 |
Nov. 20 - Nov. 27, 2011 |
Italian Ambassador talks partnerships
Andrea Meloni says Canada and Italy would make an “ideal” cooperation
By Carla Bonora
Originally Published: 2011-10-09
 |
|
Italian ambassador Andrea Meloni
|
“Italy, and I believe Canada as well, to survive in an increasingly competitive world, must be able to share efforts for innovation with other nations and, for us, Canada could be an ideal partner.”
This is how Italian ambassador Andrea Meloni sums up the significance of the Italy-Canada round table held to promote cooperation between universities and research centres - a discourse conceived, promoted and strongly desired by the Embassy of Italy, and supported by the University of Ottawa and the Conferenza dei Rettori delle Università Italiane (Italian university provosts). The top experts of both nations on Oct. 11 will be seated at the same table for the first time with the objective of strengthening already existing relations.
A full assembly will take place in the morning with a meeting of the major institutional organizations from Italy and Canada, as well as an afternoon session with three round tables that will examine in depth the themes of food, health, ICT, nanotechnology and green technology.
Ambassador, you conceived, promoted and strongly wanted this round table. What is the key to properly understanding this conference?
“As I believe readers of Corriere Canadese/Tandem already know, when I first arrived, I quickly realized that scientific cooperation between universities up to and including the transfer of technology and innovation is one of the important aces in our relationship with Canadians. On this point, it was thought to organize a meeting that brings together Canadian and Italian universities and relative research centres. The purpose is to get acquainted, shake hands, but especially important was the entire preparatory phase of the encounter and the results that will arise.”
What were the guidelines for the round table’s preparatory phase?
“The announcement made well in advance of the round table with our partners, University of Ottawa and the Conferenza dei Rettori delle Università Italiane, put in motion and provided an impetus to the universities that are already in contact with each other, accelerating relationships or creating anew, contacts among universities, involving personnel from Canadian and Italian funding organizations. The second aspect of the preparation that I strongly want to highlight is that we did it in parallel with the Canadian Embassy in Rome. In fact, Ambassador James Fox, my colleague in Rome, last February organized a symposium held at CRUI [Conference of Italian University Rectors] among Canadian and Italian universities with the then-president of CRUI, towards the same direction, in perfect understanding and harmony. Another aspect of the preparation is that we had to do a workload of explanation and presentation about the event, widely promoted across Canada by science attaché Professor Emanuele Fiore who listened to almost all the Canadian universities and from my part who, with the science attaché, visited 13 universities. Undoubtedly, the Embassy has the role of facilitating contact. Meeting in person was useful and the evidence is that 13 universities will be present, along with University of Ottawa, McGill, University of Montreal, York University, University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, University of Windsor, University of Western Ontario, Dalhousie, McMaster, Sherbrooke, Laval and Carleton. Concrete evidence of their interest is the presence of the vice presidents of research and, in three cases, of the actual presidents — an especially noteworthy sign. The presence of Canadian research agencies, organizations, and laboratories is considered of equal importance, like Natural Sciences and Engineering Council, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Canada Foundation for Innovation, and CNR [Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, National Research Council] from Italy.”
Page 1/...Page 2
|
Comments
CorriereTandem.com editors reserve the right to edit, review and allow or reject, in their entirety, website comments. Those comments that are posted are not the opinions of Corriere Canadese/Tandem, or Multimedia Nova Corporation nor its affiliates but only of the writer. Spelling and grammar errors will not be corrected. We will not allow comments that include personal attacks on citizens at large; comments that make false or unsubstantiated allegations; comments that claim to quote people or reports where the quote or fact is not publicly known; or comments that include vulgar language or libelous statements.
|
| Home / Back to Top |
|
|
 |
|
|
Share
