Third Mission
Coordinator
Dr. Simone Ronsisvalle
- Prof. Anna Maria Panico
- Prof. Francesco Pappalardo
- Dr. Barbara Tomasello
- Prof. Teresa Musumeci (Project Manager "Children University")
- Prof. Luca Vanella (Responsible for the dissemination of activities)
The University is historically founded on that need for knowledge which arises from humanity’s innate passion for research, and this constitutes the University’s primary mission. Research is the foundation of education, the second mission, whose task is to increase knowledge through teaching.
The third mission is the University’s active role in the economic and social development of the Territory. Today, the University is recognized as a place of knowledge production and transmission, and alongside the traditional objectives of research and education, it also embraces the dissemination of knowledge through interaction with the local community. The three institutional missions are closely integrated; new graduates and those engaged in lifelong learning programs transfer knowledge and skills to businesses and institutions, fueling processes of innovation and change, with a clear impact on the Territory. If excellence applies to research and education, it must also apply to the third mission.
The department’s activities to enhance research, within the framework of the third mission (contract work, continuing education, and public engagement), are designed from the planning stage to strengthen and innovate relationships—whether new or long-established—with institutions and organizations that operate at various levels in the Territory, with the business and entrepreneurial world, and with social and professional associations. In this perspective, the DSFS aims to contribute to a stronger integration between research and innovative teaching, also with a view to internationalizing relationships and collaborations.
In particular, the department is committed to organizing educational, cultural, and societal development activities addressed to the city and the Territory, in order to contribute to the well-being and sustainable, inclusive growth of communities.
