Universitą degli studi di Pavia
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In 1996, an initiative was launched, in agreement with the City of Pavia and with the financial support of the residents of Pavia, to award five scholarships to Bosnian students to pursue their undergraduate studies at the University of Pavia. Another Bosnian student who completed his PhD at the University of Pavia is now Professor of Italian Language and Literature at the University of Sarajevo. In 2001, three thousand volumes of Italian literature were donated to the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Sarajevo.
In 2002, in the name of her Majesty Queen Rania al-Abdullah of Jordan, five scholarships were awarded to students from the Middle East (Jordan, Palestina and Lebanon) to cover a full-course of undergraduate study at the University of Pavia.
In the same year, the academic authorities and student representatives of the university agreed upon a small increase in university fees, which would be used to create the Solidarity Fund to support students from emerging countries. It was unanimously decided that the first scholarships would be offered to Middle Eastern students.
In 2001, the Department of Animal Biology launched the project "Conservation of biodiversity and community development in the Lake Turkana area" in Kenya, with the support of Italian Cooperation and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) and in collaboration with the National Museums of Kenya and the Kenya Wildlife Service. The project aimed to promote environmental conservation while preserving cultural values and supporting socio-economic development by building local capacity using a participatory approach.
The Chemistry of Natural Products Laboratory (Department of Organic Chemistry) and the Centre for Ethno-biopharmacy, headed by Professors Vita Finzi and Vidari, have been collaborating for over twenty years with Ecuadorian universities (ESPOCH, Universidad Central de Quito, UTPL-Loja, UPS-Quito). The second-level two-year International Master Programme "Science and Technology for Sustainable Use of Non-Traditional Biological Resources" was established in January 2005 with the support of MIUR and the Italian NGO VIS. Ten postgraduate students from Ecuadorian universities completed the Master, which entailed one year of study in Italy and one in Ecuador in addition to thesis preparation under the supervision of professors from Pavia. The Master Programme aimed to prepare experts in the field of Ethno-medical remedies usage and natural resource usage in Ecuador, taking into consideration scientific as well as commerical aspects. The initiative led to promising results: new research activities were undertaken at UPS-Quito and UTPL-Loja and the majority of the Master students went on to become professors and researchers. Moreover, a small plant was established at Macas, where local Amazonian herbs are used to produce several cosmetic and phytotherapeutic products, with the participation of indigenous communities in the production process.
University of Pavia/University of Baghdad
In 1999, a cooperation agreement was signed between the University of Pavia and the University of Baghdad for an initiative that aimed to contribute to overcoming the scientific and didactic gap in Iraq that exists as a result of the embargo as well as to work toward ending the cultural isolation of Iraqi professors. The project's vision for the future is to reconstruct the Iraqi academic world. Toward this end, MIUR has funded a series of exchanges, including bringing 9 Iraqi professors toItaly and sending 11 Italian professors and 2 logisticians to Iraq. The main fields of collaboration are General Oncology and Pediatrics, Italianistics and Archaeology.
UNESCO Fellowships
In 2006, the University of Pavia participated in the UNESCO Fellowship Programme for Iraqi scholars. Ten Iraqi professors carried out collaborative research activities at the University of Pavia over a period of 3 months. The main objective of the programme was to enable Iraqi professors to improve their competencies, research skills and teaching methodologies, and thereby the standards in their respective disciplines, and ultimately contribute to the improvement of higher education in Iraq.
Mesopotamia Today– Iraqi Archaeological Patrimony
The recent wars in Iraq have led to the destruction of numerous archaeological sites as well as the National Museum of Baghdad. In response, professors and young researchers from the Department of Antiquities (Classical and Near Eastern Studies) have created an internet site "Mesopotamia Today" (www.unipv.it/orientpv) to collect information, testimonies, documentation and photographs related to the current state of the Iraqi archaeological patrimony. The site is updated regularly and offers a realistic picture of an invaluable archaeological, historical and cultural patrimony that cannot afford to be lost.