Academia today in Italy
Modern Academia was first established officially in Italy. The University of Bologna was founded around 1088 AD, and was chartered in 1158 AD by Federico I Barbarossa. Since the beginning till the first half of the 20th century, academics had freedom to think, work, express opinions and travel for sake and the greater good of knowledge. For knowledge per sé.
The situation of Academia in the new Millennium is very different. The University system has become a business. Universities are less and less interested in providing a space for academics and students, where academics can create schools of thought and foster their research while students delve into their studies and become adults. Universities are increasingly, and mostly, concerned with ways to increase revenue.
This general attitude comes at the expense of research freedom, research quality, teaching quality, scope of research, quality of life of academics and students, and of the old flair that education had, when teaching was not about technical contents or fairness of questions in the exams, but about forming the future generations of human beings.
The situation of Academia in the new Millennium is very different. The University system has become a business. Universities are less and less interested in providing a space for academics and students, where academics can create schools of thought and foster their research while students delve into their studies and become adults. Universities are increasingly, and mostly, concerned with ways to increase revenue.
This general attitude comes at the expense of research freedom, research quality, teaching quality, scope of research, quality of life of academics and students, and of the old flair that education had, when teaching was not about technical contents or fairness of questions in the exams, but about forming the future generations of human beings.