Vice-Rector for International Relations, professor Slávka Tomaščíková, PhD., Vice-Rector for Internationalization, associate professor Silvia Ručinská, PhD., and Dean of the UPJŠ Faculty of Arts, professor Renáta Panocová, PhD., received on Monday, 22 April 2024, the Ambassador of the Italian Republic to Slovakia, H.E. Catherine Flumiani, who was accompanied by the Director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Bratislava, Dr. Alessandra Sanniti.
The subject of the meeting was the introduction of Italian language classes at UPJŠ, the possibilities of cooperation of our university with the Italian Cultural Institute and the linking of the activities of the Italian-Slovak Chamber of Commerce with the research carried out in the Technology and Innovation Park of UPJŠ. “The initiatives that H.E. Catherine Flumiani regularly brings to our university are a very valuable contribution to the implementation of specific activities within the framework of international cooperation of UPJŠ and bring benefits to several of our departments,” said Vice-Rector Tomaščíková.
After the meeting, the Ambassador’s visit continued with a meeting with students at the Department of English and American Studies at the UPJŠ Faculty of Arts, with whom she had the opportunity to discuss various aspects of their studies. “We welcomed the introduction of Italian language classes not only at the Faculty of Arts, but also many other departments of the university have expressed their interest. The Ambassador discussed with the students the importance of language learning as a means of intercultural communication and a prerequisite for cultural tolerance,” said Dean Panocová.
H.E. Catherine Flumiani with the Secretary General of the Italian-Slovak Chamber of Commerce, Dott. Giorgio Dovigi, visited the Technology and Innovation Park of UPJŠ, where the visitors were accompanied by its director, Dr. Andrej Miroššay, PhD.
The Ambassador of the Italian Republic to Slovakia visited UPJŠ twice last year. On those occasions, she personally met with Italian students of the UPJŠ Faculty of Medicine and visited the Centre for Simulation and Virtual Medicine. During each visit she appreciated the modernization of teaching and the continuous improvement of the quality of studies provided at UPJŠ.
