Domani la cerimonia di inaugurazione nel Salone Vanvitelliano di Palazzo Loggia. Il meeting è in programma fino a venerdì 12 settembre
Brescia, 8 settembre 2025 – Prendendo ispirazione dal processo di riconciliazione tra Timor Est e Indonesia, esempio virtuoso di diplomazia regionale, la collaborazione accademica tra Europa e Sud Est Asiatico si candida oggi a diventare un motore di pace e di sviluppo sostenibile in un contesto geopolitico sempre più frammentato. È anche su questo tema che si concentra la riunione plenaria di ASEA UNINET – acronimo di Asean-European Academic University Network – la rete di Università europee e del sud-est asiatico che dal 1994 promuove la continua internazionalizzazione nell’alta formazione e nella ricerca.
Al meeting, in programma a Brescia da oggi, lunedì 8, fino a venerdì 12 settembre, sono attesi oltre centoventi delegati europei ed asiatici, chiamati a discutere sul tema della collaborazione scientifica, in particolare nei campi: Digital Humanism and Arts in Academia, Ocean Sciences and Climate Change, Renewable Energy, Global Health and Sustainable Food Production ed Ecological Economics/Bioeconomy.
The cerimonia di inaugurazione, aperta alla comunità accademica, si tiene domani, martedì 9 settembre, nel Salone Vanvitelliano di Palazzo della Loggia. Insieme a dirigenti, autorità e diplomatici della rete, intervengono per i saluti istituzionali la Sindaca Laura Castelletti, il Rettore Francesco Castelli e il Presidente di ASEA UNINET e Prorettore alle politiche di internazionalizzazione dell’Università degli Studi di Brescia, Roberto Ranzi.
Originariamente composta da esponenti di Austria, Indonesia, Thailandia e Vietnam, la rete ASEA UNINET include oggi oltre 90 università provenienti da 16 paesi, compresi Italia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambogia, Cechia, Germania e Filippine, insieme a una università associata dal Pakistan. Grazie al rapporto di collaborazione tra gli Atenei coinvolti, la Rete assegna borse di studio per lauree magistrali, dottorato e post-dottorato a studenti e ricercatori e organizza workshop internazionali, conferenze, summer/winter schools ed eventi di networking, questi ultimi spesso in stretta cooperazione con ambasciate e rappresentanti della politica e dell’economia. I progetti di ricerca ASEA-UNINET sono interdisciplinari e spaziano dalle Scienze Naturali, Tecnologie, Economia, Scienze Sociali e Umanistiche fino a Medicina e Farmacia. Oltre al focus scientifico dell’ASEA-UNINET, la rete è caratterizzata dai contatti individuali che si creano tra i suoi partecipanti. Non a caso si parla della “famiglia” ASEA-UNINET.
I paesi ASEAN ospitano l’8% della popolazione mondiale e generano il 7.2% del GDP mondiale e stanno assumendo un ruolo sempre più importante negli scambi culturali ed economici per l’Europa, l’Italia e anche per il territorio bresciano.
Alla conferenza stampa di questo pomeriggio in Rettorato sono intervenuti:
Prof. Francesco Castelli
Rector of the University of Brescia
Full Professor of Infectious Diseases at the Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences. After his University Degree in Medicine at the University of Pavia he obtained there the Specialty Diploma in Infectious Diseases and the Specialty Diploma in Tropical Medicine at the University of Milan. He is Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair “Training and Empowering Human Resources for health development in resource-limited countries” and member of the Technical Advisory Group on Health, Migration and Displacement. He heads the Division of Infectious Diseases at Spedali Civili di Brescia. He is the main Author of 450 publications on peer-reviewed journals in HIV infections, tropical, travel-related and imported infections, and global health.
Prof. Roberto Ranzi, PhD
Vice Rector for International Affairs at the University of Brescia, President of ASEA UNINET
Full Professor of Hydraulic Structures and of River basin monitoring and restoration at the University of Brescia, Italy where he is also Vice Rector for International Affairs. He obtained his PhD in Water Engineering at Politecnico di Milano. He was awarded the Certificate of Merit by the Viet Nam Ministry of Foreign Affairs, by the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2019. He Chairs the Technical Committee of Climate Change Adaptation in IAHR. He acts as President of the ASEA UNINET University network.
Prof. Gabriele Kotsis, PhD
Head of the Department of Telecooperation at JKU Linz, Austria’s National Coordinator for ASEA-UNINET
Full Professor of Computer Science at Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU), Austria, where she heads the Department of Telecooperation. She earned her PhD from the University of Vienna in 1995 with distinction. From 2007 to 2015, she served as Vice-Rector for Research at JKU Linz, where she was responsible for shaping and advancing the university’s research strategy. She served as President of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) from 2020 to 2022. Since 2016, Gabriele Kotsis has acted as Austria’s National Coordinator for ASEA-UNINET.
«It is a great honour for the ASEA-UNINET community to be invited to Brescia for our 20th Plenary Meeting.
This gathering represents the strength of our network—a vibrant partnership between European and
Southeast Asian universities, dedicated to advancing education, research, and academic exchange. As
Austria’s National Coordinator and as a long-standing advocate for international collaboration, I firmly believe
that the projects we foster through ASEA-UNINET not only enrich our institutions but also build bridges of
innovation and understanding across continents. Together, we can achieve greater impact—through joint
research initiatives, mobility programmes, and funding schemes that empower both faculty and students. I
look forward to our shared discussions and the opportunities that lie ahead in deepening our cooperative
efforts».
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohamad Farizal bin Rajemi
Universiti Utara Malaysia, Vice-President and Regional Coordinator for South-East Asia in ASEA UNINET
Dr Mohamad Farizal RAJEMI is an Associate Professor at the School of Management Technology and Logistics, Universiti Utara Malaysia. Dr. Rajemi earned his doctorate and master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Manchester. The topic of “sustainable and green manufacturing” is his principal area of research interest. From 2016 to 2019, he served as the Director of the UUM Centre for International Affairs & Cooperation the Dean for Student Affairs Presently, he holds the position of Vice President/Asia Regional Director for the ASEA UNINET.
«ASEA-UNINET was established in 1994 by universities from Austria and Southeast Asia Universities from Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. It has now expanded to include other ASEAN countries: Malaysia, the Philippines, Laos, and Myanmar. The support of ASEA-UNINET through various financing initiatives has aided ASEAN members in cultivating new talent in research. This assists ASEAN universities in advancing research and innovation. Joining ASEA-UNINET significantly benefits the universities.
The exemplary leadership of ASEA-UNINET president, Professor Roberto Ranzi from the University of Brescia, has fortified the research collaboration between the two continents. I, as the current Vice President of ASEA-UNINET, wish to commend Professor Roberto for his exemplary leadership. I am confident that the research collaboration would thrive and provide advantages to the member universities in ASEAUNINET».
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