From textiles to tertiary education excellence
During Prato Campus Week, the city's three universities, including the Monash University Prato Centre, will open their doors to students from all over Italy.
Italy's traditional home of textile production, Prato, will next week celebrate its strong university presence, showcasing the city's three campuses and weaving connections between students with a series of activities.
During Prato Campus Week, the Monash University Prato Centre (MUPC) and the Prato campuses of the University of New Haven and the University of Florence will open their doors to students from around the country.
Students from all three universities will take part in activities including a fun run within the old city walls, band contests, various sporting competitions including volleyball and Wii, workshops, cultural exchange activities and more.
On the final Friday, the three universities will hold a joint Open Day, where members of the public will be able to participate in a variety of events hosted by each campus.
MUPC will feature digital installations from Monash faculties, provide free English language testing and offer advice to those interested in studying in Australia. The day will end with an Aussie-flavoured barbeque.
Director of MUPC, Dr Cecilia Hewlett, said Prato Campus Week would highlight the growing higher education presence in the city.
"Prato is now on its way to being considered a university town in the European sense. Once supported almost exclusively by textile production, the town now boasts the presence of three universities from three different continents," Dr Hewlett said.
"This year is the first time that the three universities with a presence in Prato have held their open days simultaneously, providing a drawcard for students from all over Italy. As Australia's major university presence in Europe, MUPC is bringing a unique dimension to the showcase."
The theme of Prato Campus Week is 'weaving connections', reflecting both the city's textile production and the many organisations that worked together to make the events possible. The Australian Embassy in Rome has given its patronage to the week of activities.
Prato Campus Week runs from 4-11 May 2013. Monash University Prato Centre’s Open Day will be held on 10 May 2013. For further information see www.monash.it/openday