Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

Unimore draws up an investment plan to offer more classrooms and laboratories

Nearly 20 million euros. This is the amount of the financial commitment entered into by Unimore in the investment plan aimed at adapting the facilities and the laboratories of the University to the new needs of a constantly increasing student population, attracted by a wide educational offer that has been tailored to professional profiles ensuring a fast integration of graduates in the job market.

With over 24,000 students enrolled, Unimore faces the need to widen the availability of classroom seats. Over 3,400 seats will be made available during the next years to improve the reception facilities and ensure that students can take advantage of studying conditions that are in line with a tradition - confirmed by surveys by Censis - that ranks Unimore among the top Italian Universities in terms of educational performances.

Not only classrooms will benefit from the economic commitments made by the University. The plan drawn up also includes the creation of new laboratories and new IT classrooms.

“These last years of my office – the Rector, Professor Angelo O. Andrisano declares - have seen a significantly increasing number of enrolments.  This has shown that the spaces currently available both in Modena and Reggio Emilia are not suitable anymore to ensure that teaching quality we have been pursuing through the certification of our degree programmes, the cross-cutting skill project, the blended programmes and the tutoring services. In terms of innovation, much has been done to provide our students with the top training. Obviously, this is not enough. We must also make sure to provide facilities that offer students the perfect conditions for learning and studying. That is why we have undertaken an ambitious investment plan, which could not be postponed anyway.

Six are the great works that we have planned, and that will integrate the facilities at Unimore.

IN MODENA

FORMER MALE PRISON OF S.EUFEMIA

The project for recovering the former male prison has set the objective to create 590 new classroom seats for the educational activities of the Department of Linguistic and Cultural Studies (DSLC) and the Language Centre of the University (CLA), divided into 4 bigger classrooms offering 100 seats each and connected for videoconferences, 4 classrooms offering 25 seats each, equipped for multimedia activities, and other smaller classrooms offering 20 seats each to host traditional lectures.

The project involves an overall useful floor area of 1,300 m² , of which 860 sqm are used for classrooms and educational areas, whereas the remaining part is organised in studies and administration offices.

With a total expenditure of nearly 6 million euros, the works of the projects have now been completed: testing and furnishing are now underway. The new classrooms are expected to be available for use from the first half of 2019.  

NEW IT CLASSROOMS AT THE SCIENTIFIC CAMPUS

In the building of via Campi, behind the Scientific Library and where also the Registrar’s Offices are located, an IT classrooms will be created on the ground floor with a capacity of 60 seats, whereas on the first floor a drawing classroom will be adapted, and a new 100-seat IT classroom will be made available.

The expected cost is about 380,000 euros. Works will probably start in 2019 and end in 2020.

NEW PAVILION AT THE ENGINEERING CAMPUS

The major works are undoubtedly the creation of the New pavilion for classrooms that will be located at the “Enzo Ferrari” Engineering campus in Modena. It will meet the space needs of DIEF (Enzo Ferrari Department of Engineering), the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery and the Department of Life Sciences (former Chemistry). The expected cost is 8 million euros approximately, of which 4.5 million for works. The new building will have a floor area of 1,500 m² and will be destined exclusively to university classrooms. The project proposal, which includes the preparation of a reasonable number of large classrooms, shall feature a building made of no more than three levels from the ground, at least containing:

• 2 classrooms with a capacity of at least 300 people
• 1 classroom with a capacity of at least 200 people
• 2 classrooms with a capacity of at least 150 people

A design competition for selecting the designers is underway. Works are expected to start at the beginning of 2019 and end in 2021.

EXTENSION OF LABORATORIES AT DIEF ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

On the other side, at the Campus of the Enzo Ferrari Department of Engineering in Modena and facing the Technopole, works are planned to extend the MO28 complex. It will cover a 1,200 sqm area and comprise offices and laboratories. The expected cost is 3 million euros, of which 2 millions for works. Works are expected to start in 2020 and be completed by 2024.

IN REGGIO EMILIA

PURCHASE OF LAND FOR LABORATORIES OF THE AGRICULTURE AND ENGINEERING DEPARTMENTS

In addition, a 3,766 m² land will be purchased, located East of the Buccula Pavilion at the San Lazzaro university Campus, and property of the Local Public Health Service in Reggio Emilia. This is where new laboratories will be built, destined to research and educational activities belonging to the degree programmes of Agriculture and Science and Methods of Engineering (DISMI). The whole operation will cover an area of 1,900 m² and will involve an expected cost of over 7.7 million euros. The purchase will be defined by the first months of 2019 and works are expected to start in 2020. 

EPISCOPAL SEMINARY

Another awaited commitment involves the city of Reggio Emilia, where students enrolled are now over eight thousand, after twenty years since the birth of the University in the city. Palazzo Dossetti and the Pavilions of San Lazzaro are not big enough to avoid accidents and inconveniences caused by overcrowding. Hence the recent decision of the University to find an agreement with the Curia for the use of the Episcopal Seminary located at the address of via Timavo. Works will start shortly. Venues are expected to be available as early as at the beginning of next Academic Year. The building will host the Department of Education and Human Sciences (DESU) and Edunova, the e-learning centre of the University.

Categorie: International - english