ICPP: an Institutional Visit for Students of "Fundamentals in Public Communication" to Meet Ticino Cantonal Authorities

On 4 December the Institute of Communication and Public Policy (ICPP), within the Public Management and Policy programme (PMP), organised an institutional visit for the students attending the course Fundamentals in Public Communication. The initiative, conceived to strengthen the link between academic learning and the realities of public-sector communication, offered participants a unique opportunity to explore from within how institutional communication is structured and governed in the Canton of Ticino.

The group of students, accompanied by Prof. Jean-Patrick Villeneuve and Dr. Fabiano Angelico, lecturer of the course, was received at Palazzo delle Orsoline in Bellinzona by three senior representatives of the Cantonal Administration:

• Giosia Bullo, Head of Public Relations for the Canton of Ticino and President of the Conferenza svizzera dell’informazione nelle amministrazioni pubbliche (SIKOV/COSIAP);
• Ivan Vanolli, Head of the Information and Communication Service of the Council of State;
• Filippo Santellocco, Head of Legislation and Transparency.

After a visit of parliament, the hosts provided an in-depth overview of the organisation, functions and strategic priorities of cantonal public communication. Discussions ranged from the organisaiton and planificaiton of internaitonal events, to internal coordination of information flows to the challenges of ensuring transparency, accessibility and trust in the relationship between institutions and citizens. Particular attention was given to digital transformation and the evolving expectations of the public in terms of responsiveness and clarity.

For students, the visit represented an opportunity to directly engage with practitioners who play a central role in shaping and implementing the communication policies of the Canton. Their insights complemented the theoretical frameworks covered in class, offering concrete examples of how public communication contributes to good governance, policy understanding and democratic participation.

This ICPP initiative reflects the institute’s commitment to fostering experiential learning opportunities and to strengthening dialogue between academia and the public sector—an essential component of training future professionals in public communication and public management.