STRATEGIC PLAN

Departmental Strategic Development Projects (PSSDs, using the Italian acronym) were launched by the University of Bologna to promote the growth of Departments through funding for five-year projects. The objective of PSSDs is to enhance a Department's research, teaching and third mission processes, with a view to improving its overall performance.

More specifically, our PSSD at DIT aims to develop the department's potential for excellence through the identification of a high-level research topic that encourages collaboration among its different research lines and approaches. The chosen topic is linguistic and cultural fluidity, applied to linguistic competence and to written and spoken language. At the same time, the project aims to develop leading research areas in two directions: on the one hand by extending topics and methods to include cognitive approaches to the study of speech and text production, mediation and reception and, on the other, by enhancing research at the interface between linguistics and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

The long established face-to-face and high-level teaching of the DIT model is now being enhanced through distance learning techniques. For this reason, the PSSD is implementing a series of actions ranging from a commitment to educational innovation (in line with the initiatives deployed at the University of Bologna and within the international networks in which the DIT is involved), to the delivery of training sessions for new members of teaching staff. Secondly, given the Department commitment to the advancement of research, it seems fruitful to encourage even greater interaction between teaching and research, driven by research. In this respect, the DIT will operate on three different levels: research on learning processes, external dissemination of its core disciplines, and development of a research culture among its students.

Finally, our PSSD aims to consolidate the many third mission initiatives that are already in place, in particular on intercultural studies and multilingualism, gender education, theatre studies, lifelong learning, in-company research. The areas of departmental research that are already at an advanced stage of development will be strengthened with initiatives addressing the world of work and secondary schools. In the first area, these will focus on developing a culture of entrepreneurship among all DIT members of staff, and enhancing the strong sense of belonging of students and alumni. In the second, connection with primary and secondary schools will be strengthened by planning activities that will bring more and more students and teachers into the university.