MEDIA STATEMENT
Monday, February 7, 2000
EIGHT UNIVERSITIES BENEFIT FROM PRIVATE FOUNDATION
Eleven prestigious Cassamarca Foundation Lectureships to promote Italian
language and culture have been awarded to universities across Australia.
In April last year, the Cassmarca Foundation, based in Treviso, Italy,
committed nearly three million Australian dollars to fund eleven
lectureships (Level B) for three years (2000-2002) to promote the study of
Italian language and culture. The University of Western Australia
administers the grants working with an Australian Project Committee,
chaired by Dr Loretta Baldassar.
The awards are the first since the Foundation's commitment made last year
to boost Italian Studies in Australian universities. Selection committee
chairman, Professor David Moss, said the lectureships had been awarded to
various departments of universities including joint arrangements across
fields of study.
Universities to benefit are: Flinders; Griffith; Melbourne jointly in the
Department of French and Italian Studies; Monash jointly in the Department
of History and Italian Studies, and another in the Department of Italian
Studies; South Australia; Sunshine Coast; Sydney in the Department of
History and in the Department of Italian; The University of Western
Australia jointly in the Departments of History and Anthropology and
another in the Department of Italian.
"The awards have been distributed by field of study with seven in language
and literature; one in language and cultural studies, one in Renaissance
literature and history, two in migration studies," Professor Moss said.
"In the Committee's view, the outcome accommodates as far as possible the
diversity of the eligible applications. We are very aware that the limited
number of lectureships to be awarded meant many worthy applications could
not be successful."
Professor Moss said the quality and number of applications made it clear
how much work is being done to sustain Italian Studies at a time when many
universities are seemingly indifferent to the area.
"Appreciation of the very great generosity of the Cassamarca Foundation in
offering the lectureships should be accompanied by the Committee's regret
that it could not make awards to all applicants deserving of support."
He said evaluation of the annual progress reports from successful
applicants was a condition of the continuation of funding for the second
and third years of the award.
Applications were received from departments based in 19 universities. The
distribution by state is: New South Wales (2), Queensland (2), South
Australia (2), Victoria (3), and Western Australia (2).
MEDIA REFERENCE:
Professor David Moss +61
Dr Loretta Baldassar +61 8 93803997
Colin Campbell-Fraser +61 8 93802889 or 0419947718
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Marinella Caruso
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