Russian and Italian think tank incubated at UCT

A strategic alliance is developing between the University of Cape Town, the Faculty of Economics at the University of Milano-Bicocca in Italy and the Lomonosov Moscow State University in Russia which hopes to find some answers to the current global economic crisis.

Dean of Commerce Professor Melvin Ayogu said: “We actively seek international linkages with top universities globally as we believe that a diversity of perspectives enables us to find solutions to some of the world’s most challenging problems.”

Dr Thomas Gstraunthaler, an Associate Professor in the Department of Accounting, welcomed the visiting academics and said: “The University of Cape Town has an established cosmopolitan culture from our links with numerous universities abroad and we have already seen the benefits of enriching our students’ experiences through world-class research and teaching. We therefore welcome the opportunity to build on this solid platform and believe that a think tank is an innovative response to the current global economic situation.”

At UCT this week were academics from the University of Milano-Bicocca – the Dean of the Faculty of Economics Professor Massimo Saita, Professor Paola Saracino and Johannes Guigard, CA. Their Faculty of Economics, which was founded 10 years ago, has 7 000 students (out of a total enrolment on campus of 40 000).

“Milan bridges the divide between Cape Town and Moscow. Our three great universities will be able to put together a think tank and have something to say to the world about the current economic crisis,” predicted Professor Saita.

He said the trip to South Africa had multiple goals: to create a platform for joint research and to establish a variety of student exchange programmes. He also envisaged a winter school (for Italian students to come to Cape Town in the summer of the Southern Hemisphere) and assist Italian students to learn English.
Professor Saita said his university had to a certain extent managed to avoid the global meltdown as it was strongly resourced and should have research grants to enable joint research projects to be initiated.

The benefits to South African students going on exchanges to Italy were many, he said, hinting at the pleasures of a great city like Milan.

Front row: Professor Thomas Gstraunthaler (Accounting, UCT), Professor Paola Saracino (Faculty of Economics, State University of Milano-Bicocca), Professor. Jennifer Roeleveld (Accounting, UCT), Professor Tessa Minter (Accounting, UCT), Maria Ulianova (Head of the Project Department, Lomonosov Moscow State University), Professor Olga Solovyeva (Accounting, Analysis and Audit Department, Lomonosov Moscow State University). Back row: Professor Vladimir Echenique, (Vice- Dean of the Faculty of Economics at Lomonosov Moscow State University), Professor Michael Wormald (Head of Department of Accounting, UCT), Professor Vasily Kolesov, (Dean of the Faculty of Economics at Lomonosov Moscow State University), Professor Massimo Saita, (Dean of Faculty of Economics at State University of Milano-Bicocca) and Johannes Guigard, CA, ACCA, Milano, Italy.

Posted 13/03/2009 by Carolyn McGibbon