Griffith University has forged an exciting new partnership with the Convitto Nazionale Paolo Diacono, Italy and the Department of Education and Training (DET), Queensland.
Professor Sarah Todd, Vice President (Global) welcomed the delegation, led by the Executive Principal of the Convitto, Patrizia Pavatti. Professor Todd said that this collaboration would offer an appealing unique cultural experience for Griffith students.
The Convitto is part of an Italian network of high schools, which has been promoting student mobility, and working with DET for decades. Witnessing the tri-partite MOU signing in Brisbane on Tuesday, Dr Raffaele Franzese the Coordinator of the Fri.Sa.Li World Network said ‘My colleague Oldino Cernoia and I have been working with Fri.Sa.Li for over 10 years. We first signed an agreement with DET in 2004 and tomorrow we will be renewing the agreement with DET for the fourth time. We are very happy, as the signing of this MoU will certainly complement the agreement we have with DET.’
The Convitto hosted Mirna Munoz, a third-year Griffith student, when she participated in an exchange with the University of Udine in Semester 1, this year. At the event, Mirna said ‘The exchange was a wonderful experience that I would recommend to any students interested in Italy and its culture.’
Catherine Tynan, Project Officer — International Services, DET said ‘The Department is extremely supportive of the new MoU signed with the Convitto, DET and Griffith. There’s great potential for cultural and linguistic immersion between our two countries.’
The Convitto Nazionale Paolo Diacono is a state owned, co-educational boarding and semi-boarding school incorporating both primary and secondary age students. The tri-partite agreement will give Griffith students the opportunity to receive accommodation and board, in return for providing assistance with teaching English in the school.