Why Are they Doing so Well while We Are Doing so Badly? A Comparison between the Canadian and Italian University Systems

Abstract

The Italian university system is in a profound and dangerous crisis. The below par performance of Italian universities is compared with the increasingly successful accomplishments of Canadian Universities. The paper identifies the major source of this performance differential in the hiring and promotion procedures. Funding methods also facilitate the success of Canadian Universities. The paper recommends a radical reform of the Italian system and a move towards a more decentralized, independent, flexible and transparent system like that of Canada.