Access

News

Nature 420, 722 (19 December 2002) | doi:10.1038/420722b

Open Innovation Challenges

Mass resignation forces Italian rethink on university funds

Alison Abbott

A tax on smoking could deflect a funding crisis that set off widespread protests at Italian universities last week — including the dramatic mass resignation of the leaders of all 72 Italian public universities.The university rectors handed their resignations to the minister of universities and research after the Italian parliament's chamber of deputies approved a 3% cut in the universities' budget for next year.