Twenty years in three stages. For a birthday to remember. The University of Milano-Bicocca marks the 20th anniversary of its foundation in 2018, with the celebrations kicking off on 21 November 2017 with the Inauguration of the 2017/18 Academic Year event.
It was on 10 June 1998 that a Ministerial Decree founded what was initially known as the “Seconda Università degli Studi di Milano”. A subsequent decree on 21 March 1999 saw the name of the university change to the University of Milano-Bicocca.
Since then, the campus quickly added more classrooms, laboratories and residences, becoming an integral part of the area and taking on a key role in the post-industrial transformation of the district.
Over the past 20 years, the university’s innovation in the field of research has benefited from significant infrastructural investment and the consolidation of its position in the ANVUR’s VQR report on the quality of research, which rates Bicocca among the top ten universities in Italy. The university’s research activities have the aim of benefiting the entire community. One example of this is a project researching more personalised medicine, including studies into Alzheimer’s, thyroid treatment, 3D surgery and the use of nano-medicines in creating new drugs.
Cutting-edge teaching and support for a merit-based system are two of the other pillars upon which the university’s activities are founded. In the last three years, the university has set up five Master’s courses in English, while - in order to support the right to study - the university introduced merit credits in the 2014/15 academic year, regardless of income.
Over the last 20 years, the university has grown into its role as a cultural and artistic hub for the city of Milan. Thanks to collaboration with the Arnaldo Pomodoro Foundation, the campus recently installed a new work of art named The Pietrarubbia Group, a large sculpture by Arnaldo Pomodoro, located in the centre of the square designed for the university by Vittorio Gregotti.
The work represents a link between the Deutsche Bank collection of contemporary art and La Sequenza by Fausto Melotti, located in the grounds of Pirelli Hangar Bicocca. This art trail draws on a range of artistic and cultural genres, incorporating different materials and forms to become a Boulevard of creativity and innovation.
With our 20th anniversary celebrations, we hope to encapsulate all of this in a packed calendar of cultural and sporting events. Initiatives include two photography exhibitions, a running event and writing and video-making contests.
The 20th anniversary celebrations, which will conclude with the inauguration of the 2018/19 academic year, will climax with a celebration on 12 June 2018. The day will not only see involvement from the academic community, but also the local area and general public. Music, performances and special guest appearances will take place at the Piazza dell’Ateneo Nuovo, the heart of the Bicocca campus.
The 20th anniversary year will also be a chance to talk about the role of universities in the creation of a new surge of Italian innovation and creativity starting out in Milan and looking out to the rest of Europe. And of course, as it turns 20, the University of Milano-Bicocca intends to play a starring role in those efforts.