The project of the Department of Excellence “Filologia e critica delle letterature antiche e moderne” at the University of Siena

 

The Department of Filologia e critica delle letterature antiche e moderne is for the second time in receipt of the Governmental Award “Dipartimenti di Eccellenza” (2023-2027).

“Translation and the Transmission of Knowledge” is the overarching concept informing the project’s activities in the following areas: world languages and literatures, linguistics, and the digital humanities.

Following a previous successful quinquennium (2018-2022) during which the Department had secured international prominence in the sectors of anthropological studies of ancient culture and of comparative literature, the current project aims at further enhancing the Department’s profile by developing new areas of strategic relevance – languages and literatures in a European and global context, linguistics, and the digital humanities – and by consolidating and expanding the ongoing activities of the Department’s Research Centres.

 

“Transmission and translation – says Professor Pierluigi Pellini, Director of the Department – are the project’s key words. The transmission of written texts, from ancient manuscripts to born-digital materials, is seen in the wider context of the transmission of knowledge, with special attention to the relation of the academic world with schools on one hand and the world of business on the other. Translation is intended not only as the practice and theory of translating works of world literature but also as a powerful means of cultural mediation”.

Innovation in academic teaching and internazionalization of research and learning are regarded as essential features of the stimulating academic environment the Department is envisaging. In short, the “Progetto di Eccellenza” aims to achieve the following general objectives.

Research – “We intend to encourage the recruitment of younger, promising scholars – Professor Pellini explains – and to widen the policy of internazionalization successfully implemented during the previous quinquennium, while continuing to support members of the Department and their continued achievement in securing quality research funding”.

 

Teaching – “Our project – Pellini underlines – aims to consolidate the two Double Degree MA’s with the Université Sorbonne Nouvelle (Paris) and the University of Wenzhou (China) respectively, launch a new degree course at MA level – LM 38 “Lingue moderne per la comunicazione e la cooperazione internazionale” (Arezzo), and promote innovative teaching practices through the wider use of digital resources and of laboratory/seminar-style techniques. Moreover, we aim to expand the range of the Department’s mobility programmes for the benefit of students and academic members alike. This will have a positive repercussion on the attractivity of our doctoral programmes, in support of which we shall keep offering grants in appropriate numbers”.

Infrastructure – “Further important objectives – Professor Pellini explains – include the availability of suitable premises for our Research Centres, the creation of a Digital Laboratory for the improved management and utilization of the digital archives hosted by the 2 Department, and the promotion of innovative editorial practices in the sector of both print and digital publishing. This will secure support to the newly established USiena Press and help meet the challenge of Open Access publishing and its rapidly changing scenarios”.

“In the aftermath of a long period of severely limited turnover, and in consideration of the demands posed by an enlarged student population and the growing number of research projects under way, making the Department’s academic offer more diverse and more attractive remains one of the project’s overall objectives” – Pellini concludes.

A complete description of the “Progetto di Eccellenza” is available here: https://www.dfclam.unisi.it/it/dipartimento/dfclam-dipartimento-di-eccellenza-2018-2027.