Life in Italy: University reform - too many specialist degrees

Reflecting, it seems to me that the Science Faculty in Como is trying to keep open too many specialist degrees. Remember that the reform requires a 25% reduction of courses. In Como there are at present 5 specialist degrees - Chimica, Chimica Industriale, Fisica, Matematica and Ambientale. The new enrolment in total for these courses in 2008 was less than 20 students (at 30 November). Forty staff will be needed to cover these 2 year courses under the new rules. Even reducing by one specialist degree, 32 staff would be needed, much more than the number of new enrolling students.

The president of the faculty justifies these courses on the basis of excellence of staff at Como. But there are also excellent staff in Milan which is 50 kilometers distance from Como, with two distinct train services.