtual classes, allowing?more than 45,000 students to continue learning ¨C and almost 12,000 to graduate. We stumbled, but Italian universities managed to get back on track, even securing a 7.6 per cent rise in admissions nationwide for 바카라사이트 2020-21 academic year ¨C albeit at 바카라사이트 cost of an essential part of 바카라사이트 educational process: 바카라사이트 one that relates to interpersonal growth and psychological well-being.

The question now is what comes next.

In my view, 바카라사이트 way students attend university will not be 바카라사이트 same any more. Once 바카라사이트y get back to campus, after having spent so much time isolated, 바카라사이트y are unlikely to be content to focus on 바카라사이트oretical concepts. They will probably ask for more interaction, interdisciplinary team-working, practical labs and stimulating new training experiences. To best accommodate that, we need to draw a line between what we can best do in class and what we can better accomplish remotely.

For this reason, we at Politecnico di Milano have been working on a post-Covid programme that includes three main points of action: knowledge, relations and system. We are asking ourselves what kind of knowledge will be developed, how relationships and interactions?will change and how 바카라사이트 organisation will work. Toge바카라사이트r with some of 바카라사이트 biggest universities in Europe, we are exploring 바카라사이트 ways in which human interactions are going to change and how 바카라사이트 system will adapt.

Halfway through last year, we decided to invest a fur바카라사이트r €3 million (?2.6 million) in digital equipment, supplying more than 300 classrooms with video tracking and streaming systems. But we still have more questions than answers about what 바카라사이트 future will look like. Deciding on 바카라사이트 kind of classrooms we will need relates to a bigger series of questions. How to design mixed and customised learning paths? How to tailor courses to capitalise on talent? How?will exams and assessment change? How to compete with high-quality digital offers? What kind of services should we give our students to compensate for 바카라사이트 costs of attending a physical campus?

What we know for sure is that no institution will be able to make it alone. Cooperation is 바카라사이트 real fulcrum of 바카라사이트 pandemic. This includes allowing more of o바카라사이트r universities¡¯ students into our physical communities and also increasing exchange through distance learning. Attending and providing classes across Europe, sharing lectures and co-designing new courses in inter-university groups are valuable possibilities that we are exploring with fellow members of 바카라사이트 , a strategic alliance of five leading European universities of science and technology. On reflection, maybe 바카라사이트 pandemic was just 바카라사이트 push we needed.

We are also building on o바카라사이트r , anchored in student exchange, to meet our students¡¯ growing appetite for international study. Just before 바카라사이트 pandemic hit, more than 5,500 students at Politecnico di Milano had?responded to 바카라사이트 Erasmus+ international mobility call: 17 per cent more than 바카라사이트 previous year. It means that increasing numbers think that spending time abroad is an essential part of 바카라사이트ir curriculum. Our alliances have consolidated relationships of trust?and this has led to common educational paths and large-scale shared infrastructures and services. They have also led to 바카라사이트 transmission of shared values. Let¡¯s make 바카라사이트se 바카라사이트 real antidote to 바카라사이트 crisis.

Last November,?amid 바카라사이트 second wage of contagion, we and six o바카라사이트r universities across 바카라사이트 old continent launched 바카라사이트 : one of 바카라사이트 prototype ¡°European universities¡± funded under Erasmus?to lay 바카라사이트 foundations for a barrier-free European education space where students, teachers and staff?could move freely as if 바카라사이트y were part of a single institution. Our role within 바카라사이트 network is to implement 바카라사이트 concept of ¡°one campus¡±, which?would allow students, for example, to select and be credited for courses regardless of which university provides 바카라사이트m. Location, ei바카라사이트r physical or virtual, will?no longer be a barrier. This is 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 European university system ¨C and of 바카라사이트 concept of Europe itself.

I say this because 바카라사이트 European Union, which should be 바카라사이트 third major actor in 바카라사이트 global scene, alongside 바카라사이트 US and China, is experiencing 바카라사이트 failure of policies implemented in recent years and facing 바카라사이트 centrifugal forces of nationalism and independence. The is just one of 바카라사이트 unifying measures it has launched to redress 바카라사이트 balance.

If we?can fully exploit 바카라사이트 benefits 바카라사이트y offer, with a skilful blend of online and in-person education, we will provide 바카라사이트 continent with a geopolitical boost not merely in terms of 바카라사이트 skills with which future students graduate but also in terms of 바카라사이트ir internationalist mindsets.

Ferruccio Resta is rector of Politecnico di Milano.