The CoDAU Traveling Council, the Conference of General Directors of Italian Universities, combined visits to laboratories and research centers with a discussion on the university system's priorities: simplification, resource planning, staff development, and collaboration between universities.
Rome, 21 October 2026 - To understand the universities in the places where people study and conduct research, in order to develop solutions that are more closely aligned with their needs. With this objective in mind, the CoDAU itinerant council stopped at the University of Bologna on October 21, 2026.Università Campus Bio-Medico di RomaThe day, opened with the welcome of Andrea Rossi, CEO and general director of the University, was developed through visits to laboratories and research centres and the subsequent work of the Board.
The process gave substance to the purpose of the meetings hosted at various university locations: learning about colleagues' experiences, understanding their organizational choices, and identifying opportunities for collaboration. "To see them, to get to know each other, and to spark ideas and collaborations," Rossi explained. This approach allows for a comparison of administrative issues with an understanding of the activities that administrations are called upon to support.
The visit offered participants a glimpse into the relationship between education, research, and the organization of the Campus Bio-Medico. Laboratories, technologies, and learning environments are the result of academic and management decisions that require the contribution of diverse professional skills. For general managers and executives, understanding them also means understanding the conditions that enable their operation and the solutions adopted by the University.
The rector Rocco Papalia, recalling the research center, laboratories, and Simulation Center, emphasized the focus on students, at the heart of training and academic and administrative activities. This perspective sees the quality of the facilities as measured by the experience offered to individuals and the ability to support their professional and personal growth.
The connection between investment, educational innovation, and organizational capacity finds its foundation in the relationship between academic governance and the general management. Papalia described it as "an ongoing collaboration between the Rector and the Director General," which supports the University's initiatives and is also reflected in its buildings. What gives meaning to the structures is the people who inhabit them, the University's identity, and the training of future professionals.
From the visit to the Council's work, the common thread was the relationship between the university's mission and the quality of its administration. Teaching, research, and services require organizations capable of implementing policies, supporting individuals, and ensuring project continuity. This responsibility underpins the CoDAU dialogue, which involves sharing the expertise developed across the various universities.
The Roman stage continues the path of the new governance led by Vincenzo Tedesco, Director General of the Polytechnic University of Turin, with Lucia Colitti, Director General of the University of Rome "Foro Italico" (Vice President), and Pietro Di Benedetto, Director General of the University of L'Aquila (Vice President). After meetings at the University of Rome "Foro Italico" and the University of Molise, the meeting will take place atUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma brought into the discussion the experience of a non-state university and its specificities.
