China – First Day of Italian Research in China

The Italian Embassy in Beijing has organised the first day of Italian Research in China, an event attended by over 50 Italian researchers and professors coming from several areas of the country. “You are true testimony to the entrepreneurial spirit and innovation, as well as the intellectual ingenuity which Italy exports across the world. Thanks to you, our country is being appreciated in China, where Italy is seen as a country with cutting-edge scientific research and technology,” said Ambassador Sequi during his opening address. This innovative project seeks to network in China promoting the most relevant and advanced elements of Italy’s cultural and economic progress and promotion. Italian researchers working in China represent one of the strongest elements of our presence in that country which, according to points made during the debate, offers a favourable opportunity for research thanks to the availability of financial resources and high-level scientific infrastructures. China has, in fact, made many strides forward with its open approach and internationalisation policy and is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for young Italian talents attracted especially by the two major research ‘hubs’ – Beijing and Shanghai – at the top of international rankings in research. “China represents an extraordinary opportunity not only for individual researchers but also for Italy’s entire research system, thus providing new opportunities for major ambitious bilateral projects,” added the scientific attache to Beijing, Professor Plinio Innocenzi, addressing the audience. The presence of Italian researchers in the country standing second in the world, after the United States, in terms of research investments – accounting for 2.25 percent of its GDP – has grown in recent years, in both qualitative and quantitative terms. This positive trend has been confirmed also by data referring to bilateral scientific collaboration – which has grown exponentially in the last few years, as shown by the higher number of joint publications (+250 percent) produced since 2010. To promote and facilitate inclusion in the Chinese research system, Italian researchers have set up an association – Associazione Accademici Italiani in Cina. Italy and China both participate in major scientific projects which include such stakeholders as the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) [National Nuclear Physics Institute] working in the field of particle physics, and the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI) [Italian Space Agency], working in the space industry, aiming to implement scientific satellites.