Collaboration: the weapon to deal with complexity
An institution that wants to open up to complexity is an institution ready for dialog with all components of society and collaboration with other institutions. To increase its ability to do problem framing, Bocconi has expanded in recent years its network of collaborations and partnerships with other universities, with the ultimate goal of pooling knowledge. The innovative element was to look at Italian excellence starting from the Milanese universities.
In addition to its interaction with the Polytechnic, with which Bocconi carries out two MSc programs (one in Cyber Risk Strategy and Governance from 2019/20 and one in Transformative Sustainability from this academic year), there is also the constant collaboration with all the Milanese universities and in particular with the Polytechnic, with the University of Milan La Statale and the University of Milan Bicocca. This collaboration resulted last year in the four universities becoming the Milan Unit of ELLIS, the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent System, the laboratory that brings together the best academic resources for the development of AI and machine learning in Europe. In recent weeks it has also led to the launch of MUSA (Multilayered Urban Sustainability Action), a new model of public-private partnership, together with 24 national and territorial institutions, with the aim of creating an ecosystem for innovation and urban regeneration. MUSA envisages a total investment of 116 million euros, 110 of which are financed by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
The PNRR, on the implementation of which SDA Bocconi launched a specific Research Laboratory (PNRR Lab) in 2022, was then an opportunity to look beyond Milan and forge alliances with other Italian universities. Bocconi is now a member of three extended partnerships: AGE-It, dedicated to research and training on the issues of an ageing population; FAIR, whose challenge is to define the agenda for research on artificial intelligence methodologies; GRINS, for the development of an online platform to support research and for the analysis of policies and the evaluation of the actions of public administrations.
With a view once again to overcoming the challenge of complexity, constant attention is also given to international partners, beyond those on the local and national level. Today Bocconi, in addition to having 287 partner universities in the world (259 in 2016), 35 of which share Double Degree agreements (26 in 2016), is part of 10 different networks in Europe and in the world, including that of CIVICA, one of the 16 European university alliances that will continue to receive support from the Erasmus+ 2022-2027 program.