Michele Bonino
Director & Scientific Coordinator
"With our Japan Hub in Kyoto, the first independent office of an Italian university in Japan, we aim to develop a base for Japanese and Italian researchers: a platform with academic research at its core, from which actions towards industry, market, society and culture".
Giuseppe Pezzotti
Director- Kyoto Office
"Travelling parallel courses toward modernity, Italy and Japan have developed very different identities. Italy features individual passion and creativity, while Japan promotes social unity and efficiency. However, these approaches could be extremely synergic in basic science and industrial development".
Edoardo Bruno
Research Manager
"Japan represents a new frontier of internationalization strategies for the Politecnico di Torino. The opportunity to experience "science diplomacy" would allow us to bring together two countries that share the need to face some critical contemporary challenges. A plan incorporating research, innovation, and international cooperation describes the ideas through which I want to conduct this new experience abroad".
Fabrizio Barpi
Board member
"My interest in Japan derives from its great diversity from the Western world. At the same time, themes like natural risks, in particular those related to earthquakes, get Japan closer to Italy allowing the development of strategic research programs".
Mauro Berta
Board member
"Among the many stimulations arising from the Japanese context in scientific and technological research about engineering and architecture, I find particularly interesting the capability to combine an intense boost to innovation with a continuous dialogue with tradition".
Andrea Bocco
Board member
"Traditional and contemporary construction techniques based on the use of natural materials; Revitalization of marginal areas through systemic actions based on local resources: these and many other areas of common interest represent comparative research developed between Italy and Japan".
Claudia Cassatella
Board member
"Thanks to joint research and teaching experiences, I have been able to see how Japan and Italy share themes and challenges (demographic contraction, environmental risks, and others) that can make collaboration in various fields particularly stimulating".
Giancarlo Cotella
Board member
"My acquaintance with Japan started in 2013, intrigued by the ways through which the institutions of the country rule the dynamics of territorial development. Over the years, my interest has found mutuality in the activities of my Japanese colleagues, promoting the rise of a fruitful collaboration in the field of rural and urban development policies".
Francesca De Filippi
Board member
"I have always had a strong interest towards Japanese culture and architecture. Today, being able to work together on issues and challenges of global relevance, such as the preservation of the traditional heritage and the mitigation of the risks linked to climate change, is a great opportunity to share views, approaches, knowledge and skills".
Stefano Di Carlo
Board member
"Establishing research collaborations with Japan would be a great opportunity to tap into a culture that values innovation and excellence and a country known for its leadership in technology and cultural heritage".
Alessandro Pasquale Fantilli
Board member
"The research and teaching activities developed with my Japanese colleagues for more than 20 years mainly concern the construction industry. In this sector, Italy and Japan, with a high level of hazard due to earthquakes, share the challenge of increasing the performance of materials by reducing the environmental impact of buildings".
Roberto Graglia
Board member
"Japan is at the forefront in various sectors of socioeconomic importance ranging from consumer electronics to ICT (Information and Communication Technologies). Developing these topics between Politecnico di Torino and Japan is strategically essential, which is why I am excited to collaborate on this project".
Alfio Grillo
Board member
"I believe that our collaboration with Japan allows us to blend together the traditions of our Countries in order to go towards a common future, in which our cultures and the delineation of new frontiers of research may be the bases for promoting science and technology at the service of the human being".
Luca Mastrogiacomo
Board member
"Japan and its culture have been a source of inspiration for me. Their history of dedication to quality and manufacturing excellence has always fascinated me and influenced my approach to work".
Gianmario Pellegrino
Board member
"My interest in collaborating with Japan stems from part experience with companies such as Mitsubishi Electric and Nidec and from the curiosity towards a culture having a rigorous and extremely original approach to research and innovation".
Giuseppe Quaglia
Board member
"By promoting collaborations between Italian and Japanese scientific societies and research groups on robotics, mechanics and mechanisms intertwined with issues such as health, community and sustainability, I have found Japanese partners of exceptional level and friendliness".
Marco Sangermano
Board member
"My research experience with Japanese colleagues allowed me to spend some times in their country and experience their academic world, understanding better their culture and building a more constructive and efficient collaboration".
Stefania Specchia
Board member
"Collaborating in the birth and development of the Japan Hub is an enthusiastic experience to strengthen ties with a country and a culture that looks to the future while keeping the traditions of the past alive, in all technical-scientific sectors. Order, respect and inner calm are the three keywords for a fruitful interaction".
Silvia Spriano
Board member
"I have had the opportunity to work with colleagues of Japanese Universities: it has been enriching to compare different ways to organize research, strategies to reach the outcome, teaching methods and approaches with the industry. Diversity has become complementarity and has provided new inspiration and perspectives".
Alberto Tiraferri
Board member
"Japan is at the forefront of developing some water management and purification technologies that can help tackle water scarcity in Italy. The experience with Japan has taught me that there is mutual admiration between the two countries that can support a strong partnership at all levels".
Jean Marc Christian Tulliani
Board member
"My interest in Japan derives from a 4-month research experience at the Kyoto Institute of Technology where I could appreciate the different approaches to research and also to life in general: on one side the Italian creativity and on the other side, the Japanese perfectionism".
Mauro Volpiano
Board member
"The rich and multifaceted cultural heritage of Japan and Italy, from the ancient to the contemporary age, from architecture to the city and landscape, is a fundamental asset for our future and can foster a fruitful comparison of methodologies and approaches to research and understanding between people".
Elisa Armando
Staff
"The Japan Hub project is an innovative example of internationalization of universities, full of challenges and stimuli, both organizational and cultural".
"To live in Japan, first of all, you have to radically change your gaze"
Akiko Moriwaki
Staff
"I am very attracted to this joint project between Kyoto, where I was born and brought up, and Italy, a country with beautiful landscapes and culture. I am grateful to be involved in such a big project and hope that the Japan Hub will contribute to a better relationship between Japan and Italy."
Marina Rabagliati
Staff
"Japan has long fascinated me, being such a distant and mysterious culture. And the more I get lost in the streets of Kyoto, the more I realize that it is an infinite fascination.I am delighted and honored to work on such an important project for the Politecnico. I really hope we can build a bridge and lasting ties for the future".
“We owe more to our illusions than to our knowledge” Lafcadio Hearn, Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan
Augusta Roux
Staff
"Innovation, tradition, respect, harmony are just some of the reasons why I love Japan, I’m sure the Japan HUB will allow you to discover others and to realize new synergies in areas of common interest".