Listening, collegiality, meritocracy: Here is the new Poliba governance
At the inauguration ceremony, Rector Fratino presented the pro-rectors and delegates
5 November 2025
Listening, collegiality, transparency and enhancement of merit. With particular attention to students, who must be placed back at the center of strategies and actions. Thus, the Rector of the Polytechnic University of Bari, Umberto Fratino, presented today the new governance system of the university in the “Attilio Alto” main hall at the Campus. An inauguration ceremony, in view of the work to be carried out for the six-year period 2025/2031, with the presentation of the pro-rectors, delegates and the general director.
The ceremony opened with a focus on the topic of the moment, artificial intelligence, with a demonstration of the capabilities of Zoe, the multilingual AI assistant developed by the Polytechnic’s computer scientists, which will be integrated into the university’s new internet portal, currently under construction. Integrated with the information contained on the website, the assistant is able to answer users’ questions about degree programmes, career opportunities, internship opportunities, class schedules, laboratories and services in general relating to university life. «It is the first product of this kind in Italy, with these characteristics in the university sector – explained Rector Fratino – and it is a sign of the Polytechnic’s willingness to address the issue of artificial intelligence as a great opportunity».
The Rector then presented the new General Director, Enrico Brighi, an IT expert who came from the University of Pavia; the Deputy Rector and the Rector’s delegates. Thirty faculty members in total, who will support Fratino in the governance of the university, each in their own strategic area: from research to management control, from teaching to assets, to institutional communication.
«It will be relentless, demanding work centered on people» said the Rector, who reiterated collegiality and listening as the method that will characterize the new governance of the Polytechnic. As a tool to make these intentions concrete, Fratino announced the establishment of a permanent University Council, «which will accompany the Rector throughout the term of office, assessing development hypotheses, developing projects, sharing initiatives and monitoring the effectiveness of the actions we will undertake».
Among the priorities, the Rector mentioned services for students («we will start immediately with a survey of the spaces»), relations with the local area – «to become more attractive» – and the issue of research staff on fixed-term contracts, a matter that has always been close to his heart. A section of the speech was also devoted to the enhancement of internal skills. On this last point, Fratino referred to staff career advancements and new recruitment competitions. «Resources will be adequate and allocated in a transparent and merit-based manner» the Rector promised.
THE VICE-RECTORS: Michele Ruta – Deputy Vice-Rector; Vito Iacobellis – Vice-Rector for Teaching; Mario Carpentieri – for Research; Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli – for Knowledge Valorisation and Innovation; Annalisa Di Roma – for the Centrality of the Student Community, Sustainability and Inclusion; Pietro De Palma – for Strategic Policies; Fabio Fatiguso – for Quality and the Care and Management of the University’s Assets; Eugenio Di Sciascio – Vice-Rector with responsibility for Relations with Chinese Universities. On the occasion, the Rector also introduced the Deputy Director General, Francesca Santoro, and his personal secretariat, comprising Annalisa Volpicella, Federica Prigigallo and Federica Cirulli.
THE DELEGATES: Roberto Spina – Organisation of Teaching Delivery; Dian Palagachev – Organisation of Foundational Teaching; Stefania Cherubini – Student Recruitment and Guidance; Claudia Barile – Placement and Campus Life; Rino Montalbano – Placement and Campus Life, and Library Resources and Open Access; Dora Foti, Vito Puliafito, Claudia Vitone – Internationalisation of Teaching; Maria Grazia Dotoli – European and International Research; Giuseppe Eugenio Bruno – Basic and Competitive Research; Vito Gallo – Implementation of the PNRR; Nicola Martinelli – Knowledge Valorisation for Public Administration.
Nunzia Carbonara – delegate for the Third Mission, Public Engagement and Institutional Communication; Michele Dassisti – University Sustainability; Massimo La Scala – University Energy Transition; Floriano Scioscia – Inclusion and Disability; Umberto Panniello – Management Control; Maria Pia Fanti – Strategies for the development of international relations; Federica Cotecchia – University Performance Monitoring; Gabriele Rossi – Management of the real estate assets; Giuseppe Casalino and Giuseppina Uva – Research Infrastructure.
The article Listening, collegiality, meritocracy: Here is the new Poliba governance comes from Poliba Chronicle.
