The activities of the Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC) of the University of Trieste have officially begun, with the first joint meeting of the Governing Board and the Scientific Committee, which took place in the presence of the Rector Roberto Di Lenarda and the Director General Luciana Rozzini.

The Centre was established under the leadership of Matteo Cornacchia, Professor of General and Social Pedagogy, to promote the continuous training of university lecturers with a view to innovation and improvement in teaching, with the aim of improving the effectiveness of teaching in relation to the changing student population and the digital tools available.

The TLC will be a useful tool to strengthen the idea of the ‘university teacher’ that UniTS intends to promote.

‘The launch of the Teaching and Learning Centre,’ explains Matteo Cornacchia, ‘is one of the actions envisaged in the University's Strategic Plan 2023-2026. TLCs have long been present in foreign universities and, for some years now, they have also been becoming more widespread in Italy with the aim of accompanying and supporting the improvement of university teaching and the professional development of lecturers and researchers.’

Among the first initiatives is the introduction of a compulsory course for newly recruited lecturers to facilitate their induction and foster their professional growth. It will also provide support for the design and delivery of innovative training courses.

‘Their task,’ says Cornacchia, ’is to foster Faculty Development, i.e. the set of activities needed by university lecturers to improve their knowledge, teaching and assessment methodologies, relationships with students, and to be more effective overall in their work.'

The TLC Governing Board comprises all the components of the academic community: in its first formation, it includes lecturers Silvia Palmisano (DSM), Pierre Thibault (DF), Dolores Ferrara (IUSLIT), Stefano Fornasaro (DSCF) and Giovanni Grandi (DISPES), the administrative manager (identified by the Director General) Enrico Sartor, Samantha Tedesco representing the technical and administrative staff and Enrico Candotti as the student representative.

The Scientific Committee, on the other hand, is composed of Sara Cervai (DISPES), Gianfranco Sanson (DSM), Francesco Venier (DEAMS), Danilo Lewanski (MIGE), Valentina Beorchia (MIGE - as Interdepartmental Centre for Research on Educational - CIRD), Emanuele Carosati (DSCF), Maria Chiara Passolunghi (DSV), Giovanni Bacaro (DSV), Paolo Labinaz (DISU), Eric Medvet (DIA), Lorenzo Di Pietro (DF) and Stefano Ondelli (IUSLIT), ensuring the representation of all the University's departments.

During the inaugural meeting, the members of the Centre's two bodies engaged in an initial discussion of the tasks of the TLC, also in relation to similar bodies in Italy and abroad, and began planning future activities.