Exploiting research results in ICT to extend the scope of educational activities

The purpose of this work-in-progress paper is to report on the processes that are taking place at ISMB, an Italian research center active in the ICT domain. The links between research and higher education at ISMB are explained. The outcomes of a general assessment on existing courses are discussed, describing the profiles of courses included in ISMB portfolio, from those devoted to purely technological topics to those exploring in depth complex processes; the different types of recipients addressed; the environment (professional and academic) where they are delivered. The four main activity lines aimed to extend the scope of educational activities are introduced and explained in some detail: (a) defining innovative models for technical education and training; (b) enlarging the network of potential partners and customers; (c) exploiting the expertise in managing ICT tools to produce more effective instructional materials; (d) building on recent research projects to improve the educational offer also in terms of contents. Finally, a summary of the results obtained and the difficulties encountered until now is given.