Sicily and Liguria Study Tour

Comment

Comment by Francesca Borruso on November 3, 2011 at 2:39am

Hello everyone!!

It's been an amazing experience to be a small part of this tour too! 

Comment by Colin Miller on October 30, 2011 at 11:59pm

I wasn't sure what to think before the trip, but my initial thoughts were that I would learn lots about technology. I wasn't disappointed! However, I also learned a lot about Italian culture and the many companies starting in Italy or already dominating the world market.

My favorite stop on the tour was probably the IIT (although I'm not sure it's possible to have a favorite since everything was so interesting!), where we got to see iCub robot. As a budding computer scientist myself, it was awesome to see all the different facets of technology come together to produce something so amazing! In particular, I was very impressed by its ability to hone in on an object and grab it; simply recognizing a grabbable object must have taken many, many hours of work; teaching it to use its hands and "eyes" would have been a major chore.

The Festival of Sciences near the end of the tour was inspiring. I've never attended a real science conference, so listening to the lectures by such impressive figures was awe-inspiring. Also, the lecture-building was incredible; it's so nice that Italy still has such fine architecture from its long and proud history!

It's a bit late now, so I'll post another entry later,

Comment by paolo marenco on October 30, 2011 at 5:41am

here is our ship! SicilyLiguriaStudyTour2011_web.JPG

Comment by Francesca Spataro (Ethyca) on October 23, 2011 at 4:11am

pardon, www.ethyca.net

Comment by paolo marenco on October 22, 2011 at 12:56am

Yesterday we concluded the working week, now 2 more days with Festival della Scienza events for the NIAF-MAE "Sicily Liguria Study Tour 2011". As  the Coordinator  of the Silicon Valley Study Tour for Italian Grads since 2005, I want to make a consideration. The experience that one young American Italian Student has with a  Study Week in Italy  has nothing to envy to the same made by an Italian group of Italian Students in  the Silicon Valley. I think that this statement can be seen disruptive ...or a fake, but is totally true.

Jumping from Palermo to Catania and Genova (but absolutely the same you can appreciate if you jump from the other tens of Italian Cities)....knowing www.ismett.edu (Palermo),www.st.com  www.youthubcatania.it   and www.a-tono.com (Catania)  www.ansaldosts.com  www.selexelsag.com and  www.iit.it  - great final with last generation robotics- in Genova...together  with great Culture Heritage ( Palazzo dei Normanni of Palermo, Palazzo Ducale  of Genova...) and great food, you have a "total experience" of the completeness of our country, really unique in the World.

I think that a young Italian origin student has to be proud of his origin after such an experience.

Comment by paolo marenco on October 19, 2011 at 11:20pm

I  was also surprised by the tech excellence we founded in Palermo and Catania!

Comment by Ryan Webb on October 19, 2011 at 3:35pm

Seeing the start ups and laboratories in Sicily is so thrilling. Visitng Atono and seeing the progress and mentality they had made me feel invigorated as if I was in the same amount of work.  Also to see the amount of effort to instil an entraputal spirit in Sicilians in Palermo is amazing to see since in the USA we are taught businesses skills in Middle School. The HUB and Youth Hub are two more examples of how Italians are pushing other Italians so become their own boss, to create solutions, and gain a new state of mind. I think these programs are very useful to everyone in all stages of development and will be looking into the HUB in the USA

Comment by paolo marenco on October 17, 2011 at 9:08am

Just arrived in Palermo from New York , Laura, Colin , Ryan and Michael are ready to discover the tech excellence in the Country of their ancestors!Progetto%20MAE%20NIAF_ok.pdf