Italiano

History and aims

The Monash University Prato Centre was officially opened on September 17, 2001 at Palazzo Vaj in the heart of Prato's Centro Storico (historical centre). Monash secured this location with support from the Region of Tuscany and the local government of Prato.

The Centre's establishment was assisted by the generosity of Rino and Diana Grollo, for whom the Centre's major conference and performance room is named.

Professor Bill Kent, a world authority on the Italian Renaissance, was the Centre's Founding Director (2000-2004). He retains involvement in the Centre in an advisory capacity.

Dr. Annamaria Pagliaro, former Convenor of Italian Studies at Monash, was the Centre's Director from 2005 to 2008. A specialist in 19th and early 20th Century Italian literature, she has had a long association with the Centre and was involved in its establishment.

Professor Loretta Baldassar has been appointed as professor and Director of the Monash Prato Centre

The Centre's activities are guided by the university's Prato Advisory Group, which is chaired by Professor Stephanie Fahey, Monash University's Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International). The Honourable Sir James Gobbo, AC is patron of the Monash University Prato Centre.

Aims

The Prato Centre seeks to:

• develop and expand Australia's connections with universities, governments, cultural organisations and industry in Europe;
• develop and expand the opportunities for Monash and other Australian students to study overseas;
• function as an interface between Europe and Asia for academics and political and business leaders from both regions;
• offer a window on Australia through seminars on Australian political, historical and cultural issues, encourage the dissemination of information on Australian technological, manufacturing, industrial and design capabilities, and to showcase Australian visual and performing arts.

Why Prato and Europe?

Monash has made a strategic choice to achieve excellence in research and education through a cross-disciplinary, multi-campus, multi-nation approach.

With national boundaries becoming less important, the University believes that our graduates need to understand different cultures, economies and working practices, and that the work of our researchers is advanced through collaborations with their counterparts around the world.

While internationalising its curriculum at home, the University is also actively seeking to accelerate its engagement with the world - harnessing resources and expertise from several continents.

Developing understanding of Europe, and close connections with its institutions, is an important part of this approach. Through its presence in Europe, Monash is able to ensure these connections translate into initiatives that benefit our students, researchers and our host countries.

Prato is close to several of Europe’s most significant cities and esteemed institutions – thirty minutes from Florence and the European University Institute in Fiesole, one hour from Bologna – home to Europe’s oldest university, two hours from Rome, and three hours from Milan.

In advancing the links Monash has in Europe, the Prato Centre works in cooperation with the Monash European and EU Centre, which was established in 2006 at Monash in Australia with the support of the European Commission.