Flavio Deflorian has been Rector of the University of Trento since 1 April 2021 (term of office: 2021-2027).

Flavio DeflorianBorn in Cavalese (Trento) on 4 May 1964, Flavio Deflorian graduated in Materials Engineering at the University of Trento. He earned a PhD in Materials Engineering from the University of Bologna, and a Master's in Advanced Materials Technology from the University of Surrey in Guildford (UK). He is full professor of the University of Trento where, in recent years, he has taught Corrosion and protection of materials and Materials science and technology at the Department of Industrial Engineering.
He has held various institutional positions for the University of Trento. From 2010 to 2013 he was the University's delegate for the Erasmus project; from April 2015 he was deputy vice-rector with responsibility for supporting the production system. He was a member of the Academic Senate (appointed and elected) on multiple terms from 2013. Since 2015 he has been a member of the Board of Directors of Fondazione Hub Innovazione Trentino (HIT), since 2017 a member of the Strategic Board of EIT Digital (KIC) representing the Trento node he chairs. Since 2018 he has been a member of the Board of Directors of Fondazione Bruno Kessler, and Vice President of the Foundation for the valorisation of local research (FVRT, Fondazione per la valorizzazione della ricerca trentina). Since January 2019 he has been a member of the Steering Committee of SMACT, the Industry 4.0 Competence Center for Triveneto, representing the universities and research institutes of Trentino Alto Adige. 
His academic career began in 1994 at the University of Trento where he carried out research in the field of durability, materials, surface engineering, advanced electrochemical techniques for the characterization of new materials. Since 2006 he has been in charge of the Coatings and Industrial Corrosion Control Laboratory of the Department of Industrial Engineering. He has published more than 200 scientific papers in international specialized journals and books, in addition to the many conferences he attended as speaker. As guest editor he oversaw the publication of five special issues for specialized journals and three books. 
He has participated in numerous international research projects, including in the role of coordinator, and has taken part in over a hundred international conferences. He has given 25 plenary and invited talks at international conferences (United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Denmark, South Africa, Malaysia, Iran). He has been visiting professor at the University of Mons (Belgium), UNAM in Mexico City (Mexico), Makerere University in Kampala (Uganda), Queensland University in Brisbane (Australia) and the University of Tehran (Iran).

His term of office expires on 31 March 2027.

Duties and responsibilities of the Rector, article no. 4 of the Statute of the University of Trento

  1. The Rector is responsible for the attainment of the objectives of the University of Trento, safeguards the consistency of the strategic guidelines of the different University governance bodies and fosters and coordinates the teaching, training and research activities. The Rector is the legal representative of the University.
  2. In particular the Rector:
    a) prepares, in cooperation with the Academic Senate, the multi-annual University strategic plan and supervises its implementation after the approval of the Governing Board;
    b) proposes to the Governing Board the annual and multi-annual budget;
    c) annually submits to the Governing Board the guidelines regarding the scientific research and the teaching and training activities, as adopted by the Academic Senate;
    d) drafts the annual report on the implementation progress of the University strategic plan and submits it to the Governing Board, together with the University balance;
    e) appoints three 1st level full professors as members of the Academic Senate;
    f) submits to the Governing Board, in agreement with the President, the proposed appointment of the Director General;
    g) adopts, in agreement with the President of the Governing Board, in case of necessity and urgency, the temporary measures regarding the area of responsibility of the Governing Board, submitting them to be ratified in the first subsequent seat;
    h) appoints the Deputy Director, among the members of the Academic Senate, who replaces the Rector in case of absence or impediment;
    i) carries out all assigned duties and any other tasks which is not expressly responsibility of other governance bodies.  
  3. The Rector stays in office for six years and the mandate is not renewable.