L’asfissia dell’Università italiana

La prestigiosa rivista scientifica The Lancet”,  tra le cinque riviste di maggior impatto nel mondo in ambito medico, ha pubblicato un articolo dal titolo Asphyxia of Italian academia in medicine and political deference che si riferisce alle facoltà d medicina ma potrebbe essere perfetto per tutte le facoltà e tutti i dipartimenti.

The Gelmini law, which reformed the Italian university system, aimed to promote academic meritocracy and independence.These issues were crucial for medicine, which was particularly afflicted by academic malpractice. Regrettably, expectations of reform have been unmet on many grounds.  We have identified flaws in the recruitment of academics and the detrimental effects that result.
However, because recruitment of outside professors costs much more than promoting internal staff, departments view promotion of an internal figure favourably. Tailoring is an unfair way of directing the recruitment outcome.
Of 175 professorships given on the basis of article 18, paragraph 1, 165 professorships were won by scientists attached to the university department or university hospitals.
Recruitment markedly directed toward internal rewarding does not involve an improvement of human resources and demonstrates academia’s renouncement of the possibility of a refreshing new addition, with the system remaining locked into itself and a victim of oligarchy. Meanwhile, worthy scientists who are not close to influential figures remain marginalised.
Political funding for recruitment risks limiting academic freedom, favouring clientelism, fostering politically oriented recruitment, and influencing the medical–scientific culture of society. The recent establishment of an Italian governmental agency to oversee research