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Project managers and administrators, PR & communication specialists, technology transfer experts. Pupils in PaGES 5 learnt about these and more possible professions in a research infrastructure.

Location
Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy February 18, 2020

Throughout the first month of 2020, pupils taking part in the PaGES 5 project met in their classrooms, with visiting professionals from CERIC-ERIC and its Italian representing entity, Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, to learn about the goals and plan of the project, and get inspired for their future education and professional choices, by gaining new knowledge in the following fields:

Technology Transfer

Why do we need fundamental research? How is innovation created? How do research infrastructures impact on technological advancement and commercialization? Technology Transfer experts, Marco Peloi and Mojca Franceskin, and Fabio Mazzolini – engineer and International Relations specialist at Elettra, introduced the concept of research infrastructures and their role for society, by showcasing the strong link between fundamental research and the industrial world. They gave examples of technologies and innovations of daily use, and stemming from discoveries in the scientific environment, which have later been “transferred” to the industry for their development into the advanced technological applications which save our lives, keep us digitally connected, produce sustainable energy, and much more.

Mojca Franceskin speaks about technology transfer to the classroom at Liceo Scientifico Buonarroti in Monfalcone, Italy

Pupils had the chance to learn about the professional figure of knowledge & technology transfer managers and their role in enhancing an efficient interaction between research and the industry, for the benefit of the society at large.

Project Management

A project is given by a series of co-related and interdependent activities, which aim to reach a precise objective, within a set limit of time, with a predefined budget of resources, and with the characteristic of uniqueness. Starting from such basic concepts, pupils got to know the elements of project planning and management, the constraints to be taken into account in the planning and execution phases, the various steps to be followed and tools which may be used for a proper management and implementation of the project, the stages and principles that characterize every enterprise, the different types of project stakeholders and their needs, up to a basic introduction to business planning.

Andrea Santelli speaks about project management at Liceo Scientifico Copernico in Udine, Italy

CERIC Chief Administrative Officer, Andrea Santelli, and CERIC Project Officer, Marina Coricciati, presented these topics, and involved the classrooms also with the use interactive online tools.

Corporate and Project’s Communications

What is communications and why do we need to learn about it? How to communicate efficiently…an idea, a project, a research infrastructure, or a company, and its goals, results and activities? Who is our audience, and what our key messages and resources? These and more issues found a fruitful space for discussion in the classroom, where pupils were introduced to communication as a professional activity (that they could consider for their career), as a project itself (thus with similar starting questions and rules) and as a corporate tool (to increase the visibility of an institution or corporation).

Nicoletta Carboni speaks about corporate and project’s communications at the Liceo Scientifico Magrini in Gemona del Friuli, Italy

Nicoletta Carboni, Senior Communications Officer at CERIC, introduced these topics and provided the students with a toolkit of key concepts and elements to be taken into account when communicating to difference audiences, and with a focus on the wider public, in view of the final public presentation they will hold in their own schools. An introduction to press relations and press release writing completed the session.