(September 22, 2016) The dean of the University of Turin, Gianmaria Ajani, and the vice-dean for Research and International Affairs of the East China Normal University (Ecnu) in Shanghai – one of the most prestigious in China and in the world – Wang Rongming, signed an academic collaboration agreement to create a platform for exchange between the academic and administrative staff of the research areas of mutual interest. Among the main innovations of the agreement, the opening of a Ecnu desk at the Dean offices of the University of Turin, with Chinese administrative staff installed on site: a place of business with the task of identifying research topics of mutual interest and coordinate a synergy between the major research projects of the two universities. The universities will also endeavor to accommodate the academic staff of the other party for short periods and medium term in order to promote research and encourage the synergy between the two universities. The agreement between the universities also provides student exchange programs, for periods of study of one or two semesters, starting from the scope of the Disciplinary Physics, in order to be extended to all other disciplines of the University. The project comes after years of growing collaboration and student exchanges between UniTo and Ecnu and thanks to the partnership with the Confucius Institute of the University of Turin: this year 17 UniTo students have got a semi-annual or annual scholarship at the Ecnu, while 120 students of the Piedmont High school spent a 15 days Summer Camp in Shanghai to deepen the study of Chinese language and culture through scholarships granted by the Ministry of the People’s Republic of China (Hanban). In 2012, the two universities have signed an agreement for the creation of a joint Master with a degree in Languages and African Studies of the Department of Humanities for the training of teachers of Chinese language. The agreement with Ecnu joins 24 other cooperation agreements already active between the University of Turin and the Chinese University, ranging from the fields of mathematics, e Management, Chemistry, Liberal Arts and Political Science. For the academic year 2015-16 the University of Turin has hosted 368 Chinese students in its 27 departments. (Red)
