First lesson in Olbia of Naval Engineering students from all over Italy
Today, September 30, the first historic graduate class in Naval Engineering in Olbia, offered by theUniversity of Cagliari with the support of the UniOlbia Consortium. The event took place in the Sep area of Via dei Lidi, a training hub located by the sea, in the heart of the nautical construction of Cipnes Gallura.
The Sep area was recently set up with modern classrooms from UniOlbia, where all lessons in the course will be held. In addition, a university library of the University of Cagliari, which will offer students a place of study and research within the same complex.
The first lesson was given by Professor Luciano Colombo, Professor of Theoretical Physics of Subject Matter and Research Proctor of the University of Cagliari, since 9:00 a.m. Several academic and institutional authorities were also present at the opening ceremony: Antonio Baldi, Director of the Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering; Gianluca D'Agostino, Director of the North Sardinia Maritime Directorate; Settimo Nizzi, Mayor of Olbia; and Aldo Carta, Chairman of the UniOlbia Consortium. In connection with Cagliari, the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture took part. Daniele Cocco, and three student representatives.
This Bachelor of Science in Naval Engineering, the fourth in Italy, was designed to respond to requests from marine companies, which highlighted the need to train new technical skills to support the growth of the industry. The institutional understanding between University of Cagliari, Municipality of Olbia, Region of Sardinia and UniOlbia Consortium has enabled a concrete answer to this question, through a targeted training path.
The project was supported with determination by the University of Cagliari, with the Rector Francesco Mola and General Manager Aldo Urru, which has worked with local institutions to ensure the territory is trained at a high level, designed to prepare the professionals needed by the Gallura Marine District.
Many of the students found accommodation at the Geovillage, where the Cipnes Gallura made available the accommodations, also integrated with the seats of the Ersu. This housing solution has been critical to enabling offsite students to have a logistical and academic landmark near the classroom location.
The Municipality of Olbia, with the mayor Settimo Nizzi, has played a role in promoting and sustaining the degree course, recognizing its strategic importance to the territory. In addition, the project was funded by Region of Sardinia, through the Vice President-led Planning Council Giuseppe Meloni, with a contribution of 1 million euro, confirming the Region’s commitment to education and widespread academic development.
The course has already seen the registration of a thirty students, with additional registrations being finalized in the coming days. The course is particularly attractive to young people in Gallura: 7 students come from Olbia, with other members from neighboring municipalities such as Arzachena (3 students, one from the Emerald Coast), Tempio and Padru. Enrollees also include students from different areas of Sardinia, such as Cagliari, Sassari, Nuoro, Oristano, Urzulei, Sanluri, Ploaghe, Suni, Siniscola, Bosa and even from the island of Sant’Antioco.
But the real surprise is the appeal that the course has exercised on a national scale, with two members coming from a distance: one from Formia (Lazio) and one from Briosco (Lombardy). This finding highlights how Olbia and its nautical district are also becoming a hub of interest for students who choose to move from other Italian regions to study naval engineering.
Another positive is the presence of 7 young girls student, an encouraging number that highlights women’s growing interest in STEM disciplines. In their speeches, all speakers highlighted the importance of study, degree, and in particular technical subjects such as naval engineering, relevant to a territory such as Olbia and Gallura, which represents a hub of excellence for the Blue Economy and the nautical construction.
With numerous boat manufacturers and the Emerald Coast – that every summer welcomes 3.000 of 6.000 superyachts worldwide – the creation of this graduate course directly meets the needs of an expanding industry in Sardinia, ensuring concrete employment opportunities for young people. Support from local and regional institutions has been crucial to launching a popular university, capable of bringing high education directly to territories.
On October 18 and 19 in Olbia, there will be an event to present the graduate course in Naval Engineering (details of which will be provided later).
