Italian researchers, salaries half as low as German and French – Corriere.it

How are the researchers of the Old Continent doing? ANDAre Italians treated in the same way as their German, French, English colleagues? In the survey entitled “The attractiveness of the European university system” carried out at the University of Berkeley-California for the Conference of Rectors of the Italian Universities-CRUI, Alice Civera, Erik Lehmann, Michele Meoli and Stefano Paleari point out that the four nations are extremely different. With Italy is characterized by the highest rate of brain drain to other countries after the completion of the doctorate (Istat data 2018) .

THE selection methods and career paths still disadvantage scientists and researchers in our country. First of all, there are very few positions for tenured professors that require, among other things, a long qualification process. We pass from fixed-term contracts and from a complex system of access to various areas of specialization. In addition, there are no territorial incentives. This is especially true for researchers who can become associate professors after a positive evaluation by internal bodies. The so-called Rtds which are divided into RTDA and RTDB, i.e. type A (junior) or B (senior) fixed-term researchers hired following a competition for a period of 3 years. In Italy this category has salaries half as low as the Germans and the British.

The pay gap between the UK, Germany, France and England

In the United Kingdom and Germany, professors and their staff are increasing and young people under 40 have increased by 3.5% and 7% respectively. The average age also differs: in the UK you become a full professor at the age of 55 on average in Germany at 52, in France at 54 (at 34 you can already be an associate professor) and in Italy at 58, where the age to become an associate is also high, 52 years old. In addition to this, even the basic salary without supplements is not encouraging at all and represents a factor of disadvantage both in the United Kingdom and in Germany. The salary of a university teacher divided into two: a fixed and a variable. Progression is linked to seniority, productivity and excellence which can derive from valid research results with publications in the main sector journals. There is usually a 4 year period between increases. Getting to the point, according to research data, an English ‘lecturer’ has a net starting salary of 49,168, while a junior professor in Bavaria earns a good 52,689 euros. In this case the French data is missing. While the Italian initially earns 28,256 euros per year. Continuing with the career, it can be noted that the English associate professor will have an average salary of 69,835, the German equivalent of 70,333, the French of 44,522, finally the Italian of 40,988. It is evident that our compatriot is the only one who does not perceive a variable such as his colleagues. Finally, in the case of tenured professors there is a very clear difference between English academics with a ‘pay’ of 91,973, Germans 82,627 and the French and the Italians who take 56,335 euros and 57,178 respectively. In any case, transalpines are often paid territorial incentives which are not provided for Italians.