Faculty Day 2026: faculty at the heart of H-FARM College’s vision

On September 18, in one of the College’s classrooms, we held our first Faculty Day, an event created to bring our faculty together, share results and future directions, and provide tools for tackling the challenges of education together. In the room, alongside the familiar faces who have been part of the College for years, were many new faculty members: a sign of a community that grows and renews itself year after year, each time enriched by new skills, experiences and perspectives. One message ran through the entire day: “You are part of the vision.” At H-FARM College, we believe in investing in faculty who combine academic and professional expertise: university professors who provide solid theoretical and methodological foundations, and professionals working in companies, startups and consulting firms who bring real-world cases and emerging trends into the classroom. All of them have international experience, enabling them to offer a broad, multicultural perspective and to prepare students to think critically and creatively.

The day was opened by Riccardo Donadon, CEO & Founder of H-FARM, who described the evolution of the H-FARM project, which has grown “community after community,” and the new facilities that will be built on campus. Of all of them, he emphasized, the education community is the one that moves him most: an increasingly international community of students to be challenged and inspired toward new visions of the future. This invitation is summed up by the sign recently installed in the College: students must dare, and be able to rewrite and rethink themselves in a rapidly changing world.

Next to take the stage was our Managing Director, Antonella Sannella, who opened her talk with an announcement met by long applause: Raffaele Testorelli, formerly Associate Dean of Faculty, has taken on the role of Dean of Faculty starting from the 2026/27 academic year. This recognition rewards years of hard work, passion and dedication to the College.

Antonella Sannella then outlined the College’s growth, which today counts more than 900 students, and announced the launch of the Department of Creativity, Arts & Design. The new department stems from the integration of BigRock into H-FARM College: already part of H-FARM, the digital arts school has trained more than 3,000 professionals since 2005 and now brings twenty years of experience and expertise in design, digital arts and creative production into the College.

She then presented our “AI Vision”: at the College, artificial intelligence is not simply a tool but a new educational paradigm, becoming an integral part of learning, teaching, assessment and organizational processes. This vision is already taking shape in concrete projects, from the redesign of internal processes to an AI-based learning companion for students, and a microskills wallet that turns the skills students acquire into verifiable micro-credentials. The goal is clear: to train students who can question AI and guide it responsibly, for innovation that is advanced yet deeply human.

“Our faculty are an essential part of H-FARM College’s growth: it is thanks in part to them, to their passion and their ability to combine academic rigor with hands-on experience, that we can look to the future with such confidence today. We want the College to be, for them as for our students, a true platform for teaching experimentation, both inside and outside the classroom: in projects with companies, in talks with distinguished guests, in networking events in Italy and abroad, and in all the opportunities the College can offer. That is why we invite them to actively contribute to the growth of our community, in ways and forms we will build together. Because they too are, in every sense, Farmers,” says Antonella Sannella.

The floor then passed to the newly appointed Dean of Faculty, Raffaele Testorelli, who outlined the College’s academic strategy and positioning: an ecosystem designed to anticipate changes in industry, develop an entrepreneurial mindset and ensure a strong focus on graduate employability. Testorelli presented the upcoming courses, the hands-on teaching approach and several examples of projects carried out by students together with partner companies, confirming how crucial the faculty’s contribution is in connecting the classroom with the world of work.

After a session with the Marketing team, covering communication guidelines and a photo shoot for new faculty members, the day continued with a networking lunch in the Serra (greenhouse).

In the afternoon, Mauro Bordignon, Program Director of the Foundation Year, led a workshop on learning models and the role of AI in teaching. It was an opportunity to reflect together on what it truly means to learn today, namely building within oneself, through one’s own effort, something that wasn’t there before and that lasts over time, and on how artificial intelligence can support this process rather than replace it. At the center of the discussion was the role of faculty in designing learning environments where AI becomes an ally in students’ growth, not a shortcut.

This first Faculty Day closed with an invitation to all faculty members: to take their role beyond the lecture, connecting teaching with the entire H-FARM experience, from clubs and talks to projects and events. Because the stronger this connection, the greater the impact on students.