Humanitas University’s inauguration of the Academic Year 2016/2017 was held January 24th. The University, now in its third year of operation opened with seven hundred students present at today’s ceremony. Students attended the keynote address by Professor Marc Feldmann, Professor Emeritus at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford. The research of Professor Feldmann has pioneered the use of strategies for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
The ceremony was opened by the President of Humanitas, Gianfelice Rocca. The ceremony was also attended by the Lombardy Region Councillor for Welfare, Giulio Gallera and the mayors of Rozzano, Pieve Emanuele, Agogliati Barbara and Paulo Festa.
“The outcome of our first three years of life is very positive. The number of students has grown, as a result we opened new degree programs and graduate schools. In line with the international spirit of our University and our vocation as a Research Institute, our teachers have not only acquired all significant experiences abroad, but are also clinicians with a very high scientific productivity index. An important value for the formation of our students” commented Professor Marco Montorsi, Director of Humanitas University.
The importance of research
Professor Marc Feldmann’s presence at the inauguration ceremony emphasizes the bond between Humanitas University’s research and training. Feldmann’s research on the immune system and the role of cytokines in inflammatory disorders has been instrumental in opening up new research perspectives. It has also been fundamental in changing the treatment of certain diseases, as was the case for rheumatoid arthritis.
The work of Professor Alberto Mantovani, scientific director of Humanitas and Professor at the University, showed how immunity and inflammation mechanisms are underlying diseases that are very different. “Research in this area is critical because it has led to a paradigm shift in medicine. Diseases are not only borne out by infectious agents. They are also borne out by a wrong dialogue between the cells of the immune system. Currently, progress has been made mainly in the care of the symptoms of these diseases. Unfortunately, there is not enough research on the origin of diseases. Further research in this area will allow us to take action before the diseases arise. Therefore it is very important to continue to do research to be able to translate our findings into a concrete benefit for the patient” explained Professor Mantovani.
Humanitas University
2016/2017 is the third year of the Humanitas University activities. The University is dedicated to Life Sciences and is tightly integrated with the IRCCS Humanitas Clinical Institue in Rozzano. A hospital and research center designed as a case management from Harvard Business School, certified for clinical quality by the Joint International Commission and considered by SCImago to be in the top 5% in Italy and in the top 10% in the world and Western Europe for the excellence of its scientific publications.
Humanitas University further displays its international scope as the teaching of medicine is conducted entirely in English. The visiting faculty includes Nobel Prize for Medicine (Rolf Zinkernagel, Jules Hoffmann and Erwin Neher) and internationally renowned researchers. The International Advisory Board, which supports Humanitas University in defining strategic activities related to internationalization, consists of six international experts in the field of research and universities. With experts from universities of the caliber of Harvard and the Karolinska Institutet.
The Humanitas University degree courses are based on more than 15 years of experience in university teaching and are inspired by the concept of active learning. The University therefore wants to prepare their students for every career path, as in clinical research, in Italy or abroad. This is why it has also initiated a collaboration with the National Board of Medical Examiners US.
The first students from the International Course of Medicine graduated in July 2016.
Humanitas University New Campus
In the fall of 2017 the Humanitas University experience will be enriched by a new campus. The new campus is being built on a plot next to the hospital in the town of Pieve Emanuele. Over 20 thousand square meters and four new buildings dedicated to teaching and student services. The new campus includes study areas and areas dedicated to sport, research and university residences for students and researchers. The spaces have plenty of green and are surrounded by the South Park of Milan. The buildings have been designed according to the most modern standards in terms of technology and environmental comfort. About 1,000 square meters will be allocated to the new Simulation Center. This will be a next-generation facility dedicated to practical exercises which will house: operating rooms, multimedia control rooms, surgeries, emergency room, rooms for clinical and surgical skill, classroom microscopes and other labs.
