Group for appointing the Directors of the Italian Cultural Institutes

The meeting for setting up the Group with the mandate to appoint the Directors of four of the Italian Cultural Institutes abroad was held at the Farnesina yesterday. As provided by the law, persons of “outstanding renown” are to be appointed to such positions. The vacant positions are in Berlin, London, Moscow and New York. The Group has the task of examining all the applications submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs following publication on its website of the notices calling for applications for the vacant positions. The members of the Group are: the Attorney General Massimo Massella Ducci Teri; the President of the National Research Council, Massimo Inguscio; the Deputy President for Internationalization  of Confindustria, Licia Mattioli; the representative of the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research, Santino Vincenzo Mannino, the representative of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, Annalisa Bottoni, as well as three competent executives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At the informal meeting with the Group, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Enzo Moavero MIlanesi, emphasized that “it is important to select the candidates only on the basis of their merits given the importance  of the role and the impact it has on Italy’s image and prestige. This is why an ad hoc selection procedure has been set up based on criteria of transparency and objectivity, involving evaluators from outside the Ministry of foreign Affairs.