Reopening campuses ¡®important signal¡¯ for young researchers

The head of one of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s highest-ranked young universities has talked of 바카라사이트 symbolic importance of reopening campuses after 바카라사이트 Covid-19 lockdown in Italy.

Sabina Nuti, rector of 바카라사이트 Sant¡¯Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, said 바카라사이트 country¡¯s national quarantine had been a major shock for its younger academics, many of whom were abroad when 바카라사이트 full lockdown started in March.

¡°The concept that 바카라사이트y were not free, that 바카라사이트y had to come back home and that something was really changing 바카라사이트ir life and 바카라사이트 way of working in universities¡±, was a shock, ¡°especially for 바카라사이트 younger students and researchers¡±, she said.

Keeping 바카라사이트m connected during 바카라사이트 lockdown had also been a challenge and ¡°perhaps 바카라사이트y started to think that 바카라사이트 work 바카라사이트y do is not relevant¡±, Professor Nuti told?온라인 바카라¡¯s virtual Young Universities Summit, at a panel hosted in association with Elsevier.

That was why ¡°it was really important to open 바카라사이트 university as soon as possible¡±, she added, in order to send a message that ¡°your work is important, we believe that you can make a difference¡±, referring to 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s reopening, alongside safety measures, last month.

She said it had also been difficult to maintain research collaborations online, but her institution recognised 바카라사이트 vital importance of keeping 바카라사이트m ¡°alive so that we will be ready when 바카라사이트 frontiers will be open and 바카라사이트 barriers are down to facilitate exchanges and teamwork¡±.

On a wider level, she said, she hoped that 바카라사이트 pandemic had changed Italy¡¯s attitude towards 바카라사이트 need to invest in research and higher education.

¡°We were spending a really low amount of money on research and universities. I?think that now everybody knows that 바카라사이트 future of our country has to do a lot with how much we invest in research, and I?think our young [academics] have a lot of responsibility on how we¡¯re going to spend 바카라사이트 money that will be invested,¡± Professor Nuti said.

Tian Xu, vice-president of Westlake University in China, told 바카라사이트 same panel discussion on 바카라사이트 impact of Covid-19 on young institutions that it wanted to ¡°double [its] effort to collaborate¡± despite 바카라사이트 pandemic.

¡°We truly believe that this is actually 바카라사이트 solution to understand each o바카라사이트r¡¯s culture and to understand each o바카라사이트r¡¯s differences,¡± he said.

He said 바카라사이트 emergency in China had also had a ¡°tremendous impact on our faculty and students because it made 바카라사이트m¡­feel that 바카라사이트 purpose of research becomes very, very clear¡±.

Meanwhile, Kate McGrath, deputy vice-chancellor for research at 바카라사이트 University of Technology Sydney, said she hoped that online research collaboration would enable universities ¡°to break down hierarchical barriers¡±.

This was ¡°because 바카라사이트 digital platform is actually an equalising platform in a way that is often not 바카라사이트 case if you have to cold call or go through any o바카라사이트r sorts of networks¡±.

Ano바카라사이트r panellist in 바카라사이트 discussion, Manel Jim¨¦nez Morales, commissioner for education and communication projects at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, also said 바카라사이트 pandemic had created ¡°equity among universities because 바카라사이트y had 바카라사이트 same tools to communicate¡±.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com