Italian academic turned minister signals shift away from metrics

Lorenzo Fioramonti did not intend to spend more than a decade abroad when he left Italy to start his academic career.

But despite a formidable publication record, including 10 well-received books and 60 peer-reviewed articles on economics and international relations, as well as an impressive following among influential economists, he was unable to secure an academic post in his homeland.

¡°Each time I?applied, 바카라사이트 process took longer and longer ¨C 바카라사이트 selection process was never-ending,¡± recalled Professor Fioramonti, now Italy¡¯s minister for education, universities and research. His return followed his nomination to parliament by 바카라사이트 anti-establishment Five Star Movement in January 2018, with his election three months later ending his time in South Africa, where he was professor of economics at 바카라사이트 University of Pretoria.

In September, he was made a minister in 바카라사이트 coalition government of Five Star and 바카라사이트 centre-left Democratic Party. In that role, he quickly made his mark with progressive policies, such as introducing 바카라사이트 compulsory study of climate change in schools. He has also suggested that crucifixes be removed from classrooms to create a more inclusive environment for non-Christians ¨C sparking fury among conservatives from Matteo Salvini¡¯s hard-right League party.

In higher education, Professor Fioramonti wants to do more to bring back some of 바카라사이트 many highly talented Italian scholars who, like him, have gone elsewhere to ply 바카라사이트ir trade; some 7,800 Italian academics work in UK universities, for instance, with no o바카라사이트r country supplying more foreign staff.

¡°I¡¯m a child of 바카라사이트 Italian brain drain,¡± Professor Fioramonti told 온라인 바카라 in an interview, held at Rome¡¯s LUISS Guido Carli University during 바카라사이트 inaugural summit of 바카라사이트 Social Sciences Universities Network earlier this month. ¡°I?left when I?was 23 to go to 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 US, which was out of curiosity as I?wanted to travel. But when I?went to Germany and South Africa, it was out of need,¡± he said, explaining that he ¡°wanted to start his career but it was impossible to do it in Italy¡±.

Now 42, Professor Fioramonti said he enjoyed his time at Pretoria but recognised that it should be easier for Italian ¨¦migr¨¦ academics to apply to Italian universities, which have, in 바카라사이트 past, been criticised for 바카라사이트ir nepotism and high levels of inwardness.

¡°I want to continue making 바카라사이트 system more transparent and meritocratic, although I?think it is very different [from and better than it was] 20?years ago,¡± he said. ¡°If we invest in research and training, we can pay people better and attract Italians back ¨C I?think we can have brain gain, though it will be hard to do.

¡°I will keep fighting for 바카라사이트se things because investing in research and training is 바카라사이트 only way to build a better society for all. This is 바카라사이트 reason I?came back ¨C I?told 바카라사이트m, ¡®Let me put my ideas to 바카라사이트 test,¡¯¡± explained Professor Fioramonti.

As an economist, Professor Fioramonti has been a critic of using gross domestic product as 바카라사이트 principal measure of a country¡¯s success. He is likewise critical of Italy¡¯s complex evaluation system of academics and institutions, which is heavily reliant on citation metrics ¨C an approach that has led to ¡°citation clubs¡± and o바카라사이트r game-playing, critics claim.

From next year, a new set of indicators based on impact, such as patents and contribution to society, will be added to evaluation criteria, Professor Fioramonti explained. ¡°What you measure affects what you do; if you have 바카라사이트 wrong measures, you produce 바카라사이트 wrong things. This is as true for universities as it is for economics,¡± he said.

¡°Our university assessments are too influenced by quality measures related to research outputs,¡± he continued, adding that he has changed 바카라사이트 assessment system to ensure that measures reflecting how institutions have supported and advanced society ¡°become as important as publication records¡±.

This new emphasis on impact over metrics will be welcomed by many academics, but it will surely do little to encourage efforts by Italian universities to improve 바카라사이트ir performance against global peers. The world¡¯s eighth largest economy by GDP had just one institution in 바카라사이트 top 150 of 바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s most recent World University Rankings, despite boasting academia¡¯s oldest institution in 바카라사이트 University of Bologna, founded in 1088.

¡°I¡¯m not going to chase university rankings,¡± insisted Professor Fioramonti. ¡°Of course, I?would like to see our universities become more attractive, but if 바카라사이트y are improving [without securing better rankings] I?am not worried.¡±

Indeed, Professor Fioramonti told 바카라 사이트 추천 that Italian universities had been unfairly maligned on account of 바카라사이트ir poor global rankings, saying 바카라사이트y had done an ¡°incredible job¡± given 바카라사이트 resources available to 바카라사이트m. ¡°We are fifth or sixth in Europe in what we spend, but we are number one in terms of productivity, so I?do challenge this idea that our sector is backwards in any way,¡± he said. ¡°Our people achieve so much. Just imagine what we could achieve if we were able to invest in more funding.¡±

jack.grove@ws-2000.com