A strategic approach to enhancing the territory and promoting sustainable development
The internationalization of education and vocational guidance is a crucial topic that often elicits contrasting opinions.
According to Lorenzo Marconi, University Professor and President of the Higher Education Foundation for Technical Professions of Emilia-Romagna, promoting this openness to the world is fundamental, disregarding the negative clichés that internationalization would represent a risk of brain drain abroad.
“Opening the doors to international experiences, both for companies and educational institutions, is an essential step. Welcoming foreign students and sending our young people abroad for training can only bring benefits if managed correctly.”
Cultural enrichment, the learning of soft skills, and access to new perspectives are just some of the advantages that internationalization brings. Investing in this direction not only enriches individual experiences but can also lead to economic and industrial growth for the territory.
“On the other hand, it is crucial to avoid the mistake of pursuing internationalization at all costs, without a well-defined plan. The quality of the educational experience and the opportunities offered locally must be priorities. It is essential to ensure that openness to the outside world is accompanied by tangible added value, both in terms of collaboration networks and support and protection for students and professionals who move.”
Internationalization is an inevitable phenomenon in the modern world, bringing both opportunities and challenges for companies and educational institutions. However, the fear of losing talent should not hinder this process but rather serve as an incentive to revise attraction and retention strategies.
“To attract and retain talent, it is essential to enhance the territory and create an environment that inspires and drives growth. Competition between entities and companies hinders the synergistic potential of collaboration. It is therefore essential to team up, both at the public and private levels, to create a dynamic and competitive educational and industrial ecosystem.“
Diversity is a resource, and varied experiences enrich the educational and professional context. It is therefore crucial to communicate clearly that Emilia-Romagna is a land of opportunity, a territory equipped with an integrated educational system and a solid and innovative industrial sector.
Continuous training for teachers also represents a central element in the strategic approach to internationalization.
According to Professor Marconi, “it is essential to create a teacher ecosystem that combines academic experience with professional experience, ensuring a balance between the transfer of theoretical knowledge and practical skills.“ This integrated approach meets the specific needs of students and prepares them effectively for the job market. “It is essential to provide internal company resources for training and adopt innovative teaching methods that actively involve students.”
Finally, the availability of adequate facilities and spaces, not only classrooms but also specific laboratories, plays a fundamental role in the internationalization of higher education. The vision document of the Higher Education Foundation indicates that “it is necessary to overcome the structural limits of traditional university institutions and create shared spaces between public and private entities, ideal for vocational training.”
A shared and neutral infrastructure among industries can be the key to promoting the exchange of knowledge and the development of practical skills.
Only through synergistic collaboration and the adoption of innovative strategies will it be possible to ensure a high-quality and sustainable educational offer capable of preparing students for the challenges of the global world.
Lorenzo Marconi
Full Professor at the Department of Electrical, Electronic, and Information Engineering (DEI) at the University of Bologna. He conducts his research activities internationally in the field of control theory and robotics. He has been the coordinator of the degree program in Automation Engineering and the professional degree in Mechatronics at the University of Bologna. He is currently the President of the Higher Education Foundation for Technical Professions of Emilia-Romagna (Super).
From the joint reflection of universities and businesses, the Foundation took its first steps in 2021 to promote and support professional degree programs in the Emilia-Romagna region. Its objectives are set within the specific context of technical education with the intention to:
- Help bridge the gap between the growing demand for new and specific skills and the supply,
- Enrich the field of professional-oriented education, which is more peripheral in Italy compared to the international context,
- Contribute to increasing the number of Italian graduates,
- Offer a new opportunity that directly links academic education to productive districts.