"Orizzonte Montagna" Project

Programma Orizzonte Montagna

**“Orizzonte Montagna”, a training and cultural project for the mountains by the University of Padua**

"Orizzonte Montagna" is a project by the University of Padua aimed at developing and enhancing training and cultural activities related to the mountains, recognizing the growing importance of this environment in the national debate on sustainability, regeneration, and climate change. The University of Padua, with a strong tradition of mountain research, has involved more than half of its departments in related study projects, generating numerous scientific publications and theses. "Orizzonte Montagna" was created to offer interdisciplinary training on crucial topics such as biodiversity, tourism, health, climate adaptation, and technology, addressing the concrete needs of the territory.

"Orizzonte Montagna" proposes a European-wide lifelong learning program based on Microcredentials, in line with the University's Strategic Plan 2023-2027. These short and focused courses are aimed at professionals, administrators, and operators interested in updating their skills. The digitally certified teaching will be accessible to everyone and will be based on collaboration with institutions and organizations active in the mountain territory. Regarding this matter, the University of Padua has already entered into an agreement with the Giovanni Angelini Foundation - Mountain Study Center based in Belluno, which has supported the initiative from the beginning and will collaborate in the management of the project.

The project is supported by the Department for Regional Affairs and Autonomies of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, which has signed a collaboration agreement with the University of Padua to support the studies of the first 150 students who will be successfully placed in the enrollment ranking of the courses and will obtain the final degree.

The training proposal for the 2024-2025 academic year includes 8 professional courses for a total of 30 ECTS credits, involving three departments of the University.

Presentation

The bond between the University of Padua and the mountains is historically rooted and finds vital nourishment in the research activities of the university’s faculty. A survey conducted for the five-year period 2018-22 revealed that more than half of the 32 departments at the university are engaged in some research project directly related to the mountains. Scientific publications concerning mountainous territories exceeded 700, and more than 300 theses were related to the mountains. Over 100 of our faculty members are involved in teaching subjects specifically related to the mountains.

From these premises arises the idea of a project called “Orizzonte Montagna,” with the goal of developing and enhancing training activities on various topics related to the mountains in a coherent and coordinated manner. The word Horizon reflects a deep conviction that the training needs concerning the mountains can and should be addressed broadly and interdisciplinarily. The extraordinary richness and heterogeneity of knowledge and expertise within the university on mountain-related topics will allow us to propose and meet a wide range of concrete training needs on emerging and highly relevant topics (biodiversity, landscape, tourism, health, well-being, climate change adaptation, enabling technologies, artificial intelligence) or of specific professional interest (design, planning, strategic administration, administrative management) tailored to the specific reality of the mountains.

The mountains are the subject of renewed attention in the national debate, both at the institutional level and in civil society. The “highlands” represent a complex, fascinating, fragile world, not devoid of contradictions, but also a laboratory for the future concerning global issues of sustainability, regeneration, and climate change. While the collective imagination throughout the twentieth century has progressively reduced the mountains to a place for leisure and recreation for citizens, a space of freedom, a place for the soul, and a nature reserve, the mountains are primarily about the people who live there, with all the problems and difficulties associated with the physical nature of the places. These include geological, environmental, climatic, logistical, economic, and social challenges that require additional attention, knowledge, and awareness from everyone who lives in the mountains or visits them for any reason, as well as from those who manage and make decisions at various levels concerning this important part of the country.The bond between the University of Padua and the mountains is historically rooted and finds vital nourishment in the research activities of the university’s faculty. A survey conducted for the five-year period 2018-22 revealed that more than half of the 32 departments at the university are engaged in some research project directly related to the mountains. Scientific publications concerning mountainous territories exceeded 700, and more than 300 theses were related to the mountains. Over 100 of our faculty members are involved in teaching subjects specifically related to the mountains.From these premises arises the idea of a project called “Orizzonte Montagna,” with the goal of developing and enhancing training activities on various topics related to the mountains in a coherent and coordinated manner. The word Horizon reflects a deep conviction that the training needs concerning the mountains can and should be addressed broadly and interdisciplinarily. The extraordinary richness and heterogeneity of knowledge and expertise within the university on mountain-related topics will allow us to propose and meet a wide range of concrete training needs on emerging and highly relevant topics (biodiversity, landscape, tourism, health, well-being, climate change adaptation, enabling technologies, artificial intelligence) or of specific professional interest (design, planning, strategic administration, administrative management) tailored to the specific reality of the mountains.

Orizzonte Montagna: a European-wide lifelong learning proposal

Le micro-credenziali sono uno dei pilastri dell’European Education Area per l’apprendimento permanente e trovano fondamento in un indirizzo del Consiglio dell’Unione Europea (GU dell’Unione europea, 16/06/22, n. C243/10). Si tratta quindi di didattica certificata digitalmente, accessibile a tutti, ma, soprattutto, a professionisti qualificati, amministratori e operatori a vario titolo interessati ad aggiornare e riqualificare le loro competenze.

Di fondamentale importanza per definire i contenuti dell’offerta formativa coordinata nel progetto "Orizzonte Montagna" saranno l’ascolto e il confronto con istituzioni, enti, organizzazioni produttive e associazioni culturali e sociali presenti e operanti nel territorio montano. Una speciale attenzione sarà riservata alla montagna più vicina, ma il progetto coerentemente con la vocazione internazionale dell’Ateneo è pronto a cogliere ogni opportunità (p.e. di network sulle stesse tematiche a scala europea o extraeuropea) ed è aperto alle esigenze dei territori montani senza limitazioni di natura geografica.

In fase di avvio il progetto "Orizzonte Montagna" ha stipulato un accordo di collaborazione con la Fondazione Giovanni Angelini – Centro studi sulla Montagna con sede a Belluno, sulla base di una collaborazione consolidata e documentata da numerose iniziative congiunte realizzate negli ultimi tre decenni. Altri accordi di collaborazione potranno essere di volta in volta stipulati con altre realtà interessate ad una collaborazione strutturata con l’Ateneo patavino.

“Orizzonte montagna” intende proporre in modo flessibile e inclusivo un’offerta formativa su argomenti attinenti alla montagna principalmente basandosi sullo strumento delle microcredenziali, in coerenza con le politiche previste dal Piano Strategico di Ateneo 2023-2027: “Creare, di concerto con il mondo del lavoro, un’offerta formativa costituita da corsi brevi, flessibili e focalizzati, centrati sull’approfondimento di specifiche conoscenze, competenze tecniche e/o abilità personali che prevedano una certificazione tramite microcredenziali”.Le micro-credenziali sono uno dei pilastri dell’European Education Area per l’apprendimento permanente e trovano fondamento in un indirizzo del Consiglio dell’Unione Europea (GU dell’Unione europea, 16/06/22, n. C243/10). Si tratta quindi di didattica certificata digitalmente, accessibile a tutti, ma, soprattutto, a professionisti qualificati, amministratori e operatori a vario titolo interessati ad aggiornare e riqualificare le loro competenze.Di fondamentale importanza per definire i contenuti dell’offerta formativa coordinata nel progetto "Orizzonte Montagna" saranno l’ascolto e il confronto con istituzioni, enti, organizzazioni produttive e associazioni culturali e sociali presenti e operanti nel territorio montano. Una speciale attenzione sarà riservata alla montagna più vicina, ma il progetto coerentemente con la vocazione internazionale dell’Ateneo è pronto a cogliere ogni opportunità (p.e. di network sulle stesse tematiche a scala europea o extraeuropea) ed è aperto alle esigenze dei territori montani senza limitazioni di natura geografica.In fase di avvio il progetto "Orizzonte Montagna" ha stipulato un accordo di collaborazione con la Fondazione Giovanni Angelini – Centro studi sulla Montagna con sede a Belluno, sulla base di una collaborazione consolidata e documentata da numerose iniziative congiunte realizzate negli ultimi tre decenni. Altri accordi di collaborazione potranno essere di volta in volta stipulati con altre realtà interessate ad una collaborazione strutturata con l’Ateneo patavino.

The training proposals for the year 2024-2025

The training proposal of the "Orizzonte Montagna" program for the year 2024-2025 includes the provision of 8 professional training courses for a total of 30 ECTS credits, involving three departments of the University (Department of Medicine, Department of Historical and Geographic Sciences and the Ancient World, Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture, and Forestry). This training proposal is supported for the current year by the Department for Regional Affairs and Autonomies of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers through an agreement signed on March 18, 2025, aimed at supporting teaching and training activities focused on the promotion and protection of mountain territories. Thanks to this agreement, the first 160 students who are successfully placed in the rankings will have their enrollment fee waived.