ESA
and Tor Vergata University renew deal to promote scientific cooperation,
17 January 2008
ESA
and Rome’s Tor Vergata University have renewed a 5-year agreement
that allows for closer cooperation and increased collaboration in
the field of space related research, education and innovation.
ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain signed the agreement in
Paris and Chancellor Prof. Alessandro Finazzi Agró finalised
the deal in Frascati, Italy, on 7 January during a meeting with
ESA’s Director of EO, Volker Liebig.
The agreement outlines the following activities in which the Agency
and University will work together in close cooperation:
- exchanging general scientific information of mutual interest
- organising
seminars and round tables in order to develop themes of common
interest in the field of space science
- preparing
training programmes in various scientific fields, with the Agency
making all efforts to provide its experts upon request by the
University
- preparing
research projects to be carried out by the University or in association
with other Universities or Research Organisations
- setting
up a joint committee tasked with finding new ways of collaborating
together
The
latest agreement, which runs through 2012, was reached with the
understanding that such collaboration offers the potential to increase
the number of scientists, researchers and technical experts and
to create an atmosphere of technological exchange. Since the original
agreement was signed in September 2000, ESA has hosted more than
50 Tor Vergata students studying telecommunications engineering,
electronics engineering or environmental engineering in its Earth
Observation Programmes Directorate.
As part of the agreement, ESA will continue to offer PhD scholarships
as well as host PhD and Master-level students at ESRIN in order
to conduct research and complete their education. ESA will also
offer the University, which is a Category-1 user of Envisat data
and performs calibration campaigns to support ESA activities, assistance
in the framework of its activities and projects under development.
In order to broaden the areas of collaboration, ESA and Tor Vergata
University plan to conduct brainstorming sessions. Potential new
avenues for collaboration include:
- setting
up of the Parco Scientifico Frascati - Tor Vergata
- promoting
the real use of the MEGALAB infrastructure for building an ‘operational’
distributed high performing computing and networking infrastructure
- supporting
the ESA Business Incubation Initiative
- establishing
a special partnership scheme with the Policlinico Tor Vergata,
which would allow ESA staff to access its hospital facilities
- promoting
more space-related activities in local research.
This
agreement, which does not include any exchange of funds, is beneficial
to both institutions as well as students wishing to enter the world
of science. Tor Vergata’s PhD students contribute to ESRIN
by offering valuable technical support to EO training activities.ESRIN
contributes to the University by supporting the creation of courses
and providing visiting lectures.
For further information, please contact:
Luigi Fusco, Earth Observation Senior Advisor, Ext. 80530 |