Le basi valoriali e organizzative dell'impegno pubblico e sociale degli accademici italiani

L'articolo affronta la struttura delle basi valorizzi che orientano i comportamenti di lavoro e impegno pubblico degli accademici italiani. Following the reforms of higher education systems carried out in recent decades in European countries, universities have been encouraged to open up to the socio-eco- nomic context and to engage more in what has been called their "third mission" both in its economic and social dimensions. Based on the data collected by interviewing a sample of more than five thousand Italian academics, the article shows how broad the acceptance of the request for greater openness of the university towards society and the economy is, how shared are the economic and social purposes of the third mission at individual and department level, how intense is the commitment of aca- demies in public engagement activities and whether or not this commitment rests on two distinct bases, one of value and one of organizational type.