Luca Toschi
Academic Profile
A lecturer and researcher at numerous Italian and international universities—from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to the University of Florence; from Harvard University to the University of Verona; from the University of Connecticut to Stanford University (Italian Program) and Sarah Lawrence University (Italian Program); as well as the Italian University Line, an online university that he helped to found and develop, remaining on its Academic Senate until 2020.
He is the author of an extensive body of scientific and popular publications and is also active as a consultant for numerous national and international organizations. Since 2020, he has been an Academician of the Accademia dei Georgofili.
Education and Research Trajectory
Trained as a philologist within the historic Florentine school of philology, and already a lecturer in Italian Language and Literature at UCLA in 1972, he progressively oriented his research toward the sociology of text and communication.
Research Centers and Institutional Innovation
In 1991, with the support of IBM-SEMEA, IBM Foundation Italy, the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, and other public and private institutions, he founded the Center for Research on the Application of Informatics to Text Analysis (C.R.A.I.A.T.) at the Computing and Telematics Services Center of the University of Florence.
Today, C.R.A.I.A.T. has evolved into the “Scientia atque Usus” Research Center for Generative Communication ETS, registered with RUNTS as a Third Sector Organization and listed in the Research Registry of the Italian Ministry of University and Research, as well as into the Generative Communication Lab at the PIN Foundation – Polo of Prato of the University of Florence.
Academic Positions and Editorial Activities
Having abandoned literary criticism studies, he became Full Professor of Sociology of Cultural and Communicative Processes at the University of Florence in 2005.
He is a member of numerous Technical-Scientific Committees (TSCs) and Editorial Boards, and director of the “sAu Community” series for the publisher Pacini.
Generative Communication
In the volume La comunicazione generativa (Generative Communication, Apogeo Editore, 2011), which—despite its scientific nature—has enjoyed and continues to enjoy very wide circulation, he formalized a new “vision” and “mission” of Communication. These form the basis of the method used daily in projects of the sAu Research Center and the Generative Communication Lab of the PIN Foundation – Polo of Prato of the University of Florence.
He conceived and promoted the development of the Integrated Environment Atque.
Public Institutions, Education, and Publishing
For over ten years he served as a consultant (for communication and the use of digital technologies in schools) and subsequently as research coordinator at INDIRE – the National Institute for Documentation, Innovation and Educational Research.
Long committed to introducing new technologies into the field of communication, he collaborates with numerous publishing houses engaged in renewing editorial strategies and languages, including Sansoni, Le Monnier, Sellerio, Il Mulino, Marsilio, University of California Press, Vallecchi, Einaudi, Giunti, De Agostini, Apogeo-Feltrinelli, and Pearson. He has also collaborated with national newspapers, including la Repubblica and Il Sole 24 Ore.
Cultural Engagement and Foundations
Invited by Ernesto Balducci to renew his publishing house, Edizioni Cultura della Pace, and to create the University of Peace, following Balducci’s sudden death he became its editorial director, launching a project in close collaboration with Amnesty International.
In 2004, together with Michele Gesualdi, he founded the Fondazione Don Lorenzo Milani, of which he was a member of the Board of Directors until 2025.
Institutional and Professional Collaborations
He has collaborated with numerous institutions, organizations, and companies, including CeSIT – Consortium for University Studies of Verona (becoming a member of its governing body), the Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR), the Ministry of Culture, Fondazione CR Firenze, K-Communication, Coop Agricoltura, Fondazione Menarini, Fondazione Memorie Cooperative, the Accademia dei Georgofili, the Accademia della Crusca, the Foundation for Climate and Sustainability, and the Fondazione Ezio Franceschini.
International Networks
At the international level, he has collaborated with universities, research centers, and cultural networks such as the University of Salamanca, University of Cádiz, University of Bilbao, Institute for the Future of Education, University of Toulouse, University of Bilbao–Monterrey, Hubei University, Shanghai University, Kid Brain Network (Vancouver), the Design Lab of San Diego, Columbia University – Mailman School of Public Health, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (Brazil, UDESC), CNRS – Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France), Eurocities, the European Cultural Foundation, the City of Berlin – Senate Department for Culture and Europe, and the UNESCO Network.
Mediterranean Projects
In the Mediterranean basin, he has worked on redefining the value of agriculture, and in particular olive oil, with various international partners, including: the Institut de l’Olivier de Sfax (Tunisia), the Chamber of Commerce of Beirut and Mount Lebanon – CCIA-BML (Lebanon), the Didim Chamber of Agriculture (Turkey), the Cultural Foundation Routes of the Olive Tree (Greece), the Spanish Association of Olive Tree Municipalities – AEMO (Spain), the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie du Cap Bon (Tunisia), and the Olive Growers Cooperative Limited (Malta).
An event held on the occasion of the launch of the seventh edition of the Master’s program in Medical-Scientific Communication and Healthcare Services, organized by the Department of Information Engineering and the Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine at the University of Florence.
The event initiated a dialogue between Artificial Intelligence experts and the university biomedical community, exploring the applications of AI in research and diagnostics.
At the Lorenzo Viani Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Viareggio, I took part in the official press conference presenting Viareggio Futura, the action-research project promoted by the sAu Research Center and selected through a public call by the Municipality of Viareggio.
The project represents an important opportunity for the entire Viareggio community: a shared process of listening, co-design, and implementation aimed at shaping the future of the city.
He took part in the seminar “The Intangible Value of Agri-Food Company Brands”, held at Officine Farneto in Rome and organized by the sAu Research Center in collaboration with Excellence Events as part of the Pizza Convention.
The event offered valuable insights into how symbolic value, reputation, and the ability to tell one’s story can become strategic assets just as important as the product itself, helping to translate values into value and to find a synthesis between elements that might otherwise appear as dichotomies.
We organized, at the Cinema La Compagnia in Florence, the first event of the project “Letters to a Master. Students Write to Don Lorenzo Milani,” carried out with the support of the Fondazione CR Firenze.
During the event, the results of the work conducted by more than 200 students from 10 upper secondary schools in the Metropolitan City of Florence were presented. Over the course of the school year, these students had the opportunity to experience and practice Generative Writing.
At the Certosa of Florence, we organized the residential course “School as a Training Ground for Democracy,” focused on the use of Generative Writing.
The course was designed to bring together a community of teachers committed to promoting an idea of education and training oriented toward the development of tomorrow’s citizens. It is based on the assumption that schools can become true laboratories of active citizenship, provided that communication is valued as a key tool for building communities grounded in the principles of equality and solidarity.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the University of Florence, AOU Careggi, the Careggi Foundation, and the sAu Research Center organized an event dedicated to Gender Health.
It was an important opportunity to raise awareness and deepen understanding of gender-based discrimination in the medical and healthcare fields, with a particular focus on the role of Artificial Intelligence.
We celebrated the first five years of the Master’s Program in Medical-Scientific Communication and Healthcare Services and presented the project areas of the new edition with the event “Goodbye Dr. Google! Welcome Artificial Intelligence?”, held on December 23, 2024, in the Aula Magna of the School of Medicine at the University of Florence.
The event also gave voice to the program’s participants, who within the framework of the Master’s Program developed innovative projects in the fields of the doctor–patient relationship, prevention, telemedicine, and health literacy.
In the evocative setting of the Santa Chiara Lab, I took part in the conference “EVO in Tuscany: Present, Past, and Future,” organized and promoted by the Provincial Union of Farmers of Siena with the patronage and support of the Municipality of Siena.
It was an important opportunity to reflect on the evolution of Tuscan extra virgin olive oil and its role in contemporary culture.
I took part in the conference “From Human Health to Territorial Health: Between Olive Oil Communities, Farm Multifunctionality, and Oleotourism,” organized by the National Association of Olive Oil Cities, the sAu Research Center, and the Municipality of Pitigliano.
I spoke on the role of communication as a tool for promoting a healthy territory, emphasizing the importance of an integrated and participatory approach to enhancing local resources and supporting community well-being.
At the BiblioteCanova dell’Isolotto in Florence, I took part in the event “Nutrition and Gender Health: Pathways to Personalized Prevention,” promoted by Versiliadanza in collaboration with the sAu Research Center.
I emphasized the importance of communication understood as a true vital need—one that enables individuals and organizations to build communities based on shared interests, values, and projects: a network in which no one feels alone, and where collective value emerges precisely through diversity and collaboration.
I took part in the event organized by the University of Florence to present the volume “Eve, Adam and the Tree of Knowledge. Gender Health as a Tool for Personalized Care.”
The event—held in the Aula Magna of the Rectorate and officially included among the initiatives of the “Tuscany of Women” week promoted by the Tuscany Region—confirmed the importance of continuing to work to improve communication in the field of gender health.
I took part in the event “Which EU Project Design for Agriculture and Rural Development: From European Union Policies and Related Funding to Local Actions,” organized in collaboration with the Co&So Consortium as the final conference of the European project Easy-EU.
It was an important moment to initiate a public discussion on the approaches and main instruments through which the European Community funds projects in the fields of agriculture and rural development.
I took part in the conference “Sleep: The Consequences of Sleep Deprivation and Circadian Rhythm Disruption on Health and Life,” organized by the association Insieme per l’Ambiente with the patronage of the Italian Academy of Sleep Medicine.
The event provided an opportunity to reflect on and explore in depth the topic of sleep quality, and how it has a significant impact not only on individual well-being but also on social relationships and work performance.
We inaugurated the launch of a series of meetings entitled “sAu Conversations,” conceived as a space for exchange and reflection on themes that cut across the activities of the sAu Research Center.
The first topic addressed focused on the role of schools as laboratories of active, critical, and creative citizenship.
On February 9, 2024, I took part in the third event of the initiative “Friday Meetings,” organized by the Uniser Pistoia Foundation and the Vasco Gaiffi University.
Together with entrepreneur Francesco Mati (Uniser Pistoia Foundation) and Professor Francesco Ferrini (University of Florence), we addressed the topic of public green spaces and communication.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, I delivered a talk at the conference “Differences That Make the Difference: A Generative Communication Strategy to Promote Gender Health at the Local Level.”
The event was held to present the volume “Eve, Adam and the Tree of Knowledge. Gender Health as a Tool for Personalized Care.”
On February 8, 2024, I took part in the presentation of the book “Paulo Freire: More Relevant Than Ever. A Philosophical Biography” by Walter Omar Kohan, Professor of Philosophy of Education at the State University of Rio de Janeiro.
It was an opportunity to revisit and reinterpret Freire’s thought as a philosophical, educational, and political possibility in the contemporary context.
On September 29, 2023, in collaboration with the Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine of the University of Florence, we organized the seminar “Community Engagement: The People’s Approach to Improving Health and Social Outcomes,” delivered by Professor Renata Schiavo (Columbia University, New York).
It was a valuable opportunity to learn about international health communication studies and projects that involve local communities in the co-design of healthcare services.
On September 28, 2023, I took part in the congress “Childbirth: The Need for a Team, the Privilege of a Passion. From Low Obstetric Risk to the Management of Complexity,” organized by the Careggi University Hospital in collaboration with SIMP – the Italian Society of Perinatal Medicine.
The congress addressed the current challenges faced by healthcare professionals in relation to childbirth, offering an update not only on clinical aspects but also on social and communicative dimensions.
On September 26, 2023, I took part in the event “Setting the Table for Food Policies: The Tuscan Experience Through the Local Food Policies Roundtable,” organized by ANCI Toscana, the Municipality of Fiesole, and the Regional Local Food Policies Roundtable.
The discussion focused on Food Policies—a set of policies that outline a shared vision for the future relationship between cities and food, and define the key actions needed to implement that vision.
On September 22–23, 2023, at the Certosa of Florence, we organized the residential training course “Generative Communication to Reinterpret Don Lorenzo Milani Today.”
This was a two-day immersive program designed to engage teachers from schools in Bologna in formative and transformative activities centered on the values of Don Lorenzo Milani—values that today can serve as the foundation for classroom projects focused on collaborative writing, inclusion and respect for vulnerability, and the redefinition of the relationship between knowledge and practice.
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On September 14–15, 2023, we took part in the 17th AsHisCom Congress 2023 in Lisbon, dedicated to exploring the relationship between Communication, History, and Memory.
Our presentation focused on the work we are carrying out to build the “Don Lorenzo Milani and the Barbiana School” Center for Documentation and Generative Communication, a project designed to enhance the historical and cultural heritage of the Barbiana School by updating its pedagogical and civic message and documenting the activities of those who continue to uphold its values today.
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After three years of work, in Modena we presented the results of the nationally funded research project (PRIN) on participation and the construction of identity among migrant children in schools and healthcare services in Italy.
The sAu Research Center, in collaboration with the Department of Linguistic and Cultural Studies of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE), contributed to the project by designing and developing the online archive “Center for Documentation and Generative Communication for Participatory Research.”
In occasione di due giornate ricche di eventi, organizzate a Matera per promuovere la cultura dell’oro giallo nel bacino del Mediterraneo, ho partecipato alla 56° Assemblea Ordinaria delle Città dell’Olio. Durante l'evento ho presentato ai Soci gli sviluppi del progetto “Nuovo Evo. Il valore dell’Agricoltura per lo sviluppo sostenibile dei territori”, realizzato dal Centro Ricerche sAu in collaborazione con l’Associazione Nazionale Città dell’Olio.
Sulle rive del Lago di Garda ho partecipato al Meeting dei Distretti famiglia, giunto ormai alla sua ottava edizione. Organizzato dall’Agenzia per la Coesione Sociale, l’obiettivo dell’incontro è stato quello di favorire un confronto continuo con i territori, un dialogo che ponesse le basi per indirizzare le politiche tese alla promozione della famiglia, valorizzandone il ruolo dinamico e propositivo nella crescita del benessere territoriale, economico e sociale.
On the occasion of the centenary of the birth of Don Lorenzo Milani, the Accademia della Crusca, together with CGIL, organized a study day at Villa di Castello in Florence dedicated to the theme of language, reflecting on the importance of the words that, more than fifty years ago, guided the actions and choices of the Master of Barbiana.
During the press conference, I presented the project for the “Don Lorenzo Milani and the Barbiana School” Center for Generative Communication and Documentation, developed in collaboration with the Fondazione CR Firenze and the Fondazione Don Lorenzo Milani.
The project was conceived with the aim of engaging the many organizations that are part of the Milani community in documenting experiences and activities inspired by the teachings and values of Don Lorenzo.
Sono intervenuto al convegno di apertura di Olio Capitale 2022 a Trieste, fiera internazionale dedicata all'olivicoltura e alla valorizzazione delle produzioni territoriali, dal titolo Olio Evo di qualità, simbolo del made in Italy nel mondo. Rinascita degli uliveti, recupero e valorizzazione del paesaggio. Con il mio intervento - "L’olio scomunicato. Per una comunicazione che genera valore" - ho evidenziato la necessità di ridefinire il valore - materiale e immateriale - dell’olio.
“Scripta Manent. Generative Communication for Reflective and Proactive Participation” was the talk I delivered at the event “Tuscany: A Live Performance. Write It with Us!”
The presentation focused on the value of writing within a process of participation and Generative Communication such as the one undertaken by Fondazione Toscana Spettacolo Onlus, the Tuscany Region, ANCI Toscana, and the Generative Communication Lab.
I took part in the conference “Cardiovascular Prevention Strategies: Support from New Technologies,” organized by the Metropolitan City of Florence in collaboration with the University of Florence.
Addressing the question of how to promote physical activity for a healthy lifestyle, I presented an experimental project proposal aimed at bringing together local stakeholders in the Florence area interested in cooperating to promote sport and act in terms of prevention.
In December 2021, I took part in the conference “Listening and Support in Oncology: The Experience of the Tuscany Region in Comparison with National Oncology Networks,” organized by the Generative Communication Lab of PIN – University Campus of the City of Prato in collaboration with ISPRO, the Tuscany Region, and the Master’s Program in Medical-Scientific Communication and Healthcare Services.
The event was an important opportunity to initiate dialogue and to foster the development and redefinition of a new model of listening and communication in the field of oncology.
What are the linguistic, ethical, and legal aspects that should be taken into account when guiding and informing citizens about the healthcare system? How can the relationship between doctors, patients, and services be improved?
I addressed these questions at the conference “The Words of Health,” an event held in November 2021 by the Accademia della Crusca.
In 2021, I took part in the webinar “Communicating Health and Services with People: The Opportunities of Telemedicine Beyond the Covid-19 Emergency Phase,” within the Forum Sistema Salute 2021, where I discussed the need to build a radically different form of communication between users and the research community by establishing a new communicative pact in the healthcare field.
In 2019, together with the research group of the Center for Generative Communication at the University of Florence, we organized the international workshop “The Role of Intelligent Technology in Healthcare,” at which Donald Norman spoke about the importance of communication in fostering a systems approach to the complex challenges posed by the use of new intelligent technologies in healthcare.
In 2019, we launched a series of Transdisciplinary Communication Lectures on Health Communication, featuring speakers such as John Challis, Executive Director of the Western Australian Health Translation Network, and Nicky Lewis, CEO of the Kids Brain Health Network.
It was a valuable opportunity to explore how these networks use communication to share medical and scientific research, and the strategies they adopt to engage patients, families, healthy citizens, and healthcare organizations.
I took part in the event “Communicating and Informing about Breast Cancer Screening and Early Diagnosis: Are the Web and Social Networks a Help?”, organized by the Order of Physicians of Florence in collaboration with LILT Firenze Onlus and the Institute for Prevention and the Oncology Network (ISPRO).
The event provided an opportunity to address a topic that is particularly close to our hearts: how we can improve communication and information in healthcare services by creating a community in which doctors, researchers, patients, professionals, and citizens cooperate in terms of prevention.
This paradigm [Generative Communication paradigm] encompasses all those theories and communication techniques that denounce the inadequacy of a hier-archical, transmissive, emulative and mechanistic type of communication, compared to the immense resources present in a society of complexity such as ours, and attempts to radically innovate communication solutions.
Publications / Bibliography
Publications are listed in their original language. Selected titles include an English translation in square brackets for international readers
Selected Publications
- Toschi, L. (2025). La Mediazione, la fatica a comunicarsi e Utopia che già c’è [Mediation, the effort of communication and an already-existing utopia]. In P. Lucarelli, L. Toschi (eds.), Mediazione come bene comune. Per una giustizia attiva, partecipata, umana. Pisa: Pacini Editore, pp. 91–120.
- Toschi, L. (2024). Chi ha paura della giovane Yentl? La Comunicazione è la grande sindrome del nostro tempo [Who’s Afraid of Young Yentl? Communication as the Great Syndrome of Our Time]. In R. Marcucci, V. Davini, Eva, Adamo e l’albero della conoscenza. La salute di genere come strumento di cura personalizzata. Mulazzo: Tarka Edizioni.
- Toschi, L. (2023). Generative Communication Paradigm. Very simple prolegomena to future design and implementation. In A. Metzner (ed.), On the Interplay of Images, Imaginaries and Imagination in Science Communication. Florence: Olschki.
- Toschi, L., Davini, V., Pandolfini, E., Sbardella, M. (2021). Generative Communication paradigm and the project “Scientia Atque Usus” (sAu): community-building strategies in health communication. Journal of Communication in Healthcare, 14(4).
Books
- Toschi, L. (2011). La comunicazione generativa [Generative Communication]. Milan: Apogeo.
Articles and Book Chapters (selected)
- Toschi, L. (2020). Tecnologie e comunicazione: la “formula” assente. In M. Lazzeroni, M. Morazzoni (eds.), Interpretare la quarta rivoluzione industriale. Rome: Carocci, pp. 59–78.
- Toschi, L. (2019). “Scientia atque Usus”. Prime riflessioni su un progetto di ricerca. In E. Pandolfini (ed.), Il paesaggio nascosto. Florence: Olschki, pp. VII–X.
- Toschi, L., Sbardella, M., Simonetta, G. (2019). “Salomone Sostenibile”: an Award to Communicate the University’s Leading Role in Sustainable Development. In W. Leal Filho, U. Bardi (eds.), Sustainability on University Campuses. Springer, pp. 339–352.
- Toschi, L. (2018). La comunicazione generativa per i servizi alla carriera e per la Terza Missione. In V. Boffo (ed.), Giovani adulti tra transizioni e alta formazione. Pisa: Pacini Editore, pp. 187–214.
- Toschi, L. (2017). L’albero, l’artificio e l’energia della complessità. Preface to F. Ferrini, F. Fini, Amico albero. Pisa: ETS, pp. 9–26.