The Rector of the University of Pisa, Riccardo Zucchi, met the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on 29 May in Samarkand during her official visit to Uzbekistan. The occasion was the signing of two cooperation agreements with academic and government institutions in Uzbekistan, which strengthen the international scientific collaboration of the University of Pisa in the country.
The first agreement was signed with the Ministry of Mining Industry and Geology of the Republic of Uzbekistan and is part of the collaboration initiated in 2022 with the opening of a teaching facility of the University of Pisa in Tashkent. This is the first, and to date still the only, Italian university branch abroad officially accredited by ANVUR. The memorandum provides for the development of new training programs, including a first-level postgraduate degree course focused on the management of rare earth elements and other critical raw materials, and a preparatory course for students interested in a future degree in economics and management.
The second agreement, signed with the Samarkand State Medical University (SSMU), sets the stage for a joint medical training programme, aimed at improving the current procedure for the recognition of the degree in Medicine and Surgery obtained outside Europe. The agreement provides that a selected number of SSMU students may access an integrated programme that includes educational activities conducted by University of Pisa professors on topics that are particularly relevant in our training from a scientific and healthcare perspective, as well as a study and clinical internship period in Pisa, necessary to obtain a degree in Medicine and Surgery recognised in Italy and the European Union.
“These signatures represent a concrete step in strengthening the presence of the University of Pisa in Central Asia,” said Rector Zucchi. “These are ambitious projects that are part of our strategy aimed at enhancing international relations and training highly qualified professionals, developing academic cooperation based on quality, mobility, and knowledge sharing.”
