It is true what Prof. Fioramonti to justify his resignation: a government that defines itself as progressive should have considered investment in human capitalin knowledge in the future. But could this have been done by putting more taxes on snacks and air travel? Why hasn't he fought a hard battle in the government to reduce the 100 quota or the so-called basic income and obtain from it substantial and gradually available resources over the course of at least three years? Why didn't he spend his authority to commit the government to supplement the planned financing with a part of the savings due to the decrease in the spread, if this were to actually occur? Why hasn't it tried to qualify and quantify resource needs in the face of public opinion according to priorities, territories and reasonable timescales?
In reality, these are questions that do not await an answer. Luckily the story of which Fioramonti was the architect has already passed and it will be understood in the next few days whether it was a cover move of a personal political design and, therefore, of an act of institutional irresponsibility apparently cloaked in reasons of principle.
Following this affair he was nominated Minister for University and Research prof. Manfredi, Rector of the prestigious Federico II University of Naples. He, unlike Prof. Fioramonti is perfectly aware that, by accepting the appointment as Minister, he assumes the immense task of facing, starting from the current difficult conditions, the development of a crucial sector such as that of University and Research. Your nomination was a great choice, just as the split with the School is also important because it allows for a distinct concentration of commitment on two sides of great value.
Coming to University and Research, the path to take after a few months of substantial stagnation will not be easy and, perhaps, there will be more expectation of results in public opinion and in the sector. In this regard, it must be recognized that all the political forces have shown very little attention to this sector, particularly in the last decade when, faced with the epochal changes that have begun in the productive and social processes, it would have been necessary to set up a consistent and specific intervention action, with a long-term vision. Will it now be possible to open up a substantially different scenario? The current government has certainly not allocated adequate resources but, at the same time, has shown that it does not ignore the existence of the problem, explicitly declaring that it has not been able to do what was necessary (probably due to internal constraints of various types) and has promised an undefined "attention" for the future. It will be necessary to put it to the test with a constructive spirit!
Then, one could say that there is some glimmer, but in fact all the problems to be solved remain: persistent underfunding, reduction of the teaching staff, decrease in enrollments, insufficient recruitment of researchers, downsizing of research, reduced relations with the industrial world, brain drain and scarce returns from abroad, loss of competitiveness with other countries as regards training of new skills, … . The tasks that await the new head of the sector in question are therefore not easy. We are confident that Prof. Manfredi will be inspired by a long-term vision, guaranteeing a gradual but safe implementation of the interventions. But to start, contrary to what others have done up to now, a clear and shared definition of guidelines would be required, to accompany the interventions to be gradually implemented and to be a reference for the balanced and necessary provision of resources. Remaining on a general level, and without going into the merits of specific problems which one imagines will certainly be tackled by the new Minister (such as: extraordinary plan for new researchers, scholarships to guarantee access to study at all levels, training of poly of research, structured paths for the transfer of research and innovation products from university laboratories to the fabric of companies, ...) a first draft of guidelines could take into account:
– During 2020, in order not to further precipitate the heavy and dramatic situation in which the sector finds itself, everything should be done, and all possible adjustments deriving from improvements in the economic and financial performance should be used to sensibly increase the amount of available resources for the most urgent matters. In the awareness, however, that the availability of resources is a necessary but not sufficient condition. You can spend well or badly, and it depends a lot on the purposes, methods and timing that characterize the expenditure.
– It would be appropriate to set in motion a broad process of reflection and comparison on a national scale to arrive, hopefully in the autumn of 2020, at the convocation of General states of knowledge. It is an action which, through opportunities for analysis and the elaboration of proposals, must be characterized by a strong political and government dimension, aimed at ensuring that culture, advanced education, training of skills, respect for merit, are recognized in the conscience of the country for their role as driving force of civil, social and economic progress.
– The States General should be prepared by reflection and comparison phases promoted on a regional and/or interregional scale, and should set themselves the objective of:
to promote integrated territorial systems of training and research responding to the needs of economic and social change that the country must give itself today;
b) establish strong relationships between universities, research, innovation and businesses creating the basic conditions to enter the main global value chains;
c) pooling, with all the rigor necessary, the numerous specificities and excellences. You can't do everything and everywhere;
d) create a coordination body which, in order to achieve the indicated objective, promotes the joint use of resources from different ministries and institutions (Infrastructure, Environment, Economic Development, Health, Regions, European Funds…).
All this can reasonably initiate a process of significant approximation of the national percentage of education expenditure to GDP towards the OECD average.
In any case, it is a difficult job that awaits Professor Manfredi! Our wishes for success also apply to the many young people who are waiting to be put in a position to build their own future.
