USI as a way for the future

The XXII Dies academicus of Università della Svizzera italiana was held at the Mendrisio campus, on May 5, 2018. The opening address by the President of the University Council, Monica Duca Widmer, focused on the great changes occurring at USI in the current phase. The following keynote speech given by USI Rector Prof. Boas Erez underscored the reasons for which USI strives to become a way for the future, of its students and researchers, of the region in which it functions, and of its own organization. 

Prof. Erez illustrated what USI would and could become in the upcoming years: “We want to become a model employer, an institution that respects, encourages and believes in diversity; a catalyst for great talent among students and faculty alike; a partner of choice for technology transfer; and a knowledge lab where senses and aesthetics, in addition to logic and reason, are fostered”. 

Special guest of this edition of the Dies academicus was the distinguished French historian Édouard Husson, who’s speech “La France et l’Allemagne peuvent-elles encore être le moteur de l’Union Européenne” was inspired by the declared objective of the French President, Emmanuel Macron, to relaunch the Franco-German axis and to recover its key role in the Union.   

The customary conclusion of the Dies was dedicated to the honours: honorary doctorates were conferred to Howard Burns, professor emeritus of architectural history at the Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa; and to Jürg Conzett, a renowned Swiss civil engineer; and the Credit Suisse Award Best Teaching Award was given to Gabriele Cappellato, professor at the USI Academy of Architecture. 

The complete press kit of the XXII Dies academicus is available – in Italian – in attachment.