Everything Old Is New Again: Building the University of the Future on an Ancient Foundation

At times of rapid societal change, the academy can be a radical platform for experimentation and new thinking or a bastion of conservatism—or a combination of both. How does a modern university navigate the space between its classrooms and labs and the rest of society? How do university leaders prepare students not just to cope with a world that is visibly changing before their eyes, but to lead in a world which is changing at an exponential pace? The University of Pavia is one of the oldest universities in the world. Francesco Svelto, a distinguished electrical engineer, is now the university's rector. He has the remarkable opportunity and challenges to build a university of the future on a centuries-old foundation. He recently shared his vision for Pavia and, more broadly, education at a time of transformation.