A Guide to Get Started: Our First Welcome Brochure
In light of the growing complexity of academic environments and the richness of the scientific landscape within the Faculty of Science, the integration of newly appointed professors is a key moment—one that determines access to resources, understanding of institutional structures, and the opportunity to build lasting connections across sections and departments. It is with this in mind that the Welcome Brochure was created: a support tool designed to provide newcomers with a clear, structured, and engaging overview of the institution, its values, and its services.
Conceived as a long-term reference guide, the brochure offers both practical guidance for navigating the Faculty and insight into its institutional vision. It opens with a welcome message from the Dean, highlighting the central role of science in societal progress and the Faculty's commitment to interdisciplinary, inclusive, and high-impact research. Following sections introduce the members of the Dean’s Office and their areas of responsibility—from research to international relations—before outlining core values such as transparency, attentiveness, responsibility, and collegiality, and how these values are put into practice in academic governance.
One of the document’s cornerstones is the Academic Leadership Charter, designed as a tool for alignment, dialogue, and accountability. It clearly defines expectations for professors who lead research groups or hold coordination roles. Key themes include ethical and equitable resource management, active support for early-career researchers, the promotion of a respectful work environment, and the fundamental role of the professoriate in training through research. By articulating these principles, the charter aims not to impose a single model, but to offer a shared reference framework, adaptable to the diversity of disciplines and scientific cultures represented within the Faculty.
This strong emphasis on leadership reflects a shared conviction: the quality of the academic environment depends on consistent, transparent, and evolving governance practices. As such, the charter is not merely a statement of principles, but an invitation to actively contribute to a demanding, supportive, and forward-looking institutional culture.
“This brochure presents the principles that guide our work and the resources available to support your academic journey,” writes Dean Prof. Costanza Bonadonna in her welcome note. She reiterates the central role of science in social progress and the importance of cutting-edge research—open to society and driven by interdisciplinary collaboration.
Among the key components of the brochure is a clear presentation of the Faculty’s core values: responsibility, creativity, transparency, inclusivity, collaboration, and engagement. These principles underpin a long-term vision that encompasses research, teaching, and academic governance. The brochure highlights how these values are implemented in daily practice, particularly through the expectations laid out in the Academic Leadership Charter.
Beyond the institutional perspective, the brochure demonstrates a strong commitment to meaningful and sustained onboarding—one that goes beyond orientation day and is embedded in the daily reality of a professor’s first months. In a rich, complex, and interconnected environment, this tool serves as a valuable guide—both for understanding structures and for forging connections.
Underlying it all is a clear ambition: to ensure that every new professor finds their place quickly—not on the margins, but at the heart of a vibrant, supportive, and ever-evolving academic community. The brochure is not just an invitation to find one’s way, but to contribute, to engage in dialogue, and to take part in a collective scientific journey—where onboarding is seen not as an endpoint, but as the first step in a lasting collaboration.
The Welcome Brochure is available online and can be consulted at any time.
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