The relationship between the City of Rovereto and the University of Trento is of the kind that grows stronger with time, that is why they have renewed their commitment to collaborate for education and research in the 2020-2022 term. The City and the University have been working together within a collaboration agreement since 2011.
The purpose of the collaboration agreement is to facilitate and strengthen cooperation between the City and the University to implement initiatives of mutual interest.
To this end, the City will improve its services to welcome the student community, in particular in the area of the Manifattura Tabacchi in Borgo Sacco, and will provide direct support to some specific projects.
The Municipality of Rovereto provided funds amounting to over 200,000 euro for 2019 to projects that involve the University. The agreement stipulates that the same amount should be granted in the next two years, for a total amount of about 600,000 euro over three years.
The collaboration agreement was signed on Monday, 28 October, at Palazzo Pretorio, by the Mayor of Rovereto, Francesco Valduga, and the Rector of the University, Paolo Collini.
On the occasion, three speakers addressed the audience to present some of the eight projects that will receive funding in 2019, mostly in the form of research grants.
Paolo Bosetti of the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Trento explained how research grants are used in mechatronics projects: "The global goal in this sector is system engineering, to design smart and innovative complex systems. Integration and functional design are our keywords. There is a connection between mechatronics and Rovereto mainly because of the ProM Facility at Polo Meccatronica, which is equipped with advanced instruments for 3D printing, additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping of mechatronic systems".
Paola Venuti, of the Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science of the University of Trento, described the project "Se faccio, capisco: integrazione delle competenze motorie, cognitive e sociali in un percorso psicoeducativo": "We study the effects of a psychoeducational programme that will be adopted in kindergartens and primary schools on the integrated development of motor, cognitive and emotional skills. Educators and teachers from those schools will be involved in the project".
Massimiliano Zampini, of the Center for Mind/Brain Sciences of the University of Trento, presented the project "La percezione multisensoriale del cibo e l’obesità: un’indagine sperimentale con possibili ricadute clinico-applicative”: "The researchers will investigate how people with obesity perceive and evaluate food. The results of our study will provide useful information to medical professionals treating obese patients. The Provincial Healthcare Service (APSS) with their facilities in Rovereto will be involved in the project".
Among the other five projects that will be funded in 2019 are a project on cartography, with a pilot project in Vallagarina led by di Elena Dai Prà of the Department of Humanities, and a study on Parkinson's disease, which aims to develop and validate motor programmes to promote physical activity in people with the condition, coordinated by Luca Turella of the Center for Mind/Brain Sciences. Funding will also reach a collaboration with the Provincial Healthcare Service (APSS) in Rovereto in the area of neuroscience, with Costanza Papagno of Cerin (Center for Mind/Brain Sciences) and Bruno Giometto (Apss). The research work on the life and works of Antonio Rosmini coordinated by Paolo Marangon for the Centro di Studi e Ricerche "Antonio Rosmini" (Department of Humanities) will continue. Funds will also be used to organize workshops and seminars in a well-equipped laboratory to introduce high school students and teachers in Rovereto to cognitive science through a hands-on, in-lab approach: this initiative is supervised by the Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science.
More details in the press release.