Dear EUROAVIAns, we are convinced that those of you reading this understand the importance of EUROAVIA, are well-informed about everything related to this association, and recognise its significance. But what about our professors? Is there an equivalent association for them?
Here in Italy, the answer is YES. Our professors can join the Italian Association of Aeronautics and Astronautics (A.I.D.A.A.). But first, let’s provide a brief yet essential introduction to this organisation.
The roots of A.I.D.A.A. can be traced back to the 1920s. After the war, life in Italy was harsh, and despite significant developments in the aviation sector during the war, it was in jeopardy.
In 1920, to safeguard what had been achieved, the most eminent Italian experts, technicians, and scientists founded A.I.D.A. (Italian Aerotechnics Association). Multiple A.I.D.A. sections were immediately established throughout the country, and the association created its own scientific journal: L’aerotecnica, one of the oldest scientific aerospace journals in the world. Over the decades, A.I.D.A. became more influent managing to remain active during and after the Second World War. As the space race loomed in the 1960s, with everyone excited about this new frontier, A.I.D.A. didn’t merely stand by: it decided to add a new ‘A’ (standing for astronautics) to its name, becoming the present-day A.I.D.A.A., after merging with A.I.R., another similar organization more focused on space exploration. Bringing it back to the present day, A.I.D.A.A. is still alive and kicking, more focused than ever on organizing conferences, workshops, roundtables, competitions, and research. Doesn’t it sound familiar? We share similar goals but target different audiences, making it natural for us to work together to broaden our common horizons.
In fact, ‘ENDLESS HORIZONS’ was the name of the event hosted by AS Pisa this month in collaboration with A.I.D.A.A. This joint effort was made possible since a significant portion of the Tuscany section of A.I.D.A.A. is located at our University, and the representative of the section itself, Eng. Roberta Lazzeri, is a professor at the University of Pisa.
The aim of the event was to introduce the two associations to the students and, most importantly, to establish the foundation for a collaborative relationship between our AS and their local section. And what better place than the main auditorium of our university? It was indeed a very large event that lasted the entire day.
During the morning session, we first introduced the two organisations to our audience and showcased how much they can offer to both students and professors. A.I.D.A.A. presented itself through the talks by Eng. Roberta Lazzeri. Soon after, we had the privilege to host three individuals who share a common background: they all were ex-presidents of EUROAVIA Pisa. Filippo Paganini (president from 2007 to 2011), now working in the aerospace sector at Rolls-Royce Deutschland; Lisa Ribechini (2017-2018), now employed in the aerospace sector at Leonardo S.p.a. and Heidi Garcia (2019-2021), who currently is the network manager for Close Up Engineering. All of them offered valuable insights into how their experiences in EUROAVIA improved their soft skills and made them more appealing in the job market. Additionally, we offered a historical perspective on EUROAVIA, thanks to an exclusive interview with one of the cofounders of the organisation, Giuseppe Pizzi. (If you’re curious about the full interview, it will be available in the EUROAVIA History Book).
The afternoon session was focused primarily to the job opportunities that the two associations can offer their members through their network of contacts. A.I.D.A.A. presented “Toscana Spazio,” a conglomerate of companies, managers, and researchers working in the aerospace sector here in Tuscany. The speaker for this presentation was Prof. Eng. Salvo Marcuccio, who is also the president of the association and a professor at our university.
Next, it was the turn of “ALTEN,” a well-known multinational corporation specialised in engineering consulting. This presentation was conducted by one of their employees, who graduated from the University of Pisa: Eng. Gabriele Caruso. Last but not least, there was the presentation of “Sky Eye Systems”, a company specialized in UAVs for military and civil applications, hosted by Eng. Giovanni Maria Porcu. For the final speech, we offered something different: we recounted the experience of becoming an Analog Astronaut. This was made possible thanks to the participation of Liliana Balotti, a graduate in Natural Sciences, who was selected by ESA to become part of their analog astronaut program and shared her unique experience with us.
At the end of the day, this event marks the beginning of many more to come and was possible only through the collaborative efforts of A.I.D.A.A. and EUROAVIA. We extend our gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of this event, and we hope that it will serve as inspiration for other AS to organize similar initiatives with their professors.
AS Pisa