University Highlights: Key Resolutions - July 2026

NOTICES

 
Working students: new support measures
 The University Governing Bodies were presented with an overview of the measures already adopted by Departments to support working students, together with a set of new services to be introduced for the 2026/27 academic year. 2026/27 academic year. Among the new initiatives are a virtual helpdesk based on a ticketing system and enhanced library services, including more flexible loan arrangements, bookable consultations and the possibility of authorising another person to collect borrowed items.

APPOINTMENTS

 
Umberto Eco Library and Archive: University representatives appointed to the Steering Committee
 The Rector's Decree appointing Professor Francesco Citti and Professor Giuliana Benvenuti as the University of Bologna's representatives on the Steering Committee of the Biblioteca Moderna di Lavoro and the Umberto Eco Archive has been ratified. The Committee is responsible for defining strategies to promote, enhance and disseminate the bibliographic and documentary heritage donated by the Eco family.

TEACHING

 
Inter-university Specialisation School in Musical Heritage
 The renewal of the agreement between the University of Bologna, Sapienza University of Rome and the University of Pavia for the Inter-university Specialisation School in Musical Heritage, together with the activation of the programme for the 2026/27 academic year, has been approved. 

Marco Polo Programme: incentives for research mobility
 A first amendment to the Marco Polo Programme Regulations has been approved to broaden access to international mobility incentives for doctoral candidates. The revision removes references to country of birth, citizenship and domicile, retaining place of residence as the sole exclusion criterion, in line with the University's Regulations governing doctoral programmes.

Post-graduate vocational training programmes: second call for the 2026/27 academic year 
 The second round of Post-graduate vocational training programmes for the 2026-2027 academic year has been approved. The provision includes 27 programmes, comprising 12 new proposals, one renewed programme with substantial changes and 14 renewals without substantial changes.

RESEARCH AND THIRD MISSION

European project reporting: internal invoicing introduced
The introduction of internal invoicing has been approved. This process enables the use of the University's internal research equipment and services to be reported as eligible costs in European projects. Following a pilot phase that confirmed its technical and methodological feasibility, the system will initially be implemented in the three pilot cases already identified.  Specific guidelines will also be developed to support the gradual adoption of the process across the University and to enable timely updates in line with developments in the University's organisational, financial and IT systems.

Agreement to establish the national Core Facility "HEAL ITALIA FACILITIES LAB" 
 Promoted by the HEAL ITALIA Foundation as part of the PNRR Extended Partnership on precision medicine, the national HEAL ITALIA FACILITIES LAB Core Facility will create a nationwide network of laboratories, equipment, technologies and expertise. The initiative will support the sharing of research infrastructure, the development of innovative projects and participation in national and European funding opportunities.

Digital Centre for Precision Medicine: agreement with the HEAL ITALIA Foundation
 A favourable opinion has been expressed on the conclusion of a cooperation agreement with the HEAL ITALIA Foundation to establish the “Precision Medicine Lab for Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Systems”. The Centre will build on the outcomes of the PNRR HEAL ITALIA project, with the aim of creating Italy's first physical and virtual hub dedicated to accelerating innovation in Precision Medicine across prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Agreement with the Italian Thermotechnical Association (ATI)
 A three-year renewable agreement has been approved with the Italian Thermotechnical Association (ATI) to collaborate on research, training, technology transfer and scientific outreach in the fields of energy and sustainability. The agreement provides for the development of joint initiatives, participation in research projects, the organisation of scientific and training events, and the enhancement of research activities.

Unimpatto: updated Guidelines for fundraising campaigns
 The updated Guidelines for managing fundraising campaigns on the Unimpatto platform have been approved. To facilitate the submission of fundraising proposals by Departments, campaigns that do not reach their fundraising target and do not include co-funding from the proposing structure may now allocate the funds raised to scholarships for students. The updated Guidelines also introduce clarifications and simplifications to the procedures for submitting, approving and reporting fundraising campaigns.

Bologna City Run: three-year agreement and support for research on younger generations
 A new agreement has been approved with Bologna Sport Marathon S.S.D. a r.l. for the 2027, 2028 and 2029 editions of the Bologna City Run. The agreement includes discounted race entry fees, prizes for students and volunteering opportunities. Funds raised through the 2026 edition will support the establishment of a long-term Observatory dedicated to the study of younger generations and finance the first edition of the "Nuove Generazioni" call, which will fund a post-graduate research scholarship on the relationship between physical activity and psychological wellbeing in everyday, educational and learning environments.

Agreement with "Leila Bologna – The Library of Things APS"
 A favourable opinion has been expressed on a collaboration agreement with Leila Bologna – The Library of Things APS to launch a pilot lending and sharing service for goods available to students and University staff. The initiative aims to promote sustainability and the circular economy within the University community by encouraging the shared use of items that are only occasionally needed and reducing unnecessary waste.

STUDENT SERVICES

 
TPER travel pass discounts for students confirmed for 2026/27
 The publication of the call for applications has been approved for the allocation of 4,000 annual TPER urban and suburban travel passes, with a further €100 reduction on the already discounted fares available to the entire student community (which provide a 30% discount on the cost of annual passes). The benefit is available to first-cycle, second-cycle and single-cycle degree students with an ISEE of up to €35,000. 

Teacher training programmes: tuition fee system confirmed for 2026/27 
 A favourable opinion has been expressed on maintaining the current tuition fee system for Teacher Education Programmes (PFI) for the 2026/27 academic year. The University of Bologna remains the only university in Italy to apply a contribution system based on participants' socio-economic circumstances, the majority of whom are recent graduates. Maximum tuition fees remain unchanged (€2,400 for 60-CFU programmes and €1,900 for 36- or 30-CFU programmes), as does the full exemption for students with an ISEE of up to €27,000 or a certified disability of at least 66%. Above the €27,000 ISEE threshold, the same progressive contribution system already applied to first-cycle, second-cycle and single-cycle degree programmes will continue to apply.

Remote examinations for students with serious health conditions
 The University governing bodies have approved updated guidelines regulating the possibility for students with serious and documented health conditions to sit examinations remotely. The new provisions extend eligibility to situations that are not necessarily covered by Law 104/1992, including high-risk pregnancies, cancer, hospitalisation, post-operative recovery and serious psychiatric conditions, subject to appropriate medical documentation and the principle of reasonable accommodation. The updated guidelines preserve important support measures without derogating from current legislation, despite recent regulatory changes affecting online examinations.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders: 2025 ministerial funding plan approved 
 The University has approved the plan for the use of the 2025 Ordinary Funding allocation (FFO) assigned by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) to support students with disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD). A total of €580,441 will be used to strengthen specialised tutoring services and provide study support resources.

Student representatives' training programme 2026/27 
 The new edition of the training programme for student representatives has been approved, further strengthening initiatives aimed at supporting and enhancing the role of student representatives. Based on feedback from previous editions, the programme will place greater emphasis on the practical aspects of student representation, feature shorter webinars to encourage wider participation, and will also be open to students serving as voluntary representatives where no elected representatives are in place. Participants will receive an Open Badge, and the activity will be recognised in the Diploma Supplement.

Guidelines for the Recognition of University Credits (CFU)
 The University has approved new guidelines governing the recognition of university credits (CFU), reflecting the latest legislative developments. The document aims to: bring together all forms of credit recognition available across the University; clarify the legal framework, procedures, responsibilities and timelines; provide further guidance on areas such as recognition of credits from ITS Academies and extracurricular activities under Article 2 of Ministerial Decree 931/2024; specify the documentation required to support students' applications.

Open semester for Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine: tuition fees and exemptions
 The Rector's Decree establishing a flat-rate contribution of €250 for enrolment in the open semester providing access to single-cycle Master's degree programmes in Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics, and Veterinary Medicine for the 2026/27 academic year has been ratified. 2026/27 academic year. Full and partial exemptions from the contribution are also available.

INTERNATIONALISATION

Agreement with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to award scholarships to international students
The University has approved an agreement with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) to administer scholarships awarded to international students undertaking study, research or further training in Italy. The agreement will also allow the University to continue advancing scholarship payments during the  2026/27 academic year, ensuring that recipients receive their funding more promptly than through the standard ministerial procedures.

Fondo Giovani 2025
 The proposal for the allocation of the 2025 Fondo Giovani (€3.09 million) has been approved to support students’ international mobility. The funding will be distributed as follows: Erasmus+ Study (70%); the Overseas programme, including double and multiple degree programmes (22%); and the MAECI and Field Work programmes (8%). The Governing Bodies also acknowledged the financial reports for 2022 and 2023, together with the monitoring results for the 2024 fund.

Agreements with non-EU universities  
 A favourable opinion has been expressed on the conclusion of a framework cooperation agreement with Michigan State University (USA) to support student and staff mobility, participation in European programmes, and the development of double and joint degree programmes.

STAFF AND ORGANISATION

 
2026 recruitment planning round
 The requests submitted by Departments to fill academic, research and professional staff positions as part of the 2026 recruitment planning round have been approved. The requests cover a total of 128 positions, corresponding to an overall commitment of 68.30 staffing points, of which 44.65 will be drawn from Departmental allocations. The resolution also sets out the timetable for appointments, the priorities for issuing calls for applications and the updated financial planning supporting the recruitment plan. 

Mid-Year Review of 2026 Performance Targets
 Based on the mid-year performance review, updates to the organisational objectives for 2026–2028 (PIAO) have been approved. These changes aim to support continuous improvement in governance and administrative operations.

BUILDINGS AND SPACES

  
Agreement with Fondazione Flaminia for the Ravenna Campus
 A new agreement between the University of Bologna and Fondazione Flaminia per l’Università in Romagna has been approved to support the development of services for teaching and research activities at the Ravenna Campus. The agreement provides for the refurbishment of spaces in the former Augustinian Convent to create new teaching laboratories, as well as the establishment of a fund for the maintenance and modernisation of the Campus’s university facilities.

PARTICIPATION IN EXTERNAL ENTITIES

 
UniboWell established: a new company for sport, health and wellbeing
The establishment of UniboWell SSD a r.l. has been approved. The new entity is a wholly owned amateur sports company of the University of Bologna, dedicated to promoting, coordinating and developing activities related to sport, health, wellbeing, research and education, in line with the University’s institutional mission and the objectives of its Strategic Plan. The new company will serve as an operational vehicle through which the University can develop a coordinated approach to policies concerning the wellbeing of the university community, education, research and Third Mission activities, while fostering integration among the different areas of expertise across the Bologna, Cesena, Forlì, Ravenna, Rimini and Faenza Campuses.

 
All resolutions are available on Organi web and Intranet