Has the growth of Italian universities come to an end?

The social stratum in which the universities operate has changed quite substantially in recent years, with the expectations of the contributions from the universities continues to increase, but also becoming more diffuse. At the same time governments are becoming more reluctant to fund the operational costs of the institutions. At the macro level we may discuss in what ways institutions of HE can open up to society or can concentrate on specific missions We may discuss what new partners or stakeholders the institutions have or might align with. At this level we might also want to discuss the economic, social or critical roles that universities may or may not play in a changing environment