The Commissioner General for Italy at
Expo 2025 Osaka, Ambassador Mario Vattani, took part in a visit
to the Kansai Medical University (KMU) on September 6 as part of
a Conference of Italian University Rectors (CRUI) mission to
Japan.
Promoting international exchanges in the academic and university
sphere is one of the aims of the CRUI mission to Japan and it is
the subject of an agreement signed in February by the
Commissioner General for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka, the Higher
Education and Research Ministry (MUR), the CRUI, art, music and
dance body AFAM and CoPer to promote, coordinate and make the
most of the Italian university system's participation at Expo
2025 Osaka.
The Italian delegation explored the KMU's efficient, modern
hospital, which is famed for its technologically advanced
rehabilitation practices, its cancer treatments and its
palliative therapies, with the aim of linking Italian
universities to one of Japan's most advanced medical
institutions.
"Italy and Japan share common challenges related to aging of the
population," commented the Commissioner General for Italy at
Expo 2025 Osaka, Ambassador Mario Vattani.
"That's why the visit to Kansai Medical University was a great
opportunity to foster new synergies between Italian and Japanese
excellence in the field of medicine and research and promote the
strength of our scientific diplomacy around the world.
"The person will be the center of our narrative at the Italy
Pavilion: we will present innovative projects in all the
scientific and research fields with the aim of proposing
concrete activities to improve the quality of life of all of
us".
CRUI President Giovanna Iannantuoni took part in the mission
with four fellow deans.
"The Italian university system has been intensifying its
international-relations contacts for years, and Japan is a
country that is crucial from this point of view," Iannantuoni
said.
"Specifically, we have agreed with the KMU the organization both
of an exchange program involving students of all levels and
young researchers, and of joint research projects on key topics
for both countries.
"But above all, there is the possibility to involve highly
qualified Japanese researchers in the near future in the Italian
innovation hub, i.e. the 34 initiatives recently launched as
part of the Italian post-Covid resilience plan".
An entire section of the Italy Pavilion will be dedicated to the
person and it will host events devoted to the presentation of
innovative solutions in the domotic, bio-science and scientific
research fields.
The presence of the Commissioner General for Italy at Expo 2025
Osaka, Mario Vattani, showed it is possible to move forward with
potential interactions between Italian and Japanese institutions
and research centres in view of the presentation of cutting-edge
projects for the improvement of the quality of life in advanced
societies that will be presented at the Italy Pavilion.
"It was a great pleasure and an honor for us to receive the
visit of the Commissioner General for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka,
Ambassador Mario Vattani, as he accompanied the CRUI delegates,"
said Kansai Medical University President Professor Tatsuo
Kinashi.
"This visit is certainly a key event for the KMU and it lays the
foundations for future collaborations and for the achievement of
common objectives in the field of cutting-edge research on the
path towards Expo 2025 Osaka".
Professor Giuseppe Pezzotti, director of Kansai Medical
University's Biomedical Research Centre, added: "today's visit
by the CRUI and Ambassador Vattani to the KMU focused on one of
the most important issues of our time: improving the quality of
life of our increasingly aging societies.
"Today's meeting opened a new path in the development of
advanced research projects and it represents a key event in
relations between Italy and Japan".
Professor Tiziana Lippiello, the rector of Venice's Ca' Foscari
University and the CRUI's international relations delegate, and
Professor Tatsuo Kinashi signed a memorandum of understanding
for research cooperation between the two universities on the
sidelines of the meeting, taking an important step towards
closer collaboration between the two institutions.
During the visit to the Kansai Medical University, Commissioner
Vattani was accompanied by Italy's Consul to Japan Marco
Prencipe and a seven-strong CRUI delegation, including CRUI
President Giovanna Iannantuoni (rector of Milano Bicocca
University), Vice President with Research Portfolio Francesco
Priolo (University of Catania Rector), and the Delegate for
International Relations Tiziana Lippiello (Rector of Venice's
Ca' Foscari University).
Expo 2025 will take place in Osaka from April 13 to October 13
2025 under the theme 'Designing Future Society for Our Lives'.
Italy's pavilion was designed by the architect Mario Cucinella
and has the slogan 'Art Regenerates Life'.
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