An interview to Prof. Francesca Soramel, full professor at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Padua
by Enrico Belli.
“Last year I attended an international conference at the ICISE conference center” says Prof. Francesca Soramel, a full professor at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Padua University.
I met her in Padua, Italy. While sitting at a bar sipping a cup of coffee in Altinate street in downtown Padova, Quy Nhon seemed to me just a block away.
Could you please tell me about your experience in Vietnam?
After visiting Vietnam, I changed my mind about the country and that region. As a consequence, I am now searching for Vietnamese students who are willing to attend the master degree in Physics here in Padova.
Well, could you please start from the beginning?
Every year I usually attend a new conference about adjacent topics in my research field. Last year I chose a conference at the ICISE conference center with a very interesting program and, at the time, with only a few speakers. I planned my trip adding a small tour of Vietnam, organized by the ICISE conference center itself.
During my visit I went to Hoi An with its lanterns, Da Nang where traces of the USA presence are still visible, Hue, the old imperial town, the wonderful Halong Bay and lastly Hanoi, capital of Vietnam and both a busy and ancient city at the same time.
What about the city of Quy Nhon?
I enjoyed my stay very much. I appreciated the food, that is similar – in my opinion – to Mediterranean food, except for dairy products. This is an interesting issue for lactose-intolerant people: they do not need to avoid any type of food.
How was your stay at the ICISE conference center?
It was set up by prof. Jean Tran Thanh Van, and I could talk with him during the conference: the ICISE conference center is beautiful, surrounded by natural landscape, close to the beach. We were offered a fruit party, with dew picked coconuts, grapefruits, green oranges… so nice! The weather is pleasant, although a bit too hot in August, but the air conditioning at the conference center kept us cool. There is a footpath from the city to the ICISE conference center, so some people took the chance to take a 45 minute walk.
What is your opinion about the community of Vietnamese researchers?
As far as I know, we share the same mentality. This is why I am interested in cooperation. In fact I would like to invite Vietnamese students to Padova to attend the master’s degree in Physics, completely in English. The University of Padua offers fee waivers and there are reserved posts for foreign students . Scolarships are also available, provided by the Erasmus Mundus NuPhys in Nuclear Physics program, and, finally, there are some doctoral scholarships reserved for foreign students.
Are you wondering to organize a conference at the ICISE conference center?
Sure, I am planning it. And I am happy the ICISE conference center hired you, Mr. Enrico Belli, an Italian professional in international conferences, to develop their international relationships. This will really be helpful for conference organizers, especially those from Europe.