Starting from 2022, the Polytechnic University of Turin and the ISSNAF (Italian Scientists and Scholars in North America Foundation) have initiated a collaboration to promote mobility opportunities in North America for doctoral students.
ISSNAF is a non-profit organization whose mission is to connect, empower, and celebrate the Italian intellectual diaspora in North America, maintaining a shared identity around a common culture. Founded in 2007 by 36 members, including four Nobel laureates, ISSNAF today has a significant presence in the United States and Canada, with thousands of scholars and researchers active in various fields of research and technological development at major research institutions. The organization facilitates connections between young Italian researchers and its network of scholars in North America by organizing events to promote networking and foster academic, scientific, and technological cooperation between the two countries.
Among the activities promoted within this agreement, the most relevant is the mentoring program, which allows doctoral students the opportunity to spend a year-long research period at some of the most renowned universities in North America. This program enables joint supervision by the supervisor from the Polytechnic University and Italian professors who are ISSNAF members conducting their research at prestigious universities and research centers in the United States, such as Stanford, Caltech, Berkeley, Princeton, Duke, Purdue, and Cornell.
The spring call for the “Mentoring for Students” program opened on April 1st. The program offers a mentoring program lasting at least six months, with mentors selected based on their experience and cultural background. Mentors support mentees in their personal and professional growth, providing guidance, practical advice, and motivation.