Arcadia Italy

Yesterday Roma Tre University celebrated the inauguration of the academic year 2017-18, an annual event which - in Italy - falls in February.

The event was immensely energising and the words of the new Rettore Prof. Luca Pietromarchi held tangible promise in all areas, including Internationalisation and the new engineering program, unique of its kind in Italy, specialising in Ocean Engineering, to open in Ostia as of Fall, 2018. We are all very excited to see what this next year will bring in terms of new opportunities for all students. He reminded those in attendance in the Aula Magna of the College of Letters, that Roma Tre develops along Rome's industrial landscape, taking buildings whose purpose was to produce goods efficiently and dynamically and turning them into learning communities, workshops and laboratories creating productive members of Rome's young workforce.

Addresses from Rome's Mayor (and Roma Tre Alumnus), Virginia Raggi, and from the Region of Lazio's President, Nicola Zingaretti, spoke positively about the Roma Tre University and its impact on the social-economic fabric of the Eternal City.

The event closed with a fascinating address by prof. Carlo Rovelli, world renowned theoretical physicist. Since hearing him entrance the attendees yesterday, I have discovered professor Rovelli's Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, and the following review: "The man who makes physics sexy... the new Hawking... His writing is luminous. By the time I had finished reading I was in serious awe of the author." - David Aaronovitch, The Times. With such an endorsement, who could resist? I know what my new book purchase will be!