Inauguration of the 2025-26 Academic Year

The inauguration of the 2025-2026 academic year took place on Wednesday, 10 September 2025, in the West Campus Lugano Aula magna. The event brought together over 200 members of the university community, including professors, researchers and staff. Rector Luisa Lambertini opened the ceremony by taking stock of the initial results achieved by USI for the four years 2025-2028, outlining the new challenges facing the university in the coming months.

In her address, the Rector recalled how USI is a young and dynamic institution, ready to enhance its strengths further. Among the strategic themes at the heart of the planning, she emphasised inclusion, with appointments aimed at generational change and gender equality, and sustainability, with the publication of the new Report on Sustainability and Environmental Impact. Additionally, she expressed a desire to transform the campuses into vibrant places for life and encounter. In this context, she presented the figures for Universo 2025, USI's Open Day, which drew over 4,000 visitors to the Lugano campuses in its inaugural edition. She also announced the next edition, scheduled for 25 April 2026. In this context, she also drew attention to the "Lugano University City" project, focusing on the green belt along the Cassarate river, led by architect Martino Pedrozzi in collaboration with the City of Lugano.

Among the institutional developments, the Rector mentioned the launch of the Daccò Chair at the Institute of Argumentation, Linguistics and Semiotics (IALS) and the awarding of the second Daccò Chair to Professor Heather Miller at the Faculty of Informatics, a sign of the university's commitment to strengthening research and teaching in key areas. She then announced the appointment of Omar Visentin to lead the relaunch of continuing education, emphasising the desire to revitalise this area. Another important step was the establishment of two new research institutes: the USI-EOC Translational Research Institute (IRT), dedicated to four crucial areas – neurodegenerative diseases, cardiological diseases, microbiota and intestinal diseases, regenerative and osteoarticular medicine – and the Institute of Sustainable Architecture and Technology (IAST), directed by Professor Ena Lloret-Fritschi, whose inaugural event will be held on 16 April 2026. Looking ahead, the Rector identified several significant challenges, including proposed federal cuts to education and research.

She then announced the appointment of the new Deans (Ernst-Jan Camiel Wit for the Faculty of Informatics and Riccardo Blumer for the Academy of Architecture). The Rector also mentioned the publication of the Annual Report and the new Institutional Charta, which integrates the Code of Ethics, and the presentation of the results of the post-Townhall survey, aimed at improving dialogue and fostering communication within the university community.

The Pro-Rectors then took the floor to illustrate the main developments in their respective areas.

Sonja Hildebrand, Pro-Rector for Sustainable Transformation and Equal Opportunities, presented the new reference figures for integrity in interpersonal behaviour, the Regulations for the Application of the Code of Ethics and the institutional project CAMPUS – Collaborative Action for Multidisciplinary Progress and Sustainability, co-funded by swissuniversities.

Patrick Gagliardini, Pro-Rector for Research, announced the acquisition of 28 SNSF projects (totalling CHF 19.5 million), with a particular focus on Ambition 2025 grants. He also reported on the two prestigious appointments of USI professors to the SNSF Research Council.

Luca Maria Gambardella, Vice-Rector for Innovation and Corporate Relations, outlined initiatives to support entrepreneurship (Founders' Track, Lab-to-Market, Incubation Programme with in-kind vouchers worth CHF 60,000 for selected start-ups).

Gabriele Balbi, Pro-Rector for Education and Students' Experience, presented the new guidelines on the use of generative artificial intelligence in teaching, as well as the latest developments in academic awards (USI Alumni Award and USI Raiffeisen Best Teaching Award) and USI's new promotion strategy (Play your future, join.USI).

Prof. Balbi then presented the main developments in the Pro-Rectorate for Internationalisation, in the absence of Fabio Crestani: he launched the second edition of "Il mondo in USI" (The world at USI), a series of intercultural events, and outlined the preparatory work for Switzerland's return to the Erasmus programme.

The Director of Operations ad interim, Milan Savic, and the General Secretary, Giovanni Zavaritt, also spoke, introducing the new arrivals to the staff and the academic community.

The ceremony also provided an opportunity to announce the winners of the Award for Scientific Contributions on Topics of Equality and Diversity, which was jointly awarded to Daniela Baiardi and Andrea Esposito, with a special mention for Kathryn Angelotti.

The ceremony ended with a convivial moment, an opportunity to strengthen ties within the university community and welcome the new academic year together.