The pontifical academic world and an excellence-level online university meet for the first time in the field of new educational methodologies
The Antonianum Pontifical University and the International Telematic University UNINETTUNO signed a cooperation agreement aimed at launching an ambitious joint project: a shared academic path, based on a “blended” pedagogic model entailing a distance learning component – on UNINETTUNO’s web-based platform – and another one on a face-to-face basis, in the lecture halls of the Antonianum University. The path will allow the student to easily obtain the recognition of passed exams in one or the other university in view of the awarding of two study titles.
The most important Franciscan university worldwide and a university that has leading role in e-learning at global level reach together an important and unprecedented target: the psycho-pedagogic model adopted by UNINETTUNO, based on the use of the new Web-based technologies, comes into the lecture halls of the Pontifical University. A model that is unique in its genre and a highly innovative one that places the student at the centre of a learning process which take place on the digital learning platform, the only one worldwide in 5 languages (Italian, English, French, Arabic and Greek). Through indexed video lessons which are linked, in an hypertextual and multimedia way, to essays, articles, exercises, virtual laboratories, selected bibliographical references and lists of websites, the student becomes the protagonist and active constructor of his own study and learning progress. Being always supported by a tutor who, thanks to virtual tools (chats, forums, virtual classrooms, e-mails), checks his path interacting with him.
The agreement signed between the two Universities establishes a cooperation relation in the respective academic and cultural programs and in the scientific and research field; the organization of conference and of upgrading courses and exchange of information and educational materials.
The agreement was strongly wished by the respective Rectors, Professor Maria Amata Garito and Professor Mary Melone. «We actually realized that we were going in the same direction; – Garito states – in fact, our two Universities, have a strong International vocation and base their own educational activities on the principle of granting a democratic access to knowledge and of sharing learning so that everybody gets recognized his right to study and education, regardless of students’ gender, religion, language and economic and social status».
«The Antonianum – Melone states – as a Franciscan university was born with a firm vocation to produce culture in way that is strongly characterized by a true sense of proximity, of encounter and capacity to hear and to speak with all people. Therefore it sees in UNINETTUNO a privileged partner because of the attention it devotes to a kind of learning that is a right for everybody and for the high expertise it gained in online learning».
With its branches spread worldwide (Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia), the Antonianum University shares the intercultural and cosmopolitan approach of UNINETTUNO which, at present, can count on thousands of students coming from over 140 countries thanks to its network of Technological Poles set up in Italy as well as in many European countries (UK, Germany, France, Greece, Czech Republic, Kosovo), in the USA (New York) and in the Arab World (Iraq, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Algeria, Turkey, Jordan etc.). These Poles allow students to follow UNINETTUNO online degree and master’s courses.
The joint educational offer was designed to realize academic paths fostering interaction between teachers and students coming from anywhere in the world and developing issues crossing all cultures. The academic and training paths that will be soon implemented will anticipate a big project that is being studied: the establishment of a University of Peace to promote special academic training activities and inter-university collaboration aimed at favoring intercultural and interreligious dialogue and at a culture which should be based on the respect of the differences existing among peoples.