Monash Memo - articles - 05 December 2001

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European academics come together at Prato

Italian,French and British academics gathered at the Monash Centre in Pratorecently for a conference on gender issues.

'Leggere le differenze',or 'Reading the differences', was presided over by Franca Bimbi,professor of sociology at the University of Padua and the local memberfor Prato in the Italian parliament.

Organised in collaboration withthe universities of Florence, Padua and Milan and the ItalianAssociation of Sociology, the conference included a discussion on thescholarly construction of the criteria for understanding genderdifferences.

The Monash centre teamed up with the Commune and Provinceof Prato to sponsor the conference.

In welcoming the centre'sinitiative, Ms Andrea Lulli, also a local parliamentarian, spoke ofMonash as "an instrument to aid us in the understanding and shaping ofour present reality".

Her comments were a reference to how Monashcould assist Italy in confronting the contemporary world through sharingthe university's and Australia's experiences of multiculturalism as wellas their concerns over gender issues.

In his opening remarks to theconference, the director of the Monash Centre in Prato, Professor BillKent, said the conference was "a concrete realisation of Monash'sintention to establish intellectual ties with Italy's leadinguniversities and to work with the local community".

The conferenceattracted a large audience, who listened to simultaneous translations inItalian, French and English.