05.11.2013 -
Exploring the prospects for local and international development
of the scientific network in Friuli Venezia Giulia ahead of Horizon
2020: this was the main topic on the agenda at the
12th Annual Conference of the Regional
Coordination of Research Institutes held this morning at
AREA Science Park, Trieste.
The event, attended by representatives from the world of
research, was an opportunity for a debate on
internationalisation strategies at regional and national
level with a view to reinforcing socio-economic systems by
leveraging research and innovation.
The wide range of issues discussed during the morning included
topics such as how scientific and technological cooperation can be
used to promote the national system, the need to support higher
education and basic research, the role of universities, and
regional strategies to revitalise the region and increase its
competitiveness.
The results of the eighth Mobilità della Conoscenza
survey were presented during the conference. The aim of the survey,
carried out annually by the Regional Coordination of Research
Institutes (CER), is to track the number of researchers and foreign
students entering the region each year. The study, covering the
academic year 2011/2012 (for universities) and 2012 for research
institutes, confirmed the pull power of the scientific system in
Friuli Venezia Giulia. In 2012, 15,000 researchers, lecturers and
foreign students chose to study or work in the region for varying
lengths of time. In detail, there were 3,928 students (an increase
of 5.3% compared to 2011) and 11,037 researchers (up by 1.02% on
2011).
The survey of 31 institutions shows that once again this year,
the number of foreign researchers and lecturers permanently
employed by the region's research institutes and universities has
risen from 4,485 to 4,563, out of a total of 8,221. The number of
foreign university students has also increased, and now stands at
7.46% of all students registered for the academic year 2011/12 -
well above the national average of 3.3%. The pull power of the
region's two Conservatories (Tartini of Trieste and Tomadini of
Udine) was also clearly evident. Of all the foreign students
registered at both institutions, the number of foreign students
totalled 11.72%, with 22.75% of
lecturers arriving from abroad.
SURVEY OF KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION MOBILITY
The study was carried out by the Regional Coordination of
Research Institutes of Friuli Venezia Giulia
14,956 foreign students, researchers and lecturers
worked or studied for some length of time at one of the region's
academic and scientific institutes. There were 3,928 students (an
increase of 5.3% compared to 2011) and 11,037 researchers (up by
1.02% on 2011).
FOCUS ON RESEARCHERS
-
8,221 foreign researchers and students are engaged
in permanent work or study in the region's research institutes and
universities, and 4,563 come from other countries. 120 came from EU
countries, more than 1,000 from Asia (excluding India and China),
and Africa and Central and South America each accounting for
740.
-
Scientific fields of interest. For staff
researchers (including Italian nationals), the trending subjects
were Physics (PHY) as the dominant sector with 4,166
researchers, followed by Life Sciences (LIF),
Environment & Geosciences (ENV) and Mathematics
(MAT). The top area of interest for all students (including
Italians) was Social Sciences and Humanities (SOC) which
accounted for about 40% of all registered students, followed by
Engineering & Information Science (ENG) at just over
20%, Life Sciences (LIF) and Economic Sciences
(ECO), which collectively account for 22% of registered
students.
FOCUS ON STUDENTS
-
7.46% of all registered students are foreign, a
figure that is well above the national average of 3.3%;
-
The pull power of the region's two conservatories
(Tartini of Trieste and Tomadini of Udine) was also very high. The
number of foreign students registered at both institutes stood at
11.72% of the total, while 22.75%
of lecturers arrived from abroad.
GENDER DISTRIBUTION
-
55% of students registered for university
courses are female
-
29.84% of all staff researchers are female, a
figure that reflects the situation in Europe and confirms the
greater difficulties experienced by women in accessing scientific
careers.
*31 scientific institutions took part in the
survey (26 research
institutions, 3 universities and
2 conservatories from the regional network):
Agency for Economic Development in Mountain Areas -
AGEMONT S.p.A., Consortium for the Centre of Molecular Biomedicine,
Centro Ricerche Plast-Optica S.p.A., CISM - International Centre of
Mechanical Sciences, CNR - IC Crystallography Institute, Istituto
Officina dei Materiali (Materials Workshop of the National Research
Council - CNR), CNR - IOM u.o.s. DEMOCRITOS, CNR - ISM Institute of
the Structure of Materials, CNR ISMAR - Institute of Marine
Science, "Giuseppe Tartini" Conservatory of Music, Trieste, "Jacopo
Tomadini" Conservatory of Music (Udine), AREA Consortium for
Scientific & Technological Research (Trieste),
Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., the Carlo & Dirce
Callerio Foundation, "Fondazione Italiana Fegato Onlus - F.I.F.",
Rino Snaidero Scientific Foundation, "Friuli Innovazione" Centre
for Research and Technology Transfer, ICGEB - International Centre
for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, IGA - Institute of
Applied Genomics, LIS - Scientific Imaginarium, INAF - Astronomic
Observatory of Trieste, INFN - National Institute of Nuclear
Physics, Trieste Section, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, ISIG - Institute of
International Sociology (Gorizia), National Institute of
Oceanography & Experimental Geophysics - OGS, LNCIB - National
Laboratory of the Interuniversity Consortium, SISSA - Higher
International School of Advanced Studies, the Abdus Salam
International Centre for Theoretical Physics - ICTP, TWAS - The
Academy of Sciences for the Developing World, University of
Trieste, University of Udine.