“Science allows us to overcome cultural and language barriers, while effectively supporting and sometimes even getting ahead of political and diplomatic actions. Italy is proud of its researchers, who are recognized in Italy and in the world for their competence and creativity. They are the ambassadors of our culture, our customary pursuit of knowledge and innovation, our ability to combine civic values, quality of life, beauty and modernity, i.e. our Italian way of life,” said the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Angelino Alfano, when presenting the event inaugurating the “Italian Research Day in the World”, to be held at the Farnesina on 16 April, 2018. Top officials and executives representing the university, research and industrial world will be attending the event. Organised by the Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR), in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and the Ministry of Health, the Italian Research Day in the World, which is celebrated on 15 April, the day when Leonardo Da Vinci was born, is meant to recognise the relevance of scientific and technological research work that Italian nationals conduct abroad.
The event, which is scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m. at the Farnesina, in the Sala delle Conferenze Internazionali, will open with remarks by Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Angelino Alfano, and the Minister of Education, University and Research, Valeria Fedeli. Vincenzo De Luca, Director General for Economic and Cultural Promotion and Innovation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), will chair the meeting, whose agenda will include contributions by the President of the Council of Presidents of Public Research Bodies, Massimo Inguscio; the President of the Conference of Italian University Rectors, Gaetano Manfredi; the President of Confindustria’s Technical Research and Development Group, Daniele Finocchiaro; the Head of the Department of Higher Education and Research at MIUR, Marco Mancini; and the Italian Commissioner-General at Expo Dubai 2020, Paolo Glisenti.
The Farnesina strongly supports the event, as shown by its rich programme of events. It will present 82 events which will be organised by 54 Italian diplomatic and consular offices abroad, to highlight the significance of Italian research and researchers, the quality of the Italian educational system and our national technological know-how.
The event will include the premiere of an exhibition entitled “Italy: The Beauty of Knowledge”, promoted and funded by the Directorate General for Economic and Cultural Promotion and Innovation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), and made possible thanks to the cooperation of the National Research Council that has liaised with four Italian scientific museums of Fondazione IDIS – Città della Scienza, Naples, Museo Galileo, Florence, Museo delle Scienze , Trento, and Museo della Scienza e della Tecnologia “Leonardo da Vinci”, Milan. They have been instrumental in assembling artifacts, images and objects from universities, research centres and innovative enterprises. The exhibition will remain open at the Farnesina from 16 to 20 April, when the general public will already be able to see it on the occasion of the “Farnesina Open Doors” event. Right after that, the exhibition will go on a world tour.
Italy today ranks eighth in the world in the field of research in terms of scientific publications (SCIMAGO). Its researchers are assets of great value: over 246,000 people work in R&D in Italy.
