A garden that reproduces with plants, herbs and flowers, the interior of a house, with a bed and bedside table created with Dichondra, armchairs and chairs made from turf and climbing grass, dining room table composed of Festucca (boulder blue) and climbing plants. This is the brilliant idea proposed by two young graduates from the University of Pisa, Claudia Canigiani and Valentina Geri whose project was selected for participation in 'Euroflora 2011', one of the most important flower and plant events in Europe which takes place every year in Genoa.

The two graduates, who received their degrees at the Faculty of Agricultural Studies having studied 'Design and planning of green areas and landscape' for their thesis, took part in the international competition for ideas convened at the 'Euroflora' event.They competed against another 140 candidates, among whom were Spaniards, Germans, French and Dutch candidates. Their project, entitled 'La rivincita del verde' (Green's Revenge), was chosen together with other 24 gardens; it was created (days immediately before this Genoan event) and set up in an exhibition space provided by the organisation, and remained there throughout the entire duration of the fair.

The idea of Claudia Canigiani and Valentina Geri is based on the most sophisticated techniques of 're-greening' and 'vegetalisation' of buildings. It aims at valuing the presence of plant life in daily life, while emphasising the importance of a bond between the natural world and the artificial world which today appears to be irretrievably lost. "This project – wrote Claudia and Valentina in their presentation – takes inspiration from an idea of reconciliation according to which both elements, the house and the garden, are present – each one at a hundred percent, and organically integrated. We construct and modify buildings and furnishings so they are in harmony with nature, and thought of as life itself: dynamic and multiform.

Two companies from the Province of Pisa have collaborated on the creation of the garden: one is the country store 'Pacini' for the 'erbavogliosystem turf' and the other is 'Greensol' for the supply of some plant species.

Surfing the internet in a fast way and for free by connecting to it from one's own room in a university residence building, from the libraries, the study rooms and didactic centres and, soon, from gardens and other open spaces belonging to the University. With the completion of the connection in optic fibre of the Praticelli area, this possibility will be available to University of Pisa students thanks to the plan coordinated with 'DSU Toscana' which aims to improve and broaden services for students in response, in particular, to the technological demands of the young generation.

The results achieved by Pisa University in the field of information technology infrastructures (which place among the most avant-garde centres in Italy) were illustrated in the month of April at the 'Palazzo alla Giornata' by the Chancellor, Massimo Mario Augello, by the President of 'DSU Toscana', Marco Moretti in the presence of the Vice Chancellor for Students, Rosalba Tognetti, the DSU territorial director of Pisa, Magda Beltrami, delegate for the University telecommunications systems and network services, Riccardo Cambini, delegate for IT and telecommunications, Stefano Suin and the person in charge of the projects, Stefano Ciuti.

The projects realized over recent months are diverse. The principle project aimed at achieving a specific metropolitan circuit based on optic fibre with very high velocity available from the Pisa D.S.U. which connects all the seven Pisa University resident buildings: Compaldino, Don Bosco, Fascetti, Mariscolgio, Nettuno, Praticelli and Rosellini. This system allows around 1,500 students to connect to internet from their residences just as if they were in the University libraries or study rooms, with the possibility of using all the on-line services that the University of Pisa offers on its own network. This circuit, created thanks to the competence and professionality available within the University, and with a contribution from DSU, will allow the offering of services calibrated for the specific needs of DSU Toscana consumers.

The creation of this network has proved to be a large commitment, especially for the University residence at Praticelli – the largest in Tuscany with more than 800 beds – because the optic fibres have had to cross through two council area boundaries and other zones which have turned out to be complex from a logistic point of view. The traffic generated by the DSU and its residences network has already overcome all expectations, since it uses 20-25 percent of the general traffic of data that is created on the entire University network.

This project came along after 'wireless' was installed in the most frequented University centres used by the students such as classrooms, libraries, didactic centres and snack bars within various faculties. With a suitable technical equipment, wifi is being installed also in certain open spaces belonging to the University like, for example, gardens off the libraries and departments, with the aim of transforming these places into study spaces and spaces for aggregation adherent to the students' technological expectations.

And for the future? If it succeeds in establishing synergy with the Pisa Council, the University will be able to offer wireless connection also outside its own jurisdiction, in the nerve points of the city, thus offering its own students the chance of being connected on line to their own faculty site at, say, the railway station or from their lodgings or from their classrooms.

The seminars of the "PhD plus" project were inaugurated in April at the department of Computer Science. This is a new training and practical course that the University of Pisa has created for its PhD students, with the aim of encouraging diffusion of an entrepreneurial spirit among young scholars and the commercial improvement of innovative ideas. The first speaker was Professor Ray Garcia, former professor and mentor of entrepreneurship at the MIT Media Lab, and presently Professor at Baruch College, New York City. Professor Garcia (who, with his activities, has helped the creation of more than 30 start up projects in the internet sector) held the first set of lessons on the theme "New venture entrepreneurship for innovators and inventors."

One hundred and eleven students from all Pisa University PhD programs, mainly scientifically and technologically based, took part in the "PhD plus" project. Almost all had top level professional qualifications. Most spoke two or three languages, had spent some time abroad and could boast publications of international importance. More than half have had experience working in Italian or international companies, while around ten of them have been involved in patenting and spin-off projects.

The "PhD plus" project, set up by the Vice Chancellor for Applied Research and Innovation, Paolo Ferragina, is the first initiative of its kind in Italy and is one of the most advanced projects in the field in Europe. It has three principle objectives. Firstly, to install in the PhD students a basic competence for a definition and achievement of applied and industrial research projects through stimulating their entrepreneurial skills. This is what the European Union firmly hopes for in its European Strategy 2020 document, and what the Tuscan Regional Council urges in its recent proposal for a "re-appraisal of research expenditure."

Secondly, to encourage the creation of new top level technologically innovated companies via commercial improvement of ideas arrived at during the years of post-graduate study. Finally, to create a network of relations so as to make the most promising research (carried out by young scholars from the University of Pisa) known to the world of industry and investors. The aims of the projects are the strengthening of the academic-industrial synergy, and the promotion of job positions in industry for young PhD students.

It was the first phase of a collaboration process between the University of Pisa and the Université Qadi Ayyad of Marrakesh which will give life to exchanges and knowledge 'transmission' within the Euro-Mediterranean scientific community. The round table: "Circulation of knowledge in the Mediterranean between past and present," whose protagonists were a delegation from Morocco ( and guests in the month of April at the Faculty of Literature and Philosophy), launched a high level model of interaction between the northern and southern banks of the Mediterranean.

This project, unique in Italy and rare in Europe, will enable students, post-graduate research students and professors to spend periods and follow courses at the two universities while favouring research on a particular field in the two directions; and, above all, taking advantage of the complementary competence present in the two institutions.

The delegation from Morocco, led by the dean of the Faculté des Lettres dell'Université qadi Ayyad at Marrakesh , Ouidad Tebbaa , made up of professors Abdeljalil Hanouche, Abdelati Banouar and Thami Dardari , were received by the deputy chancellor Nicoletta De Francesco and vice chancellor for internationalisation, Alessandra Guidi. Since complementarity is particularly needed in the field of human sciences, the initiative has been taken up by the Faculty of Literature and strongly wished for by its dean, Alfonso Maurizio Iacono and by Gianfranco Fioravanti, director of the Inter-University centre 'Incontro di culture' (Meeting of Cultures) http://www.gral.unipi.it

Post-graduate research students from Marrakesh who wish to study Greek, Latin, Italian literature and philosophy, Pisa post-graduate research students who wish to study classical Arabic and its poetry and literature will be able to start an exchange program. However, the project will not stop here: common initiatives can also include the natural sciences, the social and juridical sciences and cultural tourism.

By re-tying together the paths of past knowledge circulation, the University of Pisa is today setting the stage for an organised project consisting not only of scientific knowledge to be shared – as already is happening thanks to numerous agreements among universities from Mediterranean countries – but also knowledge of the human sciences to be shared. Greek, Latin, classical Arabic lie alongside the natural and social sciences in the search for a communication process which more and more systematically integrates post-graduate researcher's acquisitions and teacher's experience.

Reviving a tradition that goes back to 1843, the University of Pisa has awarded the 'Ordine del Cherubino' (The Order of the Cherubim) to ten of its professors. This award and recognition goes to those scholars who have contributed to increase the University's prestige thanks to their particular scientific and cultural merits or for their contribution to the life and functioning of this institution. The professors called to receive the insignia and diploma are the following: Aldo Balestrino from the Faculty of Engineering; Giovanni Umberto Corsini from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery; Marcello Giorgi from the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences; Roberto Dvornicich from the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences; Carlo Bartolozzi from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Giuliano Massimo Barale from the Faculty of Literature and Philosophy; Francesco Tolari from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Franco Bonsignori from the Faculty of Law; Bruno Neri from the Faculty of Engineering and Gian Mario Cazzaniga from the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures.

The morning began with an introduction by the Chancellor Massimo Mario Augello who, after reminding the old origins of the award, talked about the deepest meaning of the meeting. "This today" – he said – "is not merely an event which is rich in history and tradition: it is, rather, a recognition of the scientific excellence that has always characterised and still characterises our University: as such, it is projected into the future, since it represents for all young scholars who have undertaken the tiring but fascinating path of research an example to follow, and a challenging goal to pursue ." Soon after he turned directly to face the prize winners and affirmed that, "Your scientific paths are therefore a clear example of the wealth and complexity of research that is carried out at the University of Pisa and such as allows our University to be considered as one of the established best in Italy according to the national and international classifications, with certain disciplines at the top of European and world rankings."

In his talk the Chancellor developed his reflection upon the difficult times the University of Pisa and the Italian University system in general are going through. Being aware of the persistent difficulties involved, he wished to send a sign of cohesion and optimism. "The University of Pisa, just like the entire Italian University system, is going through a particularly delicate phase in which it is hard to see at the moment any possible positive ways out. We mustn't be discouraged about this fact, however; we must, on the contrary, find in our pride (which is connected to our history and our present) solid motivations for building a future which will still remain at the height of our traditions."

After having summarised some of the strategic lines of the University governance, Professor Augello concluded with the reminder that along the journey towards a building of the future those operating within the institution must "be able to draw from their heritage, ideas, values and principles, which are present in our glorious tradition and are the basis from which we can look towards the future with renewed optimism."

Two new educational and exhibition rooms dedicated to the minerals of Tuscany and to the invisible world of protistans enrich the vast scientific collection of the Museum of Natural History and Territory of the University of Pisa based at the 'Certosa' Monastery in Calci. These new spaces were inaugurated during a study convention in which Professor Paolo Orlandi, from the Earth Sciences Department, gave a paper on 'Mineral wealth in Tuscany: 2000 years of history and science,' and Graziano Di Giuseppe, from the Biology Department, spoke on 'Micro-organisms at the Museum: protistans in a new dimension of scientific disclosure.' After the inaugural papers there was a guided tour of the new rooms followed by a workshop entitled 'A project organised for scientific disclosure of knowledge on protistans' set up by the Italian Society of Protistanology 'Onlus'.

The opening of the new rooms fits nicely into the environment of the Museum's education policy, which is undergoing continuous evolution and expansion. It proposes educational and scientific projects and courses on the environment mainly for schools, but also for the general public interested in in-depth cultural and scientific studies.

How many minerals do you need to make a mobile phone or a car? How many minerals do we come across every day; even at our homes? And how many do we use thanks to instruments that technology, old or new, builds so as to make our lives more simple? These are some of the questions the exhibition entitled 'The mineral wealth of Tuscany', dedicated to "useful minerals", aims to answer by starting out with the ancient mining history of our region through its most important findings.

Mineralisation in pyrite (iron disulphide) of southern Tuscany, the hematite (ferric oxide) mines on the Island of Elba, the silver strands of the Apuane Alps are some of the examples of this history demonstrated by the samples on display in the show cases.

These minerals have favoured the development of the great Etruscan and Roman civilisations and up until the first half of the 20th century they represented an important resource for our territory. Today, the economic value of these minerals has diminished , but their historical, scientific and museological importance has increased and their heritage remains to be studied and valued.

The exhibition was organised by the Department of Earth Sciences, in particular by Professors Paolo Orlandi Christian Biagioni and Elena Bonaccorsi, and by the Museum , represented by Massimo Cerri.

Also the new educational and exhibition room on Protistanology starts off with a few queries. What are protistans? What is their evolutionary importance and their relevance in the ecological and sanitary fields? These unicellular micro-organisms initially acquired a structure similar to our cells and, for this, they are considered the creators of the largest evolutionary leap in the history of living organisms. As indicators of quality levels of the environment they are, furthermore, considered to be of valuable sanitary interest and of great importance to institutional involvement in public health. Among them, in fact, we find agents of infectious diseases like malaria, toxoplasmosis and leishmaniasis.

The room was created thanks to a project funded my MIUR (Ministry of Education for University Research) whose executive partners are the Museum, the Italian Society of Protistanology 'onlus' and the Italian National Association of Natural Science Teachers.

A young scholar from the University of Pisa was awarded the prize for the best essay of 2010 conferred by the 'Associazione italiana di valutazione' (Italian Association of Evaluation). On the occasion of the 16th national congress which took place in Trento in the month of April, Gabriele Tomei, a post graduate research student in Sociology at the Department of Science and Social Politics, was judged as being prestigiously recognised for two monographed pamphlets of the tri-monthly Science of Administration magazine appeared under his editorial care. They were no. 1 and no. 4 of the year 2010 with the title 'Valutazione, cittidinanza, participazione' (Evaluation, citizenship, participation).

In the commission's report one reads that Tomei's essay is "a collection of texts, all of which at a high level, under well edited and organic curatorship which manages, for the first time in Italy, to overcome the rhetoric of evaluative 'participationism' through the rigorous posing of epistemological and methodological problems which represent a true (and positive) discontinuity of the previous literature and a tangible advancement upon the subject."

The prize recognises and values the research activity on theoretical and methodological implications of the so called "participated evaluation" of public policies that Tomei had begun in 2004. From last year such research activity constituted the backbone of a new line of high level training projects at the Faculty of Political Science at the University of Pisa which, in 2010, set up a Master course (level 2). In this academic year it has set up a high level training course on the evaluation of social policy intervention and territorial development for which Tomei covers the role of director.

In April the Pisa Faculty of Economics inaugurated new services for their students and staff. A self-service train ticket machine was installed within the building. This is the first time 'Trenitalia' has conceded its services to a University faculty. Also an ATM cash point for cash withdrawal, mobile phone top-ups and bill payments was installed. The service is managed by 'Unicredit' following a public selection procedure for contractors.

The inauguration took place in the presence of the University Chancellor Massimo Mario Augello, the Dean Dianora Poletti, professors of the faculty and representatives of 'Unicredit' and 'Trenitalia' S.p.A.

During the event another classroom study was re-opened after much extension work. The room has wireless connection for students, and individual lockers where students can leave their books and personal items.

These services are added to those already activated some months ago, such as the 'UniversoLibro' bookshop, which provides text books and manuals offered at a 15% discount off the cover price (and other concessions), and the 'Centro Stampa' (Printing Centre) for the reproduction of didactic texts at discount prices.

Still within the faculty, a service provided by a doctor of general medical practice will be re-activated at the 'Punto Salute' (Health Point). This constitutes a project started last year by Pisa University, in collaboration with the 'ASL' (Local Sanitary Assistance) of Pisa and with doctors from the 'Società della Salute' (Health Society). The latter offers consultancy with the weekly presence of doctors and psychologists and periodical meetings with other professional specialised sanitary consultants.

The fees and/or contributions supplied by the sponsors of these services have been invested in improving the existing structures or in the creation of new structures. An example of such is the creation of I.T. classrooms and a multi-media language laboratory.

All these initiatives constitute a 'unicum' in the University and place the Pisa faculty of Economics among the first top positions in the national panorama for quantity and quality of services offered.

A chemico-physical study for monitoring the microclimate surrounding works of art and ensuring the most suitable conditions for their preservation, with the aim of creating and putting on the market an environmental sensor which is efficient, and, at the same time, easy to use and economically accessible. This is what the Pisa post-graduate researchers have been pursuing as part of the international project 'MEMORI'. They have already brought their instruments for experimentation on masterpieces like 'Lady with an Ermine' by Leonardo and 'Medusa' by Caravaggio, as well as on various other paintings preserved at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, the Tate Gallery in London, the National Museum in Cracow, the Fine Arts Museum in Valencia and the National Art Gallery in Copenhagen.

'MEMORI' is an international project that joins 14 research groups and institutes of European cultural heritage. The countries involved are: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Romania, Spain and the United Kingdom, with co-ordination from the Norwegian Institute for research on air 'N.I.L.U.'. Having already been financed by the 6th Framework Programme of the European Union, this project has received three million euros from the 7th Framework Programme with the task of developing the program in the next three year period.

The 'MEMORI' project is focussed on environmental polluters that can be commonly found in the micro-environment that surrounds works of art and which can be harmful to their preservation. At times these environmental polluters, mainly organic acids, can be emitted from the artwork itself. For example from the materials that constitute it, such as the pictorial layers, the wood or the canvas - but they could also derive from the material employed in past operations of restoration and preservation. Although, in fact, museums can protect their artefacts from external aggression such as city pollution and thermo hygrometric variations, a higher awareness is still necessary for an understanding of the complex microclimate which settles around the object itself. This project proposes to fill in this knowledge gap, to study systems for mitigating the aggressiveness of the microclimate that surrounds works of art, and to develop a new generation of instruments for environmental monitoring - dosimeters - accessible for large and small cultural institutes. This will enable the 'preservers' to know in real time if a work of art is situated in a suitable place or if it is necessary to take measures to improve the conditions of its preservation and/or exhibition.

Our country is represented by the Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry of the University of Pisa through the activity of the Centre of Chemical Sciences for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (SCIBEC) with Professor Maria Perla Colombini and Doctor Ilaria Bonaduce. The research group has had more than twenty years of experience in the sector of scientific research dedicated to the safeguarding of cultural heritage. Within the 'MEMORI' project, Pisa is the leader for studies on the effects of environmental polluters on the preservation of pigments for paintings – the first 'barrier' a painting offers to the external world. The research carried out in Pisa aims to identify and evaluate the existence of parameters for assessment of the risks to which the preserved object is subject, therefore establishing the limit values over which it would be necessary to intervene so as to safeguard the work of art, thus ensuring effective preventive preservation.

Silvia Lametti, dottoranda del dipartimento di Informatica seguita dal professor Marco Vanneschi, ha vinto la borsa di studio del “Google European Doctoral Fellowship 2011”, il programma di Google per il supporto della ricerca universitaria nel campo dell’accesso all’informazione. La proposta di ricerca presentata al concorso dalla dottoressa Lametti ha vinto nel settore della “Computer Architecture” e riguarda lo studio di nuovi metodi per la programmazione parallela di architetture multicore. 
Questa opportunità di studio viene offerta annualmente a un numero ristretto di dottorandi di tutto il mondo che si distinguono per risultati e competenze, come forma di incentivo allo sviluppo dell’informatica e delle tecnologie. Il finanziamento è diretto al sostegno di un progetto di ricerca nel settore del “Computer Architecture”, cioè dello studio della condivisione di conoscenze e della costruzione di comunità attraverso internet.

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