Sant'Anna School selected for Italy–Kenya international mobility programme to strengthen scientific cooperation
The Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna has been selected by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) to participate in a pilot international mobility programme aimed at strengthening scientific cooperation between Italy and Kenya. Thanks to the funding awarded, the School will host visiting researchers from Kenya at the BRIEF (Biorobotics Research and Innovation Engineering Facilities) research infrastructure, funded through Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The initiative will support collaborative research projects in biorobotics technologies for healthcare.
Coordinated and funded by MUR with a total budget of €500,000, the programme brings together 13 Italian universities and research institutions, supporting 19 projects and 48 three-month research mobility placements. Kenyan researchers will have the opportunity to carry out research activities at national research infrastructures established and enhanced through the PNRR. The initiative represents a concrete implementation of the scientific cooperation objectives set out in the Mattei Plan for Africa, as well as the bilateral agreements signed by Italy and Kenya in the fields of higher education, research and innovation.
"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Minister Bernini for promoting a programme that enhances Italy's research infrastructures while fostering strong and lasting scientific partnerships. Initiatives such as this reinforce the commitment of the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna to scientific cooperation with African countries and to supporting the continent's sustainable development. A clear example is AfricaConnect, the School's flagship initiative for coordinating and strengthening research, education and technology transfer activities developed in close collaboration with African partners" said Nicola Vitiello, Rector of the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna.
Scientific cooperation in biorobotics for healthcare
Researchers visiting the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna from Kenya will have access to the laboratories, experimental platforms and scientific expertise available through the BRIEF research infrastructure. They will collaborate on the development and validation of intelligent healthcare sensors, biorobotics technologies for assistance and rehabilitation, telemedicine devices, and artificial intelligence applications in biomedicine. Expected outcomes include joint scientific publications, potential patents, public engagement initiatives, and the development of new international research projects.
"Scientific collaboration with Kenya will advance the development of intelligent healthcare sensors, biorobotics technologies for assistance and rehabilitation, telemedicine devices, and artificial intelligence applications. Research infrastructures are a strategic asset for making cutting-edge expertise available to support Italy's international scientific agenda by promoting the mobility of highly qualified researchers in areas with significant scientific and societal impact" said Calogero Oddo, Professor of Bioengineering at the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna and Scientific Coordinator of the initiative.
