Ca’ Foscari: Marco Sgarbi takes up his post as rector today: “Our first measure is to raise the threshold for the ‘no tax area’ to 30,000 euros”

Venice as a hub of identity and internationalism; Mestre as a centre for science and technology; Treviso as a centre for entrepreneurial training. Not three competing sites, but a single project in which the diversity of locations reinforces the University’s unity. This summarises the Rector’s multi-campus vision, according to which there is not just ‘one city’. Venice, Mestre and Treviso represent different urban contexts, each with its own specific social, cultural and economic dynamics. A university that brings the city to life must be able to embrace this diversity not in a piecemeal way, but through a differentiated and coordinated strategy, capable of recognising the unique characteristics of each area and linking them together. In each area, the University must implement specific programmes, but under a unified framework, so that the multi-campus model is not merely a distribution of activities, but rather an integrated civic strategy.”

According to the Rector, particular attention must be paid to the Mestre campus, which represents an urban context that is profoundly different from Venice and is therefore of strategic importance. “In a context characterised by a strong residential component, urban transformation dynamics and a growing young and multicultural population, the university can play a decisive role in processes of regeneration, social innovation and the creation of spaces for cultural participation. The university’s presence in Mestre can become a stable point of reference for public initiatives, partnerships with schools, associations and third-sector organisations, as well as for projects linked to urban sustainability, the ecological transition, technological innovation and dialogue with the metropolitan business sector. Strengthening the cultural identity of the Mestre campus means making a tangible contribution to the vitality of the mainland and consolidating Ca’ Foscari’s role as a key metropolitan player.”

We have received a significant building plan from the previous university administration, which places particular emphasis on student facilities and accommodation; we will continue along this path by completing the projects currently under way: the New Multifunctional Building at the Science Campus in Via Torino, which will complete the Science Campus project; the refurbishment of the former Pepe and Bellemo Barracks at the Lido to create a new student residence; the refurbishment of Palazzo Rio Novo to house the humanities centre, providing suitable spaces for the humanities departments; the new Treviso Campus site, with lecture theatres and student spaces designed to support a comprehensive student experience; the ‘Ai Frari’ complex, in partnership with ESU Venezia, which will provide social spaces for students as well as new lecture theatres; and, finally, the restoration of the Church of the Holy Spirit, set to become a multi-purpose space open to the city. Spaces for studying, living and sharing the university experience, to which new investments will be added to address the issue of student accommodation in Treviso and to find a permanent home for our Challenge School.

The Rector: “I would like to forge a lasting civic partnership with the local area — the City of Venice, the City of Treviso, the Veneto Region and all the municipalities within our territory — with shared priorities and objectives that are periodically reaffirmed. And also systematic agreements with businesses, to support the local area, which will build on the legacy of the major PNRR projects and permanent infrastructure.”

“If artificial intelligence – the vice-chancellor continues – makes access to content virtually free, those who will survive are those who understand that the value of a university has never been about imparting knowledge, but about transforming people through the experience of thinking together, in person. Let us not chase after online learning for its own sake: let us double our investment in what makes face-to-face learning irreplaceable.”
A principle that the Vice-Chancellor plans to set out in the following objectives:
In-person learning as a competitive advantage: studying art history in front of Titian’s work at the Frari, environmental sciences by observing the lagoon as a living system, and economics within a real-world urban laboratory. No platform will ever be able to replicate this.
Active teaching and challenge-based learning, using real-world problems provided by businesses and institutions such as museums or public authorities, to make the classroom a place for generating ideas rather than merely receiving information.
Establishment of a Centre for Teaching and Learning, focusing on advanced and innovative methodologies, because learning methods and technologies are changing at a rapid pace and we must lead that change, not simply endure it.

“Ca’ Foscari has all the expertise, talent and drive to play a leading role in this transition. The quality of its research, its international outlook and the diversity of its academic disciplines form a solid foundation that must, first and foremost, be recognised and supported. The aim is not to redefine research priorities from above, but to create conditions in which all lines of research – from established to emerging ones – can develop to their full potential, with equal standing and adequate support. With this in mind, alongside strengthening basic research and existing research trajectories, it is also important to encourage openness towards new and as yet evolving fields: the interactions between artificial intelligence, language and society; the redefinition of economic models in the context of the climate crisis; new global geographies, characterised by hybrid conflicts and complex mobility; the relationship between environmental transition and social transformations; the evolution of democratic institutions in the digital age; and the circulation and transformation of cultural heritage in an interconnected world. The aim is to broaden the scope of research by bringing together different areas of expertise and supporting approaches that transcend disciplinary boundaries.”

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