Mission and values of the Faculty of Informatics

The Faculty of Informatics is committed to high quality teaching and research. Its mission adheres to the overall mission of USI, and aims at:

  • equipping students with creative problem-solving skills that enable them to address complex problems in business and society;
  • conducting research and producing results in the field of Informatics;
  • contributing to the growth of the region by providing skills and competences, and contributing, in particular, to create the conditions for a new professional and entrepreneurial environment based on innovation and start-ups.

 

Values

In pursuit of its mission, the Faculty of Informatics draws inspiration from three main values:

  • passion - we love informatics and we strive work to offer our students and researchers an open and lively environment, where creativity, the eagerness to do and to amaze can grow and develop;
  • quality - everything we do hinges on this principle: we demand commitment and results, first and foremost from ourselves ;
  • collegiality - the spirit of our Faculty from the outset is based on the personal and genuine sharing of our common passion for Informatics.

 

Teaching philosophy

In addition to our internationally relevant research, these values translate into a teaching philosophy that focuses on ateliers where can students apply to real projects what they have learned, and that is based on four principles:

  • theory - the theoretical foundations of computer science form the basis for analysis and engineering and help students to understand both the potentials and limitations of automated computation;
  • technology - students learn about the latest technologies relevant to the computer science, learning to critically analyse their functions, benefits and limitations, as well as to understand the needs underlying change and identify further possible technological developments;
  • systems thinking - computer systems are today the key element of many economic, social and political systems and services and are, indeed, systems. Students must therefore develop the ability not only to craft an intelligent and reliable technological product which includes both hardware and software, but also to understand the raison d'être in the context of the system in which the technology operates;
  • communication and team work - technology projects are, by their very nature, interdisciplinary and require a great deal of networking and exchange: IT professionals work as a team to identify complex problems and develop appropriate solutions. The success of projects often depends on the communication skills of individuals and for this reason it is essential that our students are able to communicate ideas, problems and results in the most effective way possible.