Four million euros “bonus” for the University of Insubria

Minister Gelmini awards the University of Insubria’s quality. In the academic award the Varese and Como university appears among the top twenty, before Brescia, Rome, Naples, and many others.

The 2010 award, that is the total bonus forecast by the decree, is equal to over 11 percent of the total financing. This means that, from the ministry, Insubria will receive in all 39 million (39,158,977 euros to be precise), of which over 4 million (4,342,599) are the result of good research and teaching. For the rector Renzo Dionigi, the result is definitely positive: “We are really satisfied. Our university has obtained, this way, an incentive equal to 11 percent of the total financing. In the national academic award table we hold the nineteenth place, a remarkable position, even before very famous universities.” This does not mean that Varese and Como will have more money than Rome, we point out, but that on the total value, a high quality of research and teaching has allowed us to have a larger bonus percentage.

As well as the incentives a basic fund equal to 720 million euros, 200 million more than the previous year, has been assigned. The total amount has then been distributed to Italian universities, according to academic evaluations.

The award for each university was calculated based on different parameters: the greatest factor is the quality of research, which depends on other criteria such as the teacher success in research projects of national interest, CIVR evaluations (Committee for Evaluation of Research), the ability to obtain international funding, young researchers participations in projects. Also the role of teaching is very important: this depends on the number of active students‘ and on their results measured in “credits”. In the national academic award  Turin Polytechnic stands out, with its 16 percent, thanks to the 2010 award. It is followed by Venetian Ca’ Foscari and by Trento. At the bottom of the chart, there are Messina, Sassari, Palermo and Bari universities.

 

Even if funding increase for competitiveness and merit do not solve university resource requirements. The total allocation of each university remains inferior, even Turin Polytechnic, the most virtuous according to ministry chart, obtained in total 300 thousand euros less than the previous year, while the fund loses 3.72 percent compared to 2009.