The educational path of the degree course provides the scientific and methodological bases for a systemic approach towards biodiversity as well as socio-environmental problems and for the analysis of process components, related to the natural environment and modified by anthropogenic actions.
The training project, pays particular attention to ensuring that students meet, from the first year, all the mathematics, physics, chemistry, earth sciences, biology, law, economics and medicine disciplines. This will favour an aptitude for trans-disciplinary approach and problem solving in a holistic key. The courses themselves, where possible, will be characterized by trans-disciplinary paths with the co-presence of teachers belonging to different scientific areas.
The degree course aims to provide a professional training which, thanks to the heterogeneity of the methodological aspects and basic knowledge, enables graduates to directly access the job market as well as to continue in subsequent study paths.
SPECIFIC EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
The degree course aims to train professionals capable of:
-Monitoring and increasing knowledge related to biodiversity heritage and mapping distribution, value, and peculiarity in ecosystems.
- Knowing how to read the biological complexity and the relationships among organisms to define tools to support functional biodiversity and ecosystem resilience in a One-health context including ecosystem and human health.
- Operating to promote the economic, social and environmental value of biodiversity also thanks to circular economy and restoration economy processes.
-Knowing the technologies, namely Key Enabling Technologies (biotechnologies, artificial intelligence and digitization, technologies for life sciences) to enhance and restore biodiversity based on the design of new early warning technologies and forecasting models
- Operating in the field of biodiversity by proposing new observation tools and detection technology integrated in a science support system for political actions (conservation, restoration, reclamation, recovery, ecosystem services, valorisation, health, etc.) and innovation from micro to macro-scale.
In short, the three-year course includes:
- basic teachings, with mandatory courses in: mathematics/statistics, chemistry and physics which provide the basis for the analysis of natural phenomena;
- class-specific and related educational activities in the biological, ecological, geological and engineering fields to understand the biological complexity and to identify solutions with high technological value for a sustainable management of biodiversity ensuring the resilience of ecosystems.
- class-specific activities, providing economic-legal skills for the use of tools applied on the territory that lead to economic savings, lower impacts and the maintenance of ecosystem functions.
- related activities, concerning the assessment of biodiversity interconnections which are gradually introduced as part of the One Health network.
The training course includes several credits in basic activities (from 36 to 60 credits), to provide students with a solid scientific knowledge on which to set up the specific study. From 66 to 96 credits are dedicated to the class-specific activities, with a substantial balance among the biological, ecological, earth sciences and agricultural, chemical, physical, legal, economic and context disciplines, which represent the cultural fields in which BIT graduates operate. Other disciplines complete the characterizing cultural education. The wide range of related and integrative disciplines (from 18 to 33 credits) provides a sufficiently articulated spectrum to allow integration with the characterizing skills acquired, also emphasizing disciplines already included among the characterizing ones, due to the specificities of the proposed training offer and of the local context in which it is located. Finally, ample space is dedicated to other training activities (from 27 to 48 credits), with excursions, internships, apprenticeships and other activities in any case oriented towards entering the job market, as well as stays at other Italian and European universities, also within the framework of international agreements.
Specifically, students in Biodiversity and technological innovation will develop knowledge of the fundamentals of mathematics, physics, statistics, chemistry, biology, geology, oceanography and ecology in the course of the first year and part of the second, providing the basic languages of individual disciplines and the scientific method, the analysis of natural phenomena and of the parts of systemic biomonitoring.
During the second and third year, students may also acquire knowledge in class-specific and related activities in the biological, ecological, geological, and engineering field for:
- The definition of natural ecosystems with respect to their composition, to their chemical, ecological, geochemical, geomorphological and biochemical traits, as well as to the various levels of animal and vegetal biodiversity.
- The knowledge and understanding of the basic tools to use for studying natural and environmental processes and their relationship with climate changes and anthropogenic impact.
During the second year, class-specific teachings in the economic-juridical field provide the knowledge to interpret sustainable development issues under different perspectives (scientific, economic-juridical, and health-related) through the study of the causes and effects of climate changes related to economics and environmental law.
Consistently with the specific course objectives, the class-specific activities of the second and third year in the naturalistic and economic field, as well as the related activities (agricultural, medical, engineering fields) will enable students to understand the complex mechanisms which connect nature and biodiversity on the one hand and human health on the other and which can lead to benefits and risks for communities exposed to ever stronger environmental drivers based on the competencies of health issues.
As a further strong point of the course, an innovative teaching approach is therefore proposed, characterized by:
- Multidisciplinary paths: ability to analyse ecological socio-systems and to manage issues related to the ecosystem with an interdisciplinary perspective, exploiting the skills and research acquired during the entire training course in an integrated way.
-Integration of courses addressing the issues of sustainable development from different points of view, (scientific, economic, legal and health-related): climate change, biodiversity, environmental impact assessment, development law and economics, territorial planning and health.
Graduates will therefore be able to:
- Participate in intervention programs for the conservation and restoration of biodiversity through the design of new early warning technologies and the definition of tools to support functional biodiversity and ecosystem resilience based on Key Enabling Technologies, thanks to the skills acquired in the biological, ecological, earth sciences, chemical and engineering learning areas.
-Study the mechanisms capable of reducing the operating costs of biodiversity, identifying processes to exploit raw materials of biological origin and residual biomass to replace high-impact productions, thanks to the skills acquired in the biological/ecological/agricultural learning areas
- Conduct collaborative activities with local administrations, public bodies (public administrations, Arpa, Department, Ministry, trade unions, etc.) and private companies aimed at environmental monitoring in its abiotic and biotic components of ecosystems, thanks to the skills acquired in the biological, ecological, earth sciences, chemical, and engineering learning areas.
-Integrate and promote synergies among groups of companies and between the public and private sectors in the context of sustainable production and consumption, identifying the tools applied on the territory which lead to economic savings, lower impacts and the maintenance of ecosystem functions thanks to the skills acquired in the scientific and economic-legal field
