Search

Ecological modernisation evokes circular patterns and processes. It places the city and the university in a symbiotic relationship. The University's Third Mission acquires a particular relevance in this perspective. It must therefore be strengthened above all on a cultural and civic level. A concrete possibility, proposed here, appears to be connected to the role and mission of emeritus professors. They can in particular contribute in the direction of enhancing and operationalising the "transformative potential of the city for the common good", complementing the already existing institutional academic initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fifth chapter of the Enciclical All Brothers on the need for "better politics" offers the cue for some reflections on its re-generation. Today politics is facing with the ecological modernization of society, which is the greatest transformation ever imagined in history. But there is a context of growing mistrust: for example, between young people and governments, between citizens and public institutions. Here we propose the experimentation of a local government that takes as its entry point the valorization of public spaces, starting with those with cultural values, to promote collaborative processes between citizens and institutions based on self-organization. The adoption of the circular economy model, based on cooperation, contributes, especially if supported by the "culture of evaluation of results", to re-generate inclusion and trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]