JEDDAH: The Consulate General of Italy in Jeddah on Monday hosted the first edition of Italian Research Day.

The focus of the event was “Future environmental and biological scenarios between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.” 

This topic was specifically chosen to indicate the strong link between Saudi Arabia and Italy, which is the Suez Canal that connects both the countries through the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. 

Italy’s Consul General Elisabetta Martini introduced the program. A number of Saudi and Italian experts also attended the conference.

Explaining the reason for holding the event, Martini said Italy’s education minister “wanted to celebrate Italian research abroad. Italy is very well known for the 3 Fs: Ferrari, fashion and food; but not everybody knows what’s behind these 3 Fs.” 

She mentioned that all three came from a great educational background whether it was engineering, agriculture, arts, etc. 

“Italy ranks 8th in terms of scientific publications in the world, and this is something that not everyone knows,” she added. 

The speakers discussed the possible impact of climate change and global warming on the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

“It is a way to celebrate the beauty of the environment, of our two seas, but also to warn against the threat of global warming,” the Italian diplomat said.

This event will be a global event celebrated every year in all Italian consulates and embassies, along with many other events such as Italian Food Week, Italian Design Day and Italian Language Week. 

The Italian Research Day will be held every year on April 14 to mark the birth anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci.

Martini said Italy wants to promote its best educational programs and institutions in the Kingdom.

“A lot of people think there are no classes in English in Italy but through their website Study In Italy, you can find all the courses that are conducted in English,” she said.