SIGN: the network of Italian scientists in Germany founded
Oct. 12, 2022
©https://ambberlino.esteri.it/ambasciata_berlino
©https://ambberlino.esteri.it/ambasciata_berlino
©https://ambberlino.esteri.it/ambasciata_berlino
©https://ambberlino.esteri.it/ambasciata_berlino
PDF
SIGN-network bylaws

©SIGN-network

The association "SIGN - Italian Scientists in Germany Network” was inaugurated today at the Embassy of Italy in Berlin. SIGN, promoted by the Ambassador of Italy, H. E. Armando Varricchio, aims at supporting the research of Italian scholars in Germany and emphasizing their excellence in many areas. SIGN also aims at being a think-tank facilitating the transfer to the Italian scientific system of experiences and practices developed by Italian scientists with long-time experience in Germany, and helping stimulate a "brain gain" in favor of the Italian research system.

The founding members of the network are fifty prominent Italian scientists active in Germany, and over 25 of them were present in Berlin for the official signing ceremony. Professor Gianaurelio Cuniberti is the founding Director of the newly established SIGN-network board. The scientific attaché at the Italian embassy in Berlin, Professor Vincenzo Fiorentini, gave a fundamental impulse to the foundation of the SIGN network and his future role in the board confirms the important centrality of the embassy as essential hub for networking Italian scientists within Germany.


Overall about 120 persons attended the event, the event was opened by speeches of the Ambassador of Italy, H. E. Armando Varricchio, and of the President of the National Research Council, Professor Maria Chiara Carrozza.




“Scientific cooperation is one of the pillars of the relationship between Italy and Germany”, so Ambassador Varricchio, “and it can already count on the precious contribution of Italian researchers to German academia and research”. It is now necessary to "rebalance the flow of human capital from Germany to Italy, thanks also to the investments envisaged by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) to improve the international attractivity of our country. This", added the Ambassador, "is strictly functional to the need for technological knowledge and innovation, as deciding factors for the future competitiveness of Italy, Germany, and Europe".

After the opening speeches, a debate was held on the perspectives of Italian-German science cooperation, moderated by Isabella Bufacchi, German correspondent for IlSole24Ore. The debate involved Professor Carrozza, the Director of the German Center for Research on Higher Education and Science (DZHW) Professor Monika Jungbauer-Gans, Professor Gianaurelio Cuniberti, professor at the Technische Universität Dresden and newly-appointed executive director of SIGN and the head the internalization at Freie Universität Berlin Dr. Herbert Grieshop.

After the debate, the signature of the founding act of SIGN by Ambassador Varricchio as Honorary President festively concluded the proceedings.

The relevance of a network of Italian scientists in Germany such as SIGN emerges from the data, also presented in the debate, on the Italian presence in Germany in the scientific field: over 3800 Italians active in universities and 1100 in extramural research institutes (in both cases, the first national group), including numerous high-ranking positions and 300 university professors. Besides, a, not yet quantified but, large number of Italian scientists do work in German or international industrial research active on German territory, and approximately 9,000 Italian students are involved in exchange and degree programs at German universities. At the institutional level, there are more than 750 individual agreements in force between Italian universities and their German counterparts, in addition to agreements between CNR and the German public research organization (Max-Planck, Helmholtz, Leibniz, and Fraunhofer).

To become a member and support the association follow the link https://sign-network.eu/.




Involved people

Related outreach

SIGN: the network of Italian scientists in Germany founded
Oct. 12, 2022
©https://ambberlino.esteri.it/ambasciata_berlino
©https://ambberlino.esteri.it/ambasciata_berlino
©https://ambberlino.esteri.it/ambasciata_berlino
©https://ambberlino.esteri.it/ambasciata_berlino
PDF
SIGN-network bylaws

©SIGN-network
PDF
More info

The association "SIGN - Italian Scientists in Germany Network” was inaugurated today at the Embassy of Italy in Berlin. SIGN, promoted by the Ambassador of Italy, H. E. Armando Varricchio, aims at supporting the research of Italian scholars in Germany and emphasizing their excellence in many areas. SIGN also aims at being a think-tank facilitating the transfer to the Italian scientific system of experiences and practices developed by Italian scientists with long-time experience in Germany, and helping stimulate a "brain gain" in favor of the Italian research system.

The founding members of the network are fifty prominent Italian scientists active in Germany, and over 25 of them were present in Berlin for the official signing ceremony. Professor Gianaurelio Cuniberti is the founding Director of the newly established SIGN-network board. The scientific attaché at the Italian embassy in Berlin, Professor Vincenzo Fiorentini, gave a fundamental impulse to the foundation of the SIGN network and his future role in the board confirms the important centrality of the embassy as essential hub for networking Italian scientists within Germany.


Overall about 120 persons attended the event, the event was opened by speeches of the Ambassador of Italy, H. E. Armando Varricchio, and of the President of the National Research Council, Professor Maria Chiara Carrozza.




“Scientific cooperation is one of the pillars of the relationship between Italy and Germany”, so Ambassador Varricchio, “and it can already count on the precious contribution of Italian researchers to German academia and research”. It is now necessary to "rebalance the flow of human capital from Germany to Italy, thanks also to the investments envisaged by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) to improve the international attractivity of our country. This", added the Ambassador, "is strictly functional to the need for technological knowledge and innovation, as deciding factors for the future competitiveness of Italy, Germany, and Europe".

After the opening speeches, a debate was held on the perspectives of Italian-German science cooperation, moderated by Isabella Bufacchi, German correspondent for IlSole24Ore. The debate involved Professor Carrozza, the Director of the German Center for Research on Higher Education and Science (DZHW) Professor Monika Jungbauer-Gans, Professor Gianaurelio Cuniberti, professor at the Technische Universität Dresden and newly-appointed executive director of SIGN and the head the internalization at Freie Universität Berlin Dr. Herbert Grieshop.

After the debate, the signature of the founding act of SIGN by Ambassador Varricchio as Honorary President festively concluded the proceedings.

The relevance of a network of Italian scientists in Germany such as SIGN emerges from the data, also presented in the debate, on the Italian presence in Germany in the scientific field: over 3800 Italians active in universities and 1100 in extramural research institutes (in both cases, the first national group), including numerous high-ranking positions and 300 university professors. Besides, a, not yet quantified but, large number of Italian scientists do work in German or international industrial research active on German territory, and approximately 9,000 Italian students are involved in exchange and degree programs at German universities. At the institutional level, there are more than 750 individual agreements in force between Italian universities and their German counterparts, in addition to agreements between CNR and the German public research organization (Max-Planck, Helmholtz, Leibniz, and Fraunhofer).

To become a member and support the association follow the link https://sign-network.eu/.




Involved people
Cuniberti
Gianaurelio (Giovanni) Cuniberti
Chair
Cuniberti
Gianaurelio (Giovanni) Cuniberti
Chair
Cuniberti
Gianaurelio (Giovanni) Cuniberti
Chair

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