Unical tops the list of Italian universities in the Shanghai Ranking for Computer Science & Engineering

Unical soars in the global university rankings thanks to the disciplines and achievements in which it excels: Computer Engineering, for example, propels the University of Calabria to first place amongst Italian universities in the 2026 Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, with its Computer Science & Engineering programme entering the 101–150 bracket of the ranking. Last year, it was around 100 places lower.

“We are talking about a strategic sector for scientific research and technological development,” comments Gianluigi Greco, Rector of the University of Calabria, who is driving forward research and innovation in particular. The most significant finding in this ranking concerns the academic staff, given the strong growth in the ‘World-Class Faculty’ indicator, which reflects the presence of highly cited researchers with scientific accolades, editorial appointments and positions of responsibility within international organisations. These results have been achieved within a community capable of training young scholars, participating in international scientific networks and ensuring the continuity of research. It is this ecosystem, together with an openness to external collaborations and diverse fields of application, that has made Unical competitive in a sector where quality is necessarily measured on a global scale.”

But topping the Shanghai ranking is no one-off achievement. The Calabrian university has been investing in computer science for 50 years: the university’s computing centre was established in 1975, and four years later the consortium for computer science research and applications was set up. The Calabrian university has therefore been a pioneer in the sector, awarding Italia’s first degree in Computer Engineering in 1991. ‘Over the last twenty years, Unical’s appeal has been based above all on the scientific reputation it has built in the field of artificial intelligence,’ emphasises Greco, who is one of the leading experts in the field. Several of the university’s academics have been awarded the title of ‘Fellow’ by the sector’s leading international associations, recognised for papers presented at global conferences, and appointed to positions of responsibility within scientific organisations. And there is yet another decisive factor: the university’s decision not to close itself off, not to recruit solely from within its own ranks, and not to settle for a provincial outlook. Unical has opened itself up to external appointments and has sought out talent even outside Italy. The arrival of Professor Georg Gottlob, one of the world’s leading computer scientists, following a long career in Vienna and Oxford, sends a strong signal to the entire international scientific community.”

At the heart of the Departments of Computer Engineering and Mathematics – academic units with distinct yet highly complementary scientific identities – ‘Artificial intelligence follows an approach that integrates logical and symbolic reasoning with machine learning techniques,’ explains Gianluigi Greco, ‘ranging from neuro-symbolic AI to large-scale language models, right through to agent-based systems. The picture is rounded off by data science, cybersecurity and optimisation, alongside research into cloud and edge computing, the Internet of Things, cyber-physical systems, telecommunications and automation, which bring artificial intelligence into devices, infrastructure and production processes’. The aim is to build systems capable of tackling complex problems in an explainable and verifiable manner, “because today artificial intelligence is expected to be not only powerful, but also reliable and transparent. In this sector, progress must be swift but informed,’ warns the rector, who also serves as coordinator of the committee set up by the Prime Minister’s Office to update the national strategy on artificial intelligence. We must play a leading role in the research and development of these technologies; otherwise, we will be forced to rely on systems designed elsewhere. At the same time, we need to train people capable of understanding, verifying and governing algorithms. Europe has adopted an anthropocentric approach, and I believe this must remain our guiding principle: not to slow down innovation, but to make it reliable and put it at the service of people, their rights and their quality of life.’

Thus, in the wake of a new digital humanism, the local area remains at the forefront. ‘We are a young university, in a region considered peripheral, which competes with the very best universities. Here, in this local area, we leave behind, first and foremost, expertise. We see this in the professionals it has trained, in the businesses born out of research, and in the companies that have chosen this area because they find well-trained young people here. This is no side effect: it is the very reason why this university was founded. When, in the early 1970s, the decision was taken to build a campus in Arcavacata, the idea was clear: to create a place capable of transforming Calabria through the power of culture and innovation. That original mission still guides every decision we make today.’