On 17^th September, 2018, a Delegation from the National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod (Russian Federation), represented by Prof. Viktor Kazantcev, Vice Rector for Research of Lobachevsky University and Dr. Irina Leonova, Director of the International Affairs Department, has visited the University of Bari Aldo Moro and met the Rector and some professors of the University.

Prof. Antonio Felice Uricchio, Rector of the University of Bari has hosted the Russian Delegation at the Rectorate of the University and invited them to participate to the meeting with the Academic Senate. The meeting has been the occasion to discuss the possible collaboration among the two Universities and the future projects that can be developed, especially in light of the already established collaboration within the EPTRI project, in which both the University of Bari and the Lobachevsky University are formally involved in the project.

EPTRI (European Paediatric Translational Research Infrastructure) is a European funded project coordinated by CVBF (Consorzio per Valutazioni Biologiche e Farmacologiche), a consortium founded in 2000 between Università degli Studi di Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, Fondazione per la Ricerca Farmacologica Gianni Benzi Onlus, TEDDY European Network of Excellence for Paediatric Clinical Research and Mediterranea – Associazione per lo sviluppo locale, with the mission to perform research and education in the pharmaceutical field integrating regulatory, clinical, epidemiological, economical and statistical expertise.

EPTRI project has the scope to create the framework for a new Research Infrastructure (RI) intended to enhance technology-driven paediatric research in drug discovery and early development phases to be translated into clinical research and paediatric use of medicines.

In the framework of this project, the University of Bari will contribute in the setup of local units supporting research infrastructure at local level that will be realized in collaboration with CVBF and the University Hospital Policlinico of Bari.

During the meeting, an Agreement for Academic Collaboration has been signed by the two Universities, that foresees an academic and administrative collaboration among the parties, exchange of information and joint publication activity as well as the organisations of joint conferences, seminars and academic meetings.

Moreover, the visit kept on with the meeting with Prof. Francesco Fiorentino, Director of the Department of Literature, Languages, Arts, Italianistics and Comparative Cultures and Prof. Maria Svelto and Prof. Graziano Pesole, of the Department of Bioscience, Biotechnology and Pharmacological Science. In particular, Prof Maria Svelto has accompanied the delegation to visit the Laboratories of the Faculty of Biotechnologies, showing the resources and the facilities available at the Department.

Overall, the work visit has represented the occasion to approach two apparently distant Academic realities and lay the foundations for a future collaboration and cooperation.