Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa - Area Download

StudentGuidebook

Editorial project byScuola Normale SuperioreCommunications and Press OfficeTranslated byMelanie RockenhausMaria VanziniPhotosPhilippe AntonelloScuola Normale ArchivesGraphic design byRovaiWeber designPrinted byIndustrie Grafiche Pacini, PisaCopyrightScuola Normale Superiore di PisaInfoAcademics, Research and External AffairsScuola Normale SuperiorePiazza dei Cavalieri, 756126 Pisa050 509324stampa@sns.it1_the Scuola Normale 92_Undergraduate Programs 151. Admission 162. The Educational Model 182.1 Zero Cost to Students 182.2 Two Academic Faculties 203. Student Obligations 273_Doctoral Programs 311. Admission 332. Rights of PhD Students 343. Student Obligations 344_Student Mobility 391. Exchange Agreements 405_Student Orientation,Postgraduate Education 451. Pre-University Orientation Courses 462. Orientation Courses for the PostgraduateDegree at the Scuola Normale 483. Post-Doctoral Grants 504. Internships and Placementand Career Service 515. Post Graduate and Continuing Education 536_College Life 551. The Library 562. Laboratories and Research Centers 587_Facilities 791. Administration Structures 801.1 Student Services Division 801.2 Academic Faculties Administration Offices 802. Computing Center – CEIC 803. Buildings 834. Associations and Foundations 858_Cultural Activities 891. Le Edizioni della Normale 902. I Venerdì del Direttore 903. Seminars, Conferences, ilcontesto 904. I Concerti della Normale 949_Appendix: a Historical Outline 9710_Contacts 105

1_the Scuola Normale

The Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa is a public institute forhigher education with unique features. The selection of thestudents is based on merit only, classes are organized likeseminars, teaching and research are closely linked, college lifeis an integrated part of the experience, and internationalexchanges are encouraged in accordance with the best modelsof European University Schools for Higher Education.Founded by Napoleon I in 1810 as the centerpiece of hisItalian “reform of learning” program, the Scuola Normale inPisa was first established as a college for the training ofsecondary school teachers. The same function was carried outin France by its counterpart, the École Normale Supérieure inParis. In the late twenties of the last century, a new missionwas added to the old one: the promotion of high-qualitynational scientific and literary culture, through special doctoralprograms that could be pursued by graduates from all overItaly, and later from all over the world. Since its origins, theScuola Normale in Pisa has presented itself as an increasinglyselective Italian institution, specialized in the education of thecultural elite. Three Nobel Prize winners were educated here:Giosuè Carducci, Enrico Fermi, Carlo Rubbia; two Presidentsof the Republic, Giovanni Gronchi and Carlo Azeglio Ciampi,and two Prime Ministers, Massimo D’Alema and AzeglioCiampi.The teaching and research model on which the ScuolaNormale is based is unique in the Italian university scenario,later reproduced by the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa,which was born in 1987 from colleges that had long beenmanaged by the Scuola Normale. In order to pursue theundergraduate programs of the Scuola Normale, applicantsneed to pass a highly selective competition consisting ofwritten and oral tests. School-leaving examination marks, thefinal grade of the degree or other past qualifications are nottaken into account to assess the knowledge and skills of thecandidates. Applicants who demonstrate a sound basicknowledge and an ability to reprocess the acquired knowledgein a constructive and autonomous way will be entitled toaccess the Scuola Normale.Students undertake to attend lessons both within the ScuolaNormale and in the corresponding programs at the Universityof Pisa. Therefore, they face two parallel and complementaryeducational tasks – one within the Scuola Normale, the otherat the University of Pisa – and are obliged to maintain anaverage of at least 27/30 every year, without any mark lowerthan 24/30. In comparison with other university students, thestudents of Scuola Normale have to cope with a higherworkload, which does not constitute a hindrance to theirstudies, but rather a continuous stimulus to improve and grow.The research and teaching activities within the ScuolaNormale are divided into two areas: the Faculty of Arts and theFaculty of Sciences. Within both Faculties, teaching is mainlyseminar and workshop based. Undergraduate and doctoralstudents, researchers and professors work in close contact onconcrete research projects. The continuous exchange ofknowledge, experience and points of view develops the criticalskills of the students and trains them to personally managetheir education and to prepare for future choices in life. Theteaching staff of the Scuola Normale contributes to this aim;they work only for the students, and closely follow them duringevery step of their studies.The educational programs at the Scuola Normale aredivided into two levels: Undergraduate and Doctoral. Theundergraduate program corresponds to the 1st-cycle(Bachelor) and 2nd-cycle (Postgraduate) programs providedby Italian universities. In 1927, in addition to theundergraduate program, the Scuola Normale was the firstinstitution in Italy to create a doctoral program (PhD),legally equivalent to the PhD introduced in other Italianuniversities in 1980. Moreover, every year the ScuolaNormale announces competitions for post-doctoral grants:the grantee works in close contact with the best Italian andforeign professors within the laboratories and researchcenters of the Scuola Normale and has the opportunity to10| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts11| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

collaborate with the most important and prestigiousinstitutions, both Italian and international.Europe with about 800,000 volumes and over 4,000periodicals.The Scuola Normale organizes its activities in buildings ofgreat historical and architectural value, most of which overlookPiazza dei Cavalieri, in the heart of the city of Pisa. The mainbuilding is Palazzo della Carovana. The Scuola Normalesystem includes room, board and further services, which areprovided at no cost, and to this purpose the Scuola Normalemakes use of additional historic buildings located in the centerof Pisa: Palazzo dell’Orologio and Palazzo del Capitano, whichhouse parts of the library; Palazzo del Castelletto, where theadministrative offices are located; Collegio Puteano, housingthe Scuola Normale guest rooms; Palazzo della Canonica,which houses some laboratories and, in the future, a part ofthe Library.The dormitories, the laboratories and the library are available11 months out of the year. Students live and sleep in en-suitesingle rooms, and have at their disposal a free cafeteria, whichis also used by the researchers, the professors and thetechnical and administrative staff. For their studies, studentscan freely access one of the largest open-shelf libraries inAnd all this without any financial obligation from the students.The tuition fees paid to the University of Pisa are fullyreimbursed by the Scuola Normale. Meals at the cafeteria arefree, as are accommodation in the dormitories, theconsultation of library material and the access to laboratoryinstruments. Furthermore, the student of the Scuola Normaleis granted a small monthly allowance for other study expenses.The Scuola Normale is part of a highly qualified university andresearch institution network. In addition to the University ofPisa and the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, the Scuola Normaleactively collaborates with the National Research Council(CNR), whose largest research center is located in Pisa. Bymaking the most of such special features, over the years theScuola Normale Superiore has succeeded in constantlysupplying the country with young talent and in being anational and international point of reference for teaching andresearch activities13| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

2_Undergraduate Programs

Undergraduate programs at the Scuola Normale correspondto the 1 st -cycle (Bachelor) and 2 nd -cycle (Master) programsprovided by the Italian university system (a three-plus-two yearprogram). In order to pursue undergraduate work at theScuola, students must pass competitive entrance exams.Students who are admitted from the first year of the ScuolaNormale are entitled to continue for the full five years, oncondition that they fulfill their yearly academic obligations.Every student of the Scuola Normale must enroll in a degreeprogram at the University of Pisa, and their degree programmust correspond to the educational areas of the ScuolaNormale in the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Sciences. Ifthey fulfill their academic obligations, the students receive theBachelor degree from the University of Pisa and the first-leveldiploma from the Scuola Normale at the end of their thirdyear, and the postgraduate degree from the University of Pisaand the second-level diploma from the Scuola Normale at theend of their fifth year. Both diplomas of the Scuola Normalehave no legal value.1. AdmissionThe only way to access the Scuola Normale is to pass ademanding competition for admission, composed of bothwritten and oral tests. Neither the school-leaving examinationresults for applicants to the first year nor the Bachelor degreeresults for applicants to the fourth year count towardsselection. During the admission competition, a board ofprofessors both from within and external to the ScuolaNormale assess the overall knowledge and skills of theapplicants and selects the scholarship recipients on the basisof merit alone. Fundamental for passing the competitiveexams are a thorough mastery of basic skills and concepts inthe chosen fields, a broad general knowledge, a bent forresearch and, most importantly, the ability to critically reflectupon acquired knowledge.Taking part in the admission exams is easy for bothundergraduate and doctoral applicants. The announcement ofthe competition, with enrolment conditions for the upcomingacademic year, is published yearly by May/June. It is availablein paper format at the Student Services Division of the Scuolaand in electronic format on the web site of the Scuola(www.sns.it). Upon request of the applicant, exams may betaken – besides in Italian — in English or French for theFaculty of Sciences and in English, French, German or Spanishfor the Faculty of Arts. Traveling expenses may be reimbursedto the candidates who have been admitted to oral exams andreside more than 300 km from Pisa, up to a maximum of 350euros.16| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts17| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

The admission competition is open to anyone who meets thefollowing requirements, regardless of nationality:For the first year:a) having attained a second-level secondary school diplomavalid for enrolment in the Bachelor programs at the Universityof Pisa;b) age less than 22 yearsFor the fourth year:a) having attained a Bachelor degree valid for admission to thepostgraduate programs at the University of Pisa;b) age less than 25 years.both an expert public and a non-specialized audience.Traditionally, both Italian and foreign scholars are invited tohold the seminars. Such activities are oriented not onlytowards an audience of students and grant holders, but alsotowards a broader audience of scholars and thinkers.A key moment in the academic career of any student at theScuola Normale is the colloquium: between March and April,the student submits and defends a report on a research themechosen with his/her supervisor and carried out over theacademic year. This practice is compulsory for Faculty Artsstudents from the first year, and for Faculty of Sciencesstudents from the third year.2. The Educational ModelThe Scuola Normale guarantees courses complementary tothe ones attended at the University of Pisa, for the applicantswho pass the competitive admission exams. The 1 to 10teacher to student ratio makes it possible to organize classesin a seminar format, which means encouraging interactionand discussion rather than organizing traditional ex-cathedralectures. Furthermore, the student is obliged to producereports on his/her study and research activity, and to discuss itwith both the professor and the classmates: s/he is thereforecontinuously trained in both research and teaching.In addition to the lectures, over the academic year bothFaculties organize conferences and series of seminars, for2.1 Zero Cost to the StudentsThe Scuola Normale is free for its students. The tuition feespaid to the University of Pisa are fully refunded by the ScuolaNormale, which further contributes to the study expenses ofpupils attending the undergraduate programs by providing itsstudents with a small monthly stipend. In addition, during thefive years they spend at the Scuola Normale, students areprovided with:- free accommodation (en-suite single rooms) in one of thecollege dormitories owned by the Scuola Normale, with theexception of holiday periods;- free meals in the cafeteria of the Scuola Normale;- free access to the Library of the Scuola Normale;18| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

- exchange scholarships with foreign universities and freeaccess to research facilities.Students also have the possibility of applying for part-timejobs working on some of the activities within the ScuolaNormale. The Board of Directors of the Scuola announces thetypes and duration of the part-time positions annually, whichin any case cannot be longer than 150 hours. Students cannotapply for more than two places. These positions are by nomeans related to educational obligations or exams, and theydo not involve any administrative responsibilities.2.2 Two Academic FacultiesResearch and teaching activities within the Scuola Normaleare organized in two different faculties: Arts and Sciences.Faculty of ArtsThe Faculty of Arts is organized into five disciplinary areas:Ancient History and Classical Philology, Italian Literature andLinguistics, Art History and Archaeology, History andPaleography and Philosophy.The courses held within each area accompany the followingBachelor and postgraduate programs offered by the Faculty ofArts of the University of Pisa, which students are obliged to beenrolled in:Bachelor Programs – Faculty of Arts- Literature- Humanities Computing- Cinema, Music and Theater- Philosophy- History- Cultural Heritage SciencesPostgraduate Programs – Faculty of Arts- Italian Language and Literature- European Literature and Philology- Linguistics- Cinema, Theater and Multimedia Production- Geography- Philosophy and Forms of Knowledge- Archaeology- Art History- Near Eastern and Middle Eastern Languages and Civilizations- Classical Studies- Library and Archival Sciences- History and CivilizationAdmission Exams for the Faculty of ArtsThe admission exam for the first year is made up of three20| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts21| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

written tests and, if they are passed successfully, three oralexams. When applying for the admission exam, the candidatemust specify:- the three subjects in which they intend to sit the writtenexams, chosen from Philosophy, Greek, Latin, ItalianLiterature, History, and Art History;- the three subjects of their choice for the oral exams if theyare different from the ones chosen for the written exams.The admission exams for the fourth year are made up of twowritten tests and, if they are passed successfully, two oralexams. When applying for the admission exam, the candidatemust specify:- the two subjects in which they intend to sit the writtenexams, chosen from Philosophy, Greek, Latin, ItalianLiterature, History, and Art History; in any case, one of themmust be in a subject taught in one of the following disciplinaryareas (the corresponding postgraduate programs at theUniversity of Pisa): Ancient History and Classical Philology(Classical Studies, Near Eastern and Middle EasternLanguages and Civilizations); Italian Language and Literature(Italian Language and Literature, European Literature andPhilology, Linguistics, Cinema Theatre and MultimediaProduction, Near Eastern and Middle Eastern Languages andCivilizations); Art History and Archaeology (Archaeology, ArtHistory); History and Paleography (Library and ArchivalSciences, History and Civilization, Geography); Philosophy(Philosophy and Forms of Knowledge);- the two subjects of their choice for the oral exams if they aredifferent from the ones chosen for written exams;- the disciplinary area which the candidate intends to refer to,chosen from the five current departments of the Faculty ofArts of the Scuola Normale.Upon request of the applicant, exams may be performed –besides in Italian – in English, French, German or Spanish.For further information please contact:segreteria.lettere@sns.it / Tel: 050 509296 – 509170Faculty of SciencesThe Faculty of Sciences is organized into five disciplinaryareas: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, andMathematics.The courses held within each area accompany the followingBachelor and postgraduate programs offered by the Faculty ofSciences of the University of Pisa, which students are obligedto be enrolled in:Bachelor Programs – Faculty of Sciences- Chemistry22| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts23| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

- Physics- Computer Science- Mathematics- Biology and Molecular Biology- Ecology and Biodiversity- Geology- Natural Sciences- Chemical Sciences and Technologies for Industryand the EnvironmentPostgraduate Programs – Faculty of Sciences- Marine Biology- Chemistry- Industrial Chemistry- Applied Physics- Natural Resource Management- Computer Science- Mathematics- Neurobiology- Materials Science- Environmental Science and Technologies- Biomolecular Science and Technologies- Physical Science- Physiopathology- Geology- Information TechnologiesAdmission Exams for the Faculty of SciencesThe subjects of the competition exams for the admission tothe first year of the Faculty of Sciences vary according to theBachelor program of the University of Pisa which thecandidate plans to enroll in:a) those who wish to enroll in the Bachelor programs inPhysics, in Computer Science or in Mathematics must sit: awritten exam in Mathematics, a written exam in Physics, anoral exam in Mathematics and an oral exam in Physics;b) those who wish to enroll in the Bachelor programs inChemistry, in Chemical Sciences and Technologies for Industryand the Environment or in Geology must sit: a written exam inChemistry, a written exam in either Mathematics or Physics (atthe candidate’s discretion), an oral exam in Chemistry, an oralexam in Mathematics and an oral exam in Physics;c) those who wish to enroll in the Bachelor programs inBiological and Molecular Sciences, in Ecology and Biodiversity orin Natural Sciences, must sit: a written exam in Biology, awritten exam in either Mathematics or Physics or Chemistry(at the candidate’s discretion), an oral exam in Mathematics,an oral exam in Biology and an oral exam in either Physics orChemistry (at the candidate’s discretion).The written exams consist in solving one or more exercisesand possibly an essay.25| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

The subjects of the competition exams for the admission tothe fourth year of the Faculty of Sciences vary according to thepostgraduate program of the University of Pisa which thecandidate plans to enroll in:d) those who wish to enroll in the postgraduate programs inPhysical Sciences or in Applied Physics must sit: a written exam inClassical Physics, a written exam in Mathematical Analysis, anoral exam in Classical Physics and an oral exam in QuantumMechanics;e) those who wish to enroll in the postgraduate programs inMathematics must sit: a written test in Mathematical Analysis,a written test in Geometry and Algebra, an oral test inMathematical Analysis and an oral test in Geometry andAlgebra;f) those who wish to enroll in the postgraduate programs inComputer Science or in Information Technology must sit: awritten exam in Mathematical Analysis, a written exam inComputer Languages and Semantics, an oral exam inComputer Languages and Semantics and an oral exam inAlgorithms and Complexities;g) those who wish to enroll in the postgraduate programs inChemistry, in Industrial Chemistry, in Geology, in NaturalResource Management or in Environmental Sciences andTechnologies must sit: a written exam in General and InorganicChemistry, a written exam in either Organic Chemistry orPhysical Chemistry or Geology (at the candidate’s discretion),an oral exam in General and Inorganic Chemistry and an oralexam in either Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry orGeology (at the candidate’s discretion);h) those who wish to enroll in the postgraduate programs inBiomolecular Science and Technologies, in Physiopathology, inMarine Biology or in Neurobiology must sit: a written exam inBiology and Molecular Genetics, a written exam in GeneralPhysiology and Neurophysiology, an oral exam in Biology andMolecular Genetics and an oral exam in General Physiologyand Neurophysiology;i) those who wish to enroll in the postgraduate programs inMaterials Science must choose whether to sit all the exams as ind) or e).The written tests consist in solving one or more exercises andpossibly an essay. Upon request of the applicant, exams maybe performed – besides in Italian — in English or French.For further information please contactsegreteria.scienze@sns.it / Tel: 050 509203.Practice copies of previous exams for both Faculties areavailable on the web site of the Scuola Normale, at:www.sns.it/it./scuola/ammissione/corsoordinario; selfassessmentexercises for Latin and Greek language, literatureand culture are also available. For information concerningadmissions, student representatives may be contacted at thefollowing address: rappresentanti@sns.it.Candidates admitted to sit the oral tests who live more than300 km from Pisa, or come from the Italian islands, can askfor the reimbursement of their traveling expenses up to amaximum of 350 euros.3. Student obligationsAccording to Scuola Normale regulations, in order to beadmitted to the next academic year and remain a student ofthe Scuola Normale, undergraduate students must maintain aquality level for the studies s/he carries out at the University ofPisa, as follows: annual average marks of at least 27/30, andno single mark lower than 24/30.Every year by November 30 for the Faculty of Arts and byOctober 31 for the Faculty of Sciences, the student mustsubmit a detailed plan of study which meets the academicobligations of their Faculty to the Student Services Division.The list of professor - mentors, who must approve the planbefore it is submitted to the Student Services Division, ispublished at the beginning of each academic year.26| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts27| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

First year students are encouraged to contact mentorprofessors and student representatives to seek direction andadvice about the compilation of the plan of study.Moreover, within the Scuola Normale, students must:- attend the courses listed in the plan of study;- take at least one course external to their declared field ofstudy within the first three years;- sit the colloquium or another oral exam in order to accountfor the work carried out during the year.Within the University of Pisa, the students must:- submit a plan of study;- attend the courses listed in the plan of study,- sit and pass the related exams;- write and defend their degree thesis before the universitycommittee.The plan of study submitted to the University of Pisa must beconsistent with the one submitted to the Scuola Normale, andthey both must be approved within the Scuola Normale by theFaculty which the student belongs to.Foreign LanguagesDuring their years at the Scuola Normale, the students of bothFaculties need to achieve and demonstrate a thoroughknowledge of a first foreign language - chosen from English,French and German - and a good mastery of a second language,chosen from the aforementioned ones or from others selectedby the Scuola Normale year by year. English, German andFrench language courses are organized every year. German andFrench courses are divided into three levels: Beginners (Level I),Intermediate (Level II), Advanced (Level III). English courses aredivided into two levels: Intermediate and Advanced.Within the third year, the students are required to pass Level IIIfor the first language chosen and the Level II for the secondlanguage. Faculty of Sciences students are required to achieveLevel III in English.Students of both Faculties must attend two language coursesduring their first year, and sit the final exam within the summersession, with the possibility of a recuperation exam in theautumn. Students who believe they have a good knowledge ofone (or two) foreign language(s), can be exempted fromattending language classes, on the condition that they pass amandatory exam.28| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

3_Doctoral Programs (PhD)

In 1927, in addition to the undergraduate program, the ScuolaNormale was the first institute in Italy to create a doctoralprogram (PhD). It consists in three years of study and research,at the end of which – if academic obligations are met - thestudents are awarded the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) of theScuola Normale Superiore, which is legally equivalent to thePhD of Italian universities. Economic support for PhD studentsat the Scuola Normale is higher than that which PhD studentsare usually given: it includes a contribution for accommodationand meals and funds for mobility and research.Doctoral students take part in research groups, and their livesand their academic careers are fully integrated in the ScuolaNormale system. Students share research and educationexperiences with other students and professors, each draws upa research proposal and plan of study organized in accordancewith her/his needs and profile, and students may use all thestudy and research facilities and services provided by theScuola.1. AdmissionThe competition for doctoral positions at Scuola Normale isbased on work to date and exams. The number of positionsavailable is established year by year, usually 25-30 for eachFaculty. The announcement of the competition, withenrollment conditions for the upcoming academic year, ispublished by May/June. It is available in paper format at theStudent Services Division of the Scuola and in electronicformat on the web site of the Scuola (www.sns.it).Specific places are reserved for non-EU students, who areassessed on work to date only, whereas EU student areassessed on both work to date and admission exams. Theadmission competition is open to anyone who meets thefollowing requirements, regardless of nationality:a) possession of a valid postgraduate degree or equivalentwithin the deadline set by the announcement of thecompetition;b) less than 30 years of age by the announcement deadline.Students may carry out their dissertation in joint programs withuniversities or doctoral schools in other countries, withinspecific collaboration agreements between professors andresearch groups at the Scuola Normale and colleagues inforeign universities. Such students spend study periods abroadand they defend their PhD dissertation before a joint committee.Candidates are assessed by a committee of Italian and foreignprofessors who take into consideration:- the research project submitted by the candidate;- the final grade of the postgraduate degree;- the degree thesis;- the academic transcript, listing the courses taken at the32| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts33| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

university;- publications;- letters of recommendation by professors who are familiarwith the candidate’s studies.The work to date and research project are preliminarilyassessed by committee. Selected candidates are then admittedto the exams, which consist in an interview for the Faculty ofArts and in a written exam and an interview for the Faculty ofSciences.Candidates who are admitted to sit the oral exam and livemore than 300 km from Pisa, or come from the Italian islands,can ask for the reimbursement of their traveling expenses upto a maximum of ¤ 350.2. Rights of Doctoral StudentsGraduate students at the Scuola are provided with:- free accommodation (en-suite single rooms) in one of thecollege dormitories owned by the Scuola Normale, with theexception of holiday periods; should no accommodation beavailable, doctoral students will receive an additional housingallowance of ¤ 3,800 gross per year;- free meals in the cafeteria of the Scuola;- a fellowship, the amount of which is established yearly by theBoard of Directors of the Scuola (about ¤ 9,200 gross per year);- free admission to the Library of the Scuola Normale;- the allocation of research and international mobility fundsand free access to research facilities.Moreover, the Faculties authorize and encourage the studentsto take part in study and research activities outside the ScuolaNormale; full reimbursement will be provided in this case, too.3. Student obligationsDuring the first year, the doctoral students of the Faculty of Artsmust attend three courses (at least one of which at the ScuolaNormale), agreed on with their supervising professors, and aforeign language course. In the next two years, the student isrequired to attend two courses (at least one of which at theScuola Normal), agreed on with their supervising professors,and can spend a study and research period abroad, at a foreigninstitution.Every year, the doctoral students of the Faculty of Sciences mustsubmit a plan of study to the Faculty for approval. It must becoherent with the student’s academic requirements and caninclude courses held both at the Scuola Normale and at theUniversity of Pisa. First-year doctoral students must includethree courses in their syllabus. Students are encouraged tocontact their supervising professors to seek direction and adviceabout the compilation of the plan of study and its deadlines.34| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

Doctoral students must attend the Scuola Normale seminarsand University of Pisa courses listed in their plan of study;they must pass the corresponding exams and submit a reporton their research results to their supervision professor. Thereport is discussed and defended during a colloquium, whichstudents are required to pass in order to be admitted to thefollowing year.Before the student defends the PhD dissertation, it must bereviewed by a board of three experts, chosen in aninternational environment (the official supervisor and twoexternal specialists), and their positive opinion is necessary toproceed with the defense. The defense takes place before aboard of seven Italian and foreign experts of the research fieldof interest. After the dissertation, the PhD diploma is awardedwith a maximum mark of 70/70 (with or without honors), andit is stated by law to be equivalent to a Doctor of Philosophydegree.For further information please contact:segreteria.studenti@sns.it / Tel: 050 50923636| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts37| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

4_Student Mobility

England:University College London (www.ucl.ac.uk)The Warburg Institute - London (www.sas.ac.uk/warburg)Corpus Christi College Oxford (www.ccc.ox.ac.uk)St. John’s College Oxford (www.sjc.ox.ac.uk)United States:Harvard University Department of Romance Languages andLiteratures (www.fas.harvard.edu)University of California - Los Angeles (www.ucla.edu)University of Chicago (www.uchicago.edu)Japan:University of Tokyo (www.u-tokyo.ac.jp)The Scuola Normale has also signed agreements for specificjoint study (joint supervision) with:France:École Nazionale des Ponts et Chaussées en France – Marne laVallée (www.enpc.fr)Université de Bourgogne (www.u-bourgogne.fr)Université de Bretagne Occidentale – Brest (www.univ-brest.fr)Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble I (www.ujf-grenoble.fr)Université Lumière Lyon 2 (www.univ-lyon2.fr)Université de la Méditerranée – Marseille(www.mediterranee.univ-mrs.fr)Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis – Nice (portail.unice.fr)École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales – Paris(www.ehess.fr)Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (www.sciences-po.fr)Université de Paris I – Panthéon Sorbonne (www.univ-paris1.fr)Université de Paris III – Sorbonne Nouvelle (www.univ-paris3.fr)Université de Paris IV – Sorbonne (www.sorbonne.fr)Université de Paris IX – Dauphine (www.dauphine.fr)Université de Paris X – Nanterre (www.u-paris10.fr)Université Paris Sud XI (www.u-psud.fr)Université de Paris XII – Val de Marne (www.univ-paris12.fr)Université de Paris XIII – Paris Nord (www.univ-paris13.fr)Université de Poitiers (www.univ-poitiers.fr)Université de Provence (www.up.univ-mrs.fr)Switzerland:University of Zurich (www.uzh.ch)Germany:Technische Universitaet Berlin (www.tu-berlin.de)Ruhr-Universitaet – Bochum (www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de)Technische Universitaet Kaiserslautern (www.uni-kl.de)Austria:Universitaet Wien (www.univie.ac.at)Croatia:University of Zagreb (www.unizg.hr)For further information please contact:international@sns.it / Tel: 050 50931943| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

5_Student Orientation,Postgraduate Education

1. Pre-University Orientation CoursesEvery summer the Scuola Normale organizes pre-universityorientation courses for the most worthy students who areabout to attend their final year of secondary schools. Anaverage of about one hundred students for each sessionspend an intense week inside real university campuses,organized for this occasion by the Scuola Normale in fiveItalian towns: Cortona, Colle Val D’Elsa, Camigliatello Silano,Rovereto and San Miniato. Selected students can take part inthe courses for free; an additional number of participants, whoare obliged to pay for room and board, are also admitted tothe courses every year.Thanks to the direct contact not only with professors from theScuola Normale and other universities, but also withoutstanding figures from institutions, business, culture and artinvited by the Scuola Normale, students learn about somepaths they could follow after they have completed theirsecondary school studies. The main aim is to help worthyyoung students make a more informed and reasoned choiceabout their future university studies and to show them abroader range of choices than the ones which they may havealready taken into consideration.Each course includes three/four lessons per day, after whichstudents are given the possibility to talk with professors,investigate the suggested topics, and seek information aboutinstitutions and educational choices. Traditionally lectures areheld in Italian literature, history, philosophy, art history,archaeology, law, economics, medicine, engineering,architecture, physics, mathematics, biology, computer science,and chemistry. However, in every session different topics maybe included.Graduate students of the Scuola cooperate with the professorsby holding seminar-lectures, organizing tutoring activities andpresenting their most recent and up-to-date research andstudy experiences, which are likely to be very close to what thestudents are going to face within their university career.AdmissionThe Scuola Normale sends an annual letter of inquiry to over2,500 headmasters of schools within Italy and some Italianschools located abroad, asking them to indicate from one tothree worthy students attending the fourth (next-to-last) yearof secondary school, who may be interested in taking part inthe pre-university orientation courses. The headmasters areasked to provide, with the collaboration of the selectedstudents, some data concerning the students’ curriculums,and a short description of the student, including the finalmarks of the two previous school years, the professional andacademic fields of study in which the student is primarily46| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts47| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

interested, and motivations for the student to participate inthis activity. Recommendations may only be submitted to thefollowing Internet address: http://orientamento.sns.it.To submit their recommendations, schools have to log in usingthe access code provided in the letter from the Scuola Normale.Schools that have already carried out this procedure in pastyears use the username and password they already have.The Scuola Normale guarantees that courses are attended bystudents from all over Italy: each Italian region is representedin proportion to the number of schools that have submittedtheir recommendations. Generally, a number of studentsranging from 300 to 400 is selected.The list of the admitted students is published on the web siteof the Scuola. Admitted students - as well as theirheadmasters - are individually informed of the results of theselection process, and of the location of the course which thestudent is invited to attend.Additional students who are found worthy (in this case as wella selection is made), who wish to take part in the courses,contingent upon payment of room and board (courseattendance is always free), are also admitted.The application should include the final marks of the twoprevious school years, a curriculum and a letter of intent.Some of the places available upon payment of room and boardmay be reserved to students in their last year of secondaryschool.Interested students may submit their application to theInternet address: http://orientamento.sns.it, where they willfind all the necessary instructions for logging in and applyingfor the courses, as well as information about living expenses,including room and board in the facilities that have specificagreements with the Scuola.2. Orientation Courses for the postgraduate degree at theScuola NormaleSince 2006, the Scuola Normale has also organized orientationcourses for undergraduate students who are interested inpursuing the fourth and fifth years of their studies at the ScuolaNormale. Every summer, a group of selected students attends aprogram of four days of lectures given by professors of theScuola Normale, to understand the type of education offeredand the level of research carried out there. Two courses are held:one covers the scientific and the other the humanisticdisciplines taught at the Scuola Normale. Both courses last fourdays and are held during the month of July.Students are offered the opportunity to talk with professorsand doctoral students, to seek information about the ScuolaNormale Superiore, the competitive admission exams andpossible educational development. The students selected have48| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

the opportunity to present their Bachelor degree thesis and todiscuss the research topics they are primarily interested in.Attendance is free, and admitted students are granted freeroom and board and a contribution to traveling expenses. Atthe end of the course students receive an attendancecertificate, listing the lectures and seminars attended.To take part in the courses students must have earned, orbeing about to earn, a Bachelor degree valid for admission tothe postgraduate programs in Italian universities and be under25 years of age.Enrollment conditions and deadlines for the submission ofapplications are published annually by March. The ScuolaNormale bases its selections on the data and informationsubmitted by the candidates. Students will be selected whothe Scuola Normale considers most suitable for theeducation/information courses proposed, on the basis of theirstudy and research interests, courses previously attended andresults obtained.The list of selected students is published on the web site ofScuola Normale Superiore.For further information please contact:orientamento@sns.it / Tel: 050 509030 – 509749 - 5093233. Post-Doctoral GrantsThe Scuola Normale announces post-doctoral grantcompetitions every year. Grant holders work within theresearch facilities of the Scuola, in close contact with the bestItalian and foreign professors and have the opportunity tocollaborate with important and prestigious institutions.AdmissionApplications are invited from scholars who have not yetreached 35 years of age by application deadline, with a PhD orequivalent degree earned in Italy or abroad, who have notpreviously received any other post-doctoral research grants(with the exception of grants offered by national or foreigninstitutions with the aim of integrating the education orresearch of the grant holder with study periods abroad).The competition and selection is based on work to date(degrees, publications, curriculum of the candidate) and on asubmitted research project, assessed by a specific committeeappointed by the President of the Scuola Normale.ConditionsBy the end of the first year, committee decides whether toconfirm the grant or not. The grant holder must submit areport on the research activity carried out up to then,presenting the results obtained and the part of the researchproject still to be performed. The grant can not be renewed atthe end of the two-year period. During the period of study atthe Scuola Normale, the grant holder can neither be engagedin teaching activities, nor work as an employee, nor providepaid and ongoing professional consulting, nor carry outactivities that are incompatible with the research activitiesperformed at the Scuola Normale. Should such requirementsnot be fulfilled, the Scuola Normale can decide to interrupt thegrant.For further information please contact:segreteria.studenti@sns.it / Tel: 050 5092374. Internships and Placement and Career ServiceThe service offered by the Scuola Normale encourages contactbetween its students and alumni and the professional world,thus promoting student entry into the world of work, also innon-academic contexts. A brief overview the services providedfollows:a general orientation interview, aimed at profiling thecandidate and at identifying his/her knowledge and skills bestsuited to the job market as well as the fields and areas ofprofessional interest for the candidate. This interview issufficient when the candidate already has a clear professionalobjective;a second-level orientation and abilities assessment interview,performed by an occupational psychologist, aimed at helping50| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts51| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

candidates who do not have a precise professional objectiveyet or who are compelled or wanting to change jobs. Thesecond-level interview is based on all the key elementsconcerning work in the life of the candidate, and in particular:motivation, skills, interests, values, work methods, workenvironment, personal style and features, and weaknesses;preparation of selection and competition announcements andpre-selection of candidates for internship programs withinspecific agreements with firms and companies;preparation of customized internship projects, upon requestof the students;guidance in the preparation of the necessary documents toenter the world of work, such as: curriculum vitae, referenceletters, etc.;enquiry service on the job opportunities in companies, on jobadvertisement and competitions of interest;consultancy service on the legal and judicial aspects ofemployment contracts;organization of recruiting days and meetings with companies;mentoring service with alumni of the Scuola Normale, whohave already entered the world of work, aimed at promotingcomparison and acquaintance with specific professionalfigures of excellence.For further information please contact:placement@sns.it / Tel: 050 5093075. Post Graduate and Continuing EducationSince 1997, the Scuola Normale has organized courses ofadvanced training in the field of cultural heritage. The aim ofthese activities is to combine a solid humanities backgroundwith the knowledge of the most advanced technologies andelectronic systems, which may be used for management andresearch in this field. The result that the Scuola Normalewants to achieve is the training of highly qualified andspecialized professional figures endowed with interdisciplinaryskills, employable not only in museums, publishing andcommunication, but also in urban planning and restoration.The courses, which benefit from the contribution of leadingpersonalities and institutions in the academic and professional(both Italian and international) scenario, are characterized byhighly innovative content and the experimental nature of themethods used.For further information please contact:placement@sns.it / Tel: 050 509030All the undergraduate and doctoral students of the ScuolaNormale can benefit from this service.53| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

6_College Life

Throughout his/her stay at the Scuola Normale, every studentfreely accesses the facilities provided and in particular: a) one ofthe five dormitories of the Scuola Normale, b) a cafeteria incommon with the teachers and staff of the Scuola Normale, c) theLibrary of the Scuola Normale and all library resources, and d) thelaboratories of the Faculty of Arts and of the Faculty of Sciences.The CafeteriaThe Scuola Normale provides its students not only with housing,but also with board in a self-service cafeteria, which all internalusers (students, professors, research associates, grant holders,non-teaching staff and guests) can access. It is open from 12.20p.m. to 2 p.m. and from 7.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. Monday throughFriday, and from 12.30 p.m. to 1.45 p.m. and from 7.30 p.m. to8.30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The cafeteria is closed duringuniversity holidays and on the first of May. Every year aspokesperson is elected from among the students, to collaboratewith the catering service as spokesperson for the students.Breakfast ServiceIn every dormitory students are provided with a daily breakfast,served either in the cafeteria, for the dormitories nearby, or inspecial rooms within each dormitory. Breakfast is served from 7.30a.m. to 9.15 a.m. Monday through Friday, and from 8.00 a.m. to10.00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.1. The LibraryThe Library was founded along with the Scuola Normale andhas gradually expanded to a size of more than 800,000volumes and 4,000 periodicals, while always guaranteeingopen access. Today it is the largest open-shelf library in Italy. Itis housed in three buildings, whose histories are related to thehistorical and architectural memory of the town: Palazzo dellaCarovana, where the periodical section is located, Palazzodella Gherardesca, currently housing most of the volumes,and Palazzo del Capitano, housing the whole section ofSciences (volumes and periodicals), the sector of Art and thesector of Antique and Rare Works.The catalogue of the works is completely on-line and can beconsulted at the following address:http://catalogo.biblio.sns.it/F.Internal users (students and professors) are automaticallyprovided with a card that allows them to freely access all thelibrary services, valid throughout their period of stay at theScuola Normale (including advanced booking of resourcespreviously checked out by other users and extensions of loanperiods).The Library provides the users the following services:a) on-site consultation;b) help and information on the use of the Library and itsservices, as well as bibliographic information;c) access to on-line (internet and intranet) databases;d) photocopying and network printing (smart cards forphotocopies and network printing are given to the studentswhen they enter the Scuola Normale; these can be rechargedin the Library);e) local loan of materials for internal users, up to a maximumof six items, and up to two months for each loan. The itemsexcluded from loan can be given to internal users in theevening or during holidays only, but must be returned before11 a.m. the next morning;f) interlibrary loan, national and international;g) microfilm and photocopies on-demand from Italian andforeign libraries (free document delivery service for internalusers) and sending of photocopies to Italian and foreignlibraries and individual applicants.The acquisition of complete collections belonging toimportant figures of culture and research contributessignificantly to the ongoing, rigorous development of thelibrary collections. The tradition dates back to the 19th century,but a few libraries can be cited as examples: those of GiorgioPasquali, Delio Cantimori, Arnaldo Momigliano, SebastianoTimpanaro, Cesare Luporini, Vittore Branca, and EugenioGarin. Also the personal archives (collections of letters,papers, notes) of outstanding scholars are often given to the56| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts57| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

library; together with the books that used to belong to them,these archives give an important contribution to thereconstruction of the personality of the scholar, his/her activity,his/her relationships with the culture and society of the time andare, therefore, important sources for multi-oriented research.Interlibrary loan and document delivery services, which arefree for internal users, must be requested at the followingaddress: baschieri@sns.it. The Library is open Mondaythrough Friday from 9.00 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.; and from 9.00a.m. to 1.45 p.m. on Saturdays.For further information please contact:Reception, Tel. 050 509205.The Archives of the Scuola Normale, annexed to the Library,include the historical archives of the Scuola Normale, theextremely rich Salviati Archive (left to the Scuola Normale bythe family), the Archive of Collegio Puteano, the Archives ofDelio Cantimori, Pietro Silva, Manfredi Porena, Ernesto Sestanand Roberto Vivarelli. The most recent acquisition, theMichele Rosi Archive, dates back to 2006.2. Laboratories and Research GroupsAn extremely significant aspect of the Scuola Normale is theintertwining of education and research, which is a peculiarfeature of both undergraduate and doctoral programs.Students of either Faculty work in the research facilities withactivity closest to their own studies, thus initiating earlyresearch activity.The laboratories and research groups of the Faculty of Arts are:- Linguistics Laboratory;- Laboratory of Visual Arts;- Laboratory of History, Archaeology and Topography of theAncient World;- LARTE - Interdisciplinary Center for the Research, Planningand Management of Cultural Heritage;- SIGNUM - Center for Computer-Based Humanities Research;- CTL - Center for Data Processing of Texts and Images in theLiterary Tradition;- LILA - “G. Nenci” Laboratory of Computer Sciences forAncient Languages;- Archives Center;- Center for Medieval Culture;- Research Group on Ancient Greek Music;- Research Group on Private Modern Philosophy Collections.Linguistics LaboratoryDirector: Prof. Pier Marco BertinettoLocation: Palazzo della Carovana, piazza dei Cavalieri, 7Info: lab.linguistica@sns.it / http://linguistica.sns.itThe Laboratory operates in areas of Linguistics like phonetics,phonology, morphology, psycholinguistics, pragmatics andcomputational linguistics which make use of (and in somecases actually require) specialized instrumentation. It alsoprovides logistical support for all the research activitiesconducted by linguists at the Scuola Normale, even in purelytheoretical areas like syntax and semantics.The Laboratory is equipped with computers and devices forspeech digital recording, analysis and synthesis, equipment forgathering responses during psycholinguistic tests, software forstatistical analysis, a sound-proof booth for recording andmany other instruments (electro-palatograph, nasal flowmeter, laryngograph).The Laboratory organizes international seminars andconferences in specific areas of Linguistics and activelycollaborates with researchers from different Italian and foreignuniversities.Some important projects include:- API Project (Archives of Spoken Italian);- CLIP Project (Linguistic Corpus of Spoken Italian);- CoLFIS Project (Corpus and Frequency Lexicon ofContemporary Written Italian).The Quaderni del Laboratorio di Linguistica della SNS, availableonline (http://linguistics.sns.it/Quaderni.htm ) and distributedon CDs, report on completed or in-progress research activity.Laboratory of Visual ArtsDirector: Prof. Massimo FerrettiLocation: Palazzo del Capitano, piazza S. Felice, 7Info: artivisive@sns.it / www.artivisive.sns.itThe Laboratory of Visual Arts carries out activity in the field ofthe images of reproduction. Its research activity aims to createdigital and on-line accessible data archives, with two mainareas of interest:a) photography and visual archives: studies on photographyand photo collections, research on historical collections andstandards for photographic material cataloguing;b) perception and language in communication: digital imagesand visual perception, the language in museum web sites andeditorial content for the web, art history teaching.Among the ongoing projects there are the computerizedarchives for a non-destructive analysis of art works, especiallyinfrared reflectographic analysis revealing the drawing lyingunder the paintings. The archive was begun in 2003 and iscurrently cataloguing material acquired by a joint workgroupestablished a few years ago with the University of Bologna, theState University of Milan and the Laboratory of Visual Arts ofScuola Normale.58| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts59| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

Laboratory of History, Archaeology and Topography of theAncient WorldDirector: Prof. Carmine AmpoloLocation: Palazzo della Carovana, piazza dei Cavalieri, 7Info: labtopog@sns.it / http://lsatma.sns.itThe Laboratory carries out interdisciplinary research in thefields of history, archaeology, topography and epigraphy of theancient Greek and Roman world, with a particular focus on theareas of Southern Italy and Sicily.Its main research areas are:a) the study of the processes of land and urban settlementand their features in Magna Graecia and Sicily; theseprocesses are examined using methods common both tohistorical and archaeological research, ranging fromstratigraphic excavations to archaeological prospection;b) the study of epigraphic documents to gain a betterunderstanding on themes such as navigation and commercein the ancient world and the problems of cultural contact inthe areas affected by Greek colonization;research in the field of historiography and lexicography, incollaboration with the G. Nenci Laboratory of ComputerSciences for Ancient Languages;An intense teaching activity and diffusion of research results(seminars, conferences, exhibitions, publications).LARTTE - Interdisciplinary Center for the Research, Planningand Management of Cultural HeritageDirector: Prof. Salvatore SettisLocation: Palazzo della Canonica, piazza dei Cavalieri, 8Info: labpat@sns.itwww.sns.it/it/laboratori/laboratorilettere/gestpatrThe LARTTE Laboratory carries out interdisciplinary researchin the field of cultural heritage. The activity of the center isorganized in three main directions:a) development of an observatory, with the aim of gatheringand critically classifying information on cultural heritage;b) creation and management of a laboratory to developinnovative projects;c) development of a training center, where research, teachingand planning are closely interrelated.Research areas of interest are: international, regional and locallaws on cultural heritage issues; studies on cultural heritagesafeguarding and enhancing at an international, regional andlocal level; cultural heritage management methods, withparticular attention to the interactions among public, privateand non-profit organizations, in order to identify theadvantages of the different management models; permanentand temporary exhibitions, with the aim of creating a referencecenter; the professional figures involved in cultural heritagemanagement.60| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts61| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

SIGNUM - Center for Computer-Based Humanities ResearchDirector: Prof. Michele CilibertoLocation: “Complesso Polvani”, via della Faggiola, 19Info: info@signum.sns.it / www.signum.sns.itThe activity of the SIGNUM Center aims to develop solutionsfor archiving, cataloguing, researching and analyzingcollections of structured sequences (relational archives andcatalogues), semi-structured sequences (XML documents)and non-structured sequences (texts or biological sequences).Alongside this basic research, SIGNUM also performstechnological experimentation and develops applications andsoftware libraries which can be used by the academiccommunity and by Scuola Normale Superiore partnerorganizations. The libraries are the building blocks on whichinnovative applications in the fields of archive managementand document cataloguing, data compression, computationallinguistics, the Web, research engines and bioinformatics areconstructed. Many of these applications are developed withinSIGNUM, others by external experts with SIGNUM’stechnological input.SIGNUM also carries out training and communication in thefield of computer-based humanities research, organizinginternships and informational seminars in collaboration withuniversities and public and private research centers.CTL - Center for Data Processing of Texts and Images in theLiterary TraditionDirector: Prof. Lina BolzoniLocation: Piazza San Felice, 7Info: ctl@sns.it / www.ctl.sns.itThe CTL conducts research using computer technology toexamine the broad areas of interaction between words andimages that have characterized the literary tradition acrossdifferent periods and genres. The creation of a digital archive ofwords and images is the main instrument to reconstruct themany links that exist between linguistic code and figurative code.Ongoing research projects include:a) An atlas of images of memory: a digital archive of texts andimages from treatises on the art of memory; a second phaseof the project will concern texts and images of memory usedin different fields in medieval and Renaissance culture;b) European CNR “Diligent” project: the CTL is a partner inDiligent (Digital Library Infrastructure on Grid EnabledTechnology), making some of its archives available forresearch. The aim of the project is the creation of an advancedplatform that will allow scholars to share knowledge andcollaborate in a secure, coordinated and dynamic way; itsmost innovative aspect is the interaction between Grid and Dl(Digital Library) technologies, which could lay the foundationsfor a new generation of scientific infrastructures.62| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts63| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

LILA - G. Nenci Laboratory of Computer Sciencesfor Ancient LanguagesDirector: Prof. Carmine AmpoloLocation: Palazzo della Carovana, piazza dei Cavalieri, 7Info: alphamail@sns.it / http://snsgreek.sns.itThe Laboratory is involved in the creation, use and release ofdata processing tools for classical studies. The activity of thelaboratory is focused on three main projects:a) creation and release of the several versions of theapplication SNS-Greek and Latin, for Windows and Mac OS X,a query tool to access three databases (Greek texts, classicalLatin texts, and Greek documentary papyri and inscriptions)on CD-ROM;b) preparation of self-assessment exercises for Greek andLatin language, literature, history and civilization, withdifferent levels of difficulty and knowledge; the exercises areavailable on the web site of the Scuola Normale Superiore;c) preparation of indices for some large historical works onthe ancient world that are lacking them.LILA collaborates with the Laboratory of History, Archaeologyand Topography of the Ancient World of the Scuola Normalein research projects on the lexicon of ancient economics andfinance, the lexicon of ships and navigation during the ancientGreek-Roman age, and on the Greek and Latin historiographylexicon. LILA provides the users (professors, researchers andstudents) with assistance on how to use the consultationsoftware and the data processing tools in the field of ancienthistory and classical philology, including the different fonts ofancient Mediterranean languages. The Laboratory collaborateswith the Scuola Normale Library, where computers for theconsultation of its databases have been installed; it organizesseminars and promotes cultural activities on Latin and ancientand modern Greek classics.Center for Medieval CultureThe Center for Medieval Culture, which has long been headedby Prof. Armando Petrucci, carries out four types of activityaimed at increasing knowledge of the medieval age andstudying the culture developed in Europe over that period:- editing and publication of critical editions of texts and essayson the history of European medieval culture;- financing research on the history of European medievalculture;- organizing seminars and conferences on topics related to thehistory of European medieval culture;- inviting Italian and foreign experts to the Scuola Normale, forseminars and research activities.The series of publications of unpublished or rare medieval(Latin, Greek or Vulgar) texts is edited by Professor ArmandoPetrucci, together with a committee composed of Gian CarloAlessio, Paola Barocchi, Enrico Castelnuovo, Claudio Ciociola,Gianfranco Fioravanti, Michele Luzzati, Giovanni Nencioni,Cesare Segre, Loris Sturlese and Alfredo Stussi.Research Group on Ancient Greek MusicDirector: Dr. Maria Chiara MartinelliLocation: Palazzo della Carovana, piazza dei Cavalieri, 7Info: m.martinelli@sns.it /www.sns.it/it/laboratori/laboratorilettere/musicaThe common project of this group is a study on the practice ofthe mousiké and its meanings through the analysis of literary,papyrological and epigraphic sources.The idea of creating a research group on ancient Greek musicat the Scuola Normale dates back to 2001, during a seminarheld by Maria Chiara Martinelli in the course of Rhythm andMetrics at the Department of Classical Philology of theUniversity of Pisa.Research topics reflect the interests of the scholars taking partin the group, and range from problems concerning theperformance and transmission of musical texts in the Hellenicage, to philosophic reflection on music and to theoriesconcerning perception of sound and consonance.Research Group on Private Modern Philosophy CollectionsDirectors: Dr. Renzo Ragghianti, Dr. Alessandro SavorelliLocation: Palazzo della Carovana, piazza dei Cavalieri, 764| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts65| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

Info: r.ragghianti@sns.it / a.savorelli@sns.it /www.sns.it/it/laboratori/laboratorilettere/bibliotechefilosoficheThis research group aims to publish online and CD cataloguesof important private collections from philosophers and fromscholars, who gathered remarkable collections of philosophytexts. Research on the philosophical texts from the privatecollections of philosophers and scholars (historians, legalexperts, men/women of letters and scientists) from the end ofthe 1600s to the beginning of the 1900s not aiming atintellectual biography or mere erudition but ratherendeavoring to facilitate research in philosophical history andthe history of ideas.The laboratories and research groups of the Faculty ofSciences are:Neurobiology LaboratoryNEST Laboratory - National Enterprise for nanoScience andnanoTechnologyMolecular Biology LaboratoryEnnio De Giorgi Mathematical Research CenterResearch Group in AstrophysicsResearch Group in Elementary Particle PhysicsResearch Group in Calculus of Variations and GeometricMeasure TheoryResearch Group in Harmonic AnalysisResearch Group in Infinite Dimension AnalysisResearch Group in Theoretical PhysicsResearch Group in Condensed Matter Theoretical PhysicsResearch Group in Diophantine GeometryResearch Group in Dynamic SystemsResearch Group in Complex Analysis and Analytical GeometryNeurobiology LaboratoryDirector: Prof. Lamberto MaffeiLocation: CNR Institute for Neurosciences, via G. Moruzzi, 1Info: volpi@in.cnr.itwww.sns.it/it/laboratori/laboratoriscienze/neuroThe activity of this Laboratory, which studies the nervoussystem, is especially focused on the conditions that canreduce or eliminate sight impairments that in most cases aredue to different kinds of lesions, either surgical or accidental.The Laboratory works on the tissue plasticity of that part(visual cortex) of the nervous system on which the sense ofsight depends, and uses specific models to explain the effectsand potential of plasticity both in growing individuals and inadults.Research techniques involve multidisciplinary skills(biochemical, biological-molecular and cellular,electrophysiological, anatomical, behavioral and imaging) andthe Laboratory has recently shown that some operations, forinstance, the removal of specific components of the extracellularmatrix, can remedy damage to the central nervoussystem and, consequently, stimulate sight. Another interestingdevelopment of the Laboratory’s research is the finding thatsight recovery can occur even when the eye is neitherstimulated nor used.NEST Laboratory - National Enterprise for nanoScience andnanoTechnologyDirector: Prof. Fabio BeltramLocation: “Complesso San Silvestro”, piazza San Silvestro, 12Info: info@nest.sns.it / www.nest.sns.itThe NEST — acronym for National Enterprise for nanoScienceand nanotechnology — is a multidisciplinary research andteaching center, where teams of physicists (theoretical,experimental and computational physicist), chemists andmolecular biologists work together to investigate phenomenaat the nanometer scale, that is with sizes on the order of onemillionth of a millimeter. The knowledge developed is alsoapplied to the design of innovative nanobiotechnologicaldevices and innovative photonic and optoelectronicarchitectures and devices.NEST was co-created in 2001 by the Scuola NormaleSuperiore and the Istituto Nazionale per la Fisica della Materia(National Institute for Condensed Matter Physics), and itincorporated the pre-existing physics laboratory at the ScuolaNormale.NEST research interests range from the physics ofsemiconductor and superconductor nanostructures, with thestudy of their electronic, optical and photonic properties, tothe study of biophysical processes in living cells and tissues,in order to bring knowledge of these molecular processes tothe extreme resolution limit of a single molecule.A key feature of NEST activities, typical of nanoscience, is itsunified methodological approach in research fields that are sovaried and belong to traditionally distinct branches of science.Molecular Biology LaboratoryDirector: Prof. Arturo FalaschiLocation: Institute of Clinical Physiology of CNR, via G.Moruzzi, 1Info: a.cereseto@sns.it /www.sns.it/it/laboratori/laboratoriscienze/biologiamolecolareThe Molecular Biology Laboratory works within the broaderframework of the study of living beings at the level ofmolecular mechanisms, with a main focus on three projects:the molecular aspects of HIV infection (the agent that causesAIDS);the process of regulation of human genome replication;methodologies for gene therapy.66| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts67| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

As far as the first project is concerned, the laboratory dealswith the study of molecular mechanisms responsible for thedevelopment of AIDS, through the spread of the virus ininfected cells, with a specific focus on the DNA characteristicsof the virus and its integration with the DNA of healthy cells.This project is carried on using a combination of methodstypical of molecular biology and high-sensitivity and highspatial resolution optical nanotechnologies.As for the second project, the laboratory is working on theidentification of the proteins that initiate cell replicationprocesses. The same project also studies protein-protein andprotein-DNA interactions, which underlie these processes, andthe details of the involved molecules. A multidisciplinaryapproach is used, which includes methods ranging fromgenetics to molecular biology, from proteomics to theaforementioned nanotechnologies.Finally, in the field of gene therapy, the laboratory aims atidentifying conditions and methodologies for the integrationof external DNA fragments in human genomes and studiesthe use of the spreading of viruses.Ennio de Giorgi Mathematical Research CenterDirector: Prof. Mariano GiaquintaLocation: “Collegio Puteano”, piazza dei Cavalieri, 3Info: crm.sns.itThe aim of the Ennio de Giorgi Research Center is the creationof an environment suitable for the development and spread ofideas in all the fields of pure and applied mathematics, with aparticular attention to interdisciplinary aspects.The main fields of research of the Center are five:Holomorphic dynamical systems and arithmetic;Evolution of Interfaces;Measurement of theoretic aspects of partial differentialequations;Probability in Information Science;Quantum Information.The Center was co-created in 2002 by the Scuola Normale, theScuola Sant’Anna and the University of Pisa, and it hostsworkshops, courses and intensive research periods.In order to enable young researchers to take part in theseactivities, the Center provides grants and fellowships (225 inthe past five years). The “Junior Visiting Positions” project isparticularly important in the life of the Center; thanks to thisproject, young and worthy students can stay at the Center for aperiod of 12 to 24 months to carry out their research. Inaddition, there is a similar project for already establishedmathematicians, who are invited to hold annual series oflectures and seminars at the Center.Every year the Center organizes a series of meetings entitled“Mathematics, Culture and Society”, aimed at attracting thegeneral public to mathematics topics and at investigating the68| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts69| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

elationships between mathematics and other branches oflearning.Since 2003, the Center has been part of ERCOM (EuropeanResearch Centers on Mathematics), which links the mainEuropean centers for mathematical research.Research Group in AstrophysicsContact professor: Prof. Mario VietriLocation: Palazzo della Carovana, piazza dei Cavalieri, 7Info: vietri@sns.itwww.sns.it/it/laboratori/laboratoriscienze/astrofisicaThe activity of the Research Group in Astrophysics is devotedto the study of the physical processes of interaction betweenradiation and matter. In particular, research concentrates onhigh-energy theoretical astrophysics, i.e., on gamma- and X-raysources in space.Research mainly concerns Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays(UHECRs) and Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs). As far as UHECRsare concerned, the group is working on a new formulation ofFermi’s theory of charged particle acceleration near shocks ofany kind. It studies the modifications required in case ofspherical symmetry in hyper-relativistic shocks, and thestability of Newtonian shocks when the pressure of nonthermalparticles is not negligible. As far as GRBs areconcerned, the Scuola Normale is at the leading edge for blackhole accretion from a high-density partially neutronized diskand for the study of GRBs as cosmological distance indicators.The group collaborates with the Observatory of Arcetri andwith scholars from the Universities of Princeton and Naples.Research Group in Elementary Particle PhysicsDirectors: Prof. Lorenzo Foà, Prof. Italo MannelliLocation: Pisa Section of the Institute of Nuclear Physics(INFN), Building C – “Fibonacci” Center - Largo B.Pontecorvo, 3Info: lorenzo.foa@sns.itwww.sns.it/it/laboratori/laboratoriscienze/fisicapartThe Research Group in Elementary Particle Physics aims atobserving and interpreting the physical processes of thefundamental matter constituents at a sub-nuclear level. Morespecifically, the research group focuses on the study ofelementary particles, such as quarks and leptons. The study ofthe interactions between these particles can only be carriedout in laboratories equipped with cutting-edge devices, suchas high-energy positron and proton and/or electronaccelerators. These technologies allow the group to explore,on a very small scale, conditions similar to the ones thatexisted a few instants after the Big Bang. The experimentalactivities of the theoretical physics research groups of ScuolaNormale focus on two main areas:70| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts71| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

the first area concerns the study of the interactions among theconstituents of high energy matter and uses state-of-the-arttechnologies, such as the aforementioned accelerators;the second area concerns a series of experiments investigatingthe origin of the violation of the symmetry between matter andantimatter, the phenomenon that generated the universe,assuming that, if this violation had never occurred, theamount of antimatter produced would have been equal to thatof matter and the resulting reciprocal annihilation would haveleft just light, but neither celestial bodies nor living beings.Research Group in Calculus of Variations and GeometricMeasure TheoryDirector: Prof. Luigi AmbrosioLocation: Palazzo della Carovana, piazza dei Cavalieri, 7Info: l.ambrosio@sns.it / http://cvgmt.sns.itThe group studies different problems of non-linear analysiswith techniques of calculus of variations and geometricmeasure theory. The most recent results of the group in thisfield include the theory of optimal transport, the wellconditioning of hyperbolic equations with irregular data,generalized graphs and their peculiarities, the problems ofparabolic evolution (for measure, surfaces, harmonic maps, inmetric spaces), and geometric measure Theory in metricspaces.Furthermore, from a more abstract point of view, the group isinterested in developing geometric measure theory techniquesin fields that are also far from the Euclidean field (even on alocal scale) and in particular in sub-Riemannian type spaces.Research Group in Harmonic AnalysisDirector: Prof. Fulvio RicciLocation: Palazzo della Carovana, piazza dei Cavalieri, 7Info: f.ricci@sns.itwww.sns.it/it/laboratori/laboratoriscienze/armonicaThe Research Group in Harmonic Analysis studies therepresentation of functions as an overlap of elementary waves.The research activity of the group includes different aspects ofFourier analysis in classical fields, such as convolutionoperators, Fourier multipliers and singular integrals and aspectsof non-commutative harmonic analysis, in particular in nilpotentLie groups and on symmetrical spaces, with applications tocomplex analysis and to the equations of partial derivatives.The group is interested in the following research areas:convolution operators, singular integrals, maximal operators,Fourier multipliers;LP-improving phenomenon, LP-boundedness of generalizedand singular Radon transforms;Fourier analysis on the Heisenberg group and on nilpotent Liegroups;invariant differential operators on Lie groups: local solvabilityand LP-boundedness of spectral multipliers;methods of commutative and non-commutative Fourieranalysis in complex analysis: spaces of holomorphic functionson symmetric Siegel domains, boundary values and estimatesfor Bergman projectors.Research Group in Infinite Dimension AnalysisDirector: Prof. Giuseppe da PratoLocation: Palazzo della Carovana, piazza dei Cavalieri, 7Info: daprato@sns.itwww.sns.it/it/laboratori/laboratoriscienze/dimeinfinitaThe research project of the group concerns Kolmogorovequations in Hilbert spaces. Kolmogorov equations are a setof second-order elliptic and parabolic equations in a Hilbertspace. Compared with traditional theory, Kolmogorovequations are characterized by the fact that the coefficients ofthe differential operators under consideration can be unlimitedand quite irregular. Furthermore, during their study, muchattention is paid to the connections with differential stochasticequations.There are a number of reasons to study Kolmogorovequations, for example:a natural mathematical interest in extending classical resultswithout assuming the usual hypotheses of regularity and limit72| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts73| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

in the coefficients;the possibility of using obtained results to study partialderivate stochastic equations and associated controlproblems;the possibility of applying obtained results to mathematicalmodels within various fields, such as economics and finance,fluid dynamics (in particular, turbulence), populationdynamics, statistical mechanics and field theory (stochasticquantization).Research Group in Theoretical PhysicsConctact Professor: Prof. Riccardo BarbieriLocation: Palazzo della Carovana, piazza dei Cavalieri, 7Info: barbieri@sns.itwww.sns.it/it/laboratori/laboratoriscienze/fisicateoricaThe interests and research areas of this group are subdividedinto three main fields:Elementary Particle Physics. The group is interested inpotential modifications to the theoretical description of theinteractions between elementary particles in the light of theexperiments about to be performed at Large Hadron Colliderin Geneva. The Laboratory contributes by suggesting possiblemodels and examining their phenomenological consequences.Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics. The modern view of thephysics of fundamental interaction is a highly integratedapproach of cosmology, astrophysics and elementary particlephysics. In this general framework, the group is mainlyinterested in the problems of the interpretation of matter anddark energy in cosmology and in their possible implications forthe physics of elementary particles.Theory of Fields, Strings and Gravity. Nowadays, the theory ofstrings is a conceptual framework for the unification of thefundamental interactions with gravity, potentially able tocombine it with quantum mechanics. The activity of the researchgroup is aimed at explaining the contents and the meaning ofthe theory and gaining a better understanding of vacuum in thepresence of supersymmetry breaking, a key element in linkingthe theory of strings to the physics of elementary particles.Research Groups in Condensed Matter Theoretical Physics:Quantum Transport and Quantum InformationDirector: Prof. Rosario FazioLocation: Palazzo della Carovana, piazza dei Cavalieri, 7The research activities of the group are developed within thefield of quantum transport, solid state quantum computationand theory of quantum information.Electronic States and Optical Transitions in SolidsDirector: Prof. Giuseppe La RoccaLocation: Palazzo della Carovana, piazza dei Cavalieri, 7The group studies the exciton physics, spin-orbit coupling insemiconductors, coherent optical nonlinearities and atom optics.Theory of Quantum FluidsLocation: Palazzo della Carovana, piazza dei Cavalieri, 7The group performs research activities in the study of coherentquantum matter and of the correlations in low-dimensionalelectronic systems.Research Group in Diophantine GeometryDirector: Prof. Umberto ZannierLocation: Palazzo della Carovana, piazza dei Cavalieri, 7Info: u.zannier@sns.it /www.sns.it/it/laboratori/laboratoriscienze/diofantea/The research area of this group falls within the field of the theoryof numbers, and it concerns the application of geometricmethods to the study of Diophantine equations. They derivetheir name from Diophantus from Alexandria, who tried to findrational solutions to problems leading to multiple-variableequations in the III century A.D.Research areas of the group are:Integer points on curves and other algebraic varieties: problemsof finiteness and parameterization of the points of interest.Application of Diophantine approximation techniques, inparticular Schmidt’s subspace theorem.Diophantine equations on number and function fields. Issues ofeffective determination of the solutions.74| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts75| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

Height of algebraic points on sub-varieties of group varieties.Linear dependence of points on sub-varieties of group varieties;connected problems of intersections of fixed sub-varieties withalgebraic sub-groups in suitable families (e.g. those of a givendimension).Irreducibility of polynomials on number fields and functionfields; analogues of the Bertini Theorem for algebraic groups.Issues about Hilbert’s Irreducibility Theorem.Research Group in Dynamic SystemsDirector: Prof. Stefano MarmiLocation: Palazzo della Carovana, piazza dei Cavalieri, 7Info: s.marmi@sns.it /www.sns.it/it/laboratori/laboratoriscienze/sistemidinamiciThe group deals with the study of dynamic systems, that is themathematical models expressing the variation of a state in time.In this field, the research interests of the group focus on theholomorphic dynamics in one or several complex variables,small divisor problems, continued fractions and measuredfoliations.The group is also involved in the organization of seminars ondynamic systems at the Ennio de Giorgi Mathematical ResearchCenter.Current research projects concern:Dynamics of holomorphic maps in several complex variables ina neighborhood of a non-hyperbolic fixed point;Arithmetical conditions and solutions of cohomologicalequations for interval exchange transformations;Ergodic theory and developments in continued fraction;Phase transitions in spin hierarchical lattices and holomorphicdynamics of the renormalization group.Research Group in Complex Analysis and Analytical GeometryDirector: Prof. Giuseppe TomassiniLocation: Palazzo della Carovana, piazza dei Cavalieri, 7Info: tomassini@sns.it /www.sns.it/it/laboratori/laboratoriscienze/anacomplThe group deals with research in the fields of complex analysis,analytical geometry and geometry of CR varieties. The groupstudies Levi-flat varieties and their associated non-linearproblems. The research activity also focuses on holomorphicenvelopes, the problem of Levi and the structure of weaklypseudo-complete complex spaces.The main research areas are:existence of holomorphic chains and Levi-flat hypersurfaceswith assigned boundary, in the context of complex structuresand, more generally, in the context of quasi-complex structures;existence of Levi-flat hypersurfaces with a partly-assignedboundary;Geometric structure of weakly complete complex spaces;existence of the envelope of holomorphy for open complexspaces and the problem of Levi;evolution of compact subsets of C 2 and CP 2 by Levi formResearch Group in Algebraic GeometryDirector: Prof. Angelo VistoliLocation: Palazzo della Carovana, piazza dei Cavalieri, 7Info: angelo.vistoli@sns.it /www.sns.it/it/laboratori/laboratoriscienze/geometrialgebrica/The research area is geometry of algebraic varieties, in particularmoduli theory (algebraic stacks, curves and Abelian varieties).The group carries out research in:Theory of algebraic stacksAlgebraic intersection theoryStable mapsActions of algebraic groups, equivariant K-theory, equivariantChow rings, equivariant cohomologyGeometry of affined spaces, polynomial mapsModuli spaces of vector bundles on algebraic curves andprojective spacesModuli spaces of Abelian varieties. Abelian and non Abeliantheta functionsGeometry of algebraic and Jacobian variety of curvesOsculating variety of curves and algebraic surfaces and theirdegeneration76| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts77| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

7_Facilities

1. Administration Structures1.1 Student Services DivisionPalazzo del Castelletto, via del Castelletto 11. Open Mondaythrough Friday: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. Allstudents – undergraduate, doctoral and grant holders – canrefer to the Student Services Division for any matterconcerning their studies at the Scuola Normale.Among the main services, it provides information andcommunication concerning the notices of competition foradmission to undergraduate and doctoral programs; itreceives and manages the documents related to the programs,such as plans of study and certificates; it manages therecording of the exams and of the annual colloquia; it is incharge of tuition fee reimbursements; it provides informationand communications on fellowships and student mobility andon post-degree and post-doctoral grants and degree awards; itprovides counseling and assistance to the students insubmitting their plans of study and in applying for study andresearch periods abroad, as well as the issuance of certificatesand diplomas.For further information please contact:segreteria.studenti@sns.it /Tel.: 050 5092371.2 Academic Faculties Administration OfficesThe Faculty of Arts Administration Office is on the first floor ofPalazzo della Carovana. It is open Monday through Thursdayfrom 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. and on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.The Faculty of Sciences Administration Office is on the thirdfloor of Palazzo della Carovana. It is open Monday throughFriday from 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.The offices support the administrative and institutionalactivities of the Faculties. They coordinate the work of theDeans of the Faculties, by dealing with the administrative andlogistic aspects of organizing teaching and cultural activities,seminars and conferences. Furthermore, they manage theapplications for external research grants.For further information please contact:Faculty of Artssegreteria.lettere@sns.itTel: 050 509296Faculty of Sciencessegreteria.scienze@sns.itTel: 050 5092032. Computing Center – CEICCEIC, the Computing and Information Processing Center,acquires, organizes and manages shared data-processing80| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

esources of the Scuola Normale. The Center is located on theground floor of Palazzo del Castelletto, in via del Castelletto 11,near Piazza dei Cavalieri.The operating systems running on the personal computersavailable are Linux, Windows and Macintosh. The Center furtherprovides centralized services, such as the e-mail, scientificcomputation, web services, database, library catalogue, dataprocessingsystems for the administration and the studentservices division on Linux and Windows servers.In the dormitories of the Scuola Normale students can accessdedicated rooms, equipped with computers running Windows,Linux and Macintosh, 24-hours a day.When students enter the Scuola Normale, they are given anindividual e-mail account and the Computing Center can activatethe internet connection in individual student rooms. The technicalstaff of the Center can provide software and computer-basedsolutions for educational activities and research projects.Any request or problem report is managed through the HelpDesk, available by phone at 050 509340 or 3409700858 (activeonly when the Help Desk technicians are busy in externalactivities).For further information please contact:http://ceic.sns.it / segr_ced@sns.it3. BuildingsScuola Normale organizes its activities within buildings ofgreat historical and architectural value, most of which overlookPiazza dei Cavalieri, in the heart of the town of Pisa.Palazzo della CarovanaIt houses the main premises of the Scuola Normale. Thebuilding is located along the northern side of Piazza deiCavalieri and houses the head offices of the Scuola, the lecturehalls, the offices of the professors, the administration officesof the Faculties and the periodical section of the Library of theScuola. The project of the present building, by Giorgio Vasari,dates back to 1562: Vasari unified pre-existing buildings fromthe 12 th Century – among them, the former premises of theCouncil of Elders of the Republic of Pisa – into a singlestructure. From 1564 it was the residence of the Knights of theOrder of Saint Stephen, who were once trained there in the artof war, as well as the sciences.Reception 050 509280Palazzo dell’Orologio, also known as Palazzo della GherardescaThe Palazzo dell’Orologio, next to Palazzo della Carovana,houses the main part of the Library of the Scuola, in particularthe Humanities section. The building encloses two preexistingtowers, connected by a vault: the right-hand tower isknown as the Tower of Hunger, due to the tragic death ofCount Ugolino recounted by Dante in Canto XXXIII of theInferno. The building is accessed through an undergroundpassageway from the ground floor of Palazzo della Carovana.Reception 050 509205Palazzo del CapitanoThe Palazzo del Capitano, along via Ulisse Dini, houses part ofthe Library of the Scuola Normale: on the ground floor, thesections of Art History and rare and antique books; on thesecond and third floor, the section of Sciences and someadministrative offices. This building is accessed from via delCastelletto.Reception 050 509700Palazzo del CastellettoThe Palazzo del Castelletto houses the administration officesof the Scuola Normale, the Computing Center, and a 170-seatconference room named after the mathematician Ulisse Dini.The building also houses the Associazione Normalisti and theAmici della Scuola Normale.Reception 050 509868Collegio PuteanoFounded in 1604, it is the only building surviving from theoriginal system of university residences in Pisa. It currentlyhouses Scuola Normale guest rooms, the Ennio De GiorgiMathematical Research Center, and two lecture rooms areused for the internal lectures and seminars of the ScuolaNormale. The building is in Piazza dei Cavalieri.Reception 050 50936882| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts83| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

Compendio San SilvestroThe set of buildings called Compendio San Silvestro, in PiazzaSan Silvestro, was the first home of the Scuola NormaleSuperiore during the Napoleonic period. In 2002 it wasallotted to the Scuola Normale for free and perpetual use bythe State Property Agency. The whole structure has beenintensely renovated with the contribution of FondazioneMonte dei Paschi di Siena and now houses the new premisesof NEST Laboratory and a dormitory for the students of theScuola Normale.Reception 050 509488Palazzo della CanonicaIt is home to the Interdisciplinary Center for the Research,Planning and Management of Cultural Heritage and isplanned to house part of the ever-growing Library of theScuola Normale, in particular the collections donated toScuola. Among the most recent ones, there are the donationsby Clifford Truesdell, Sebastiano Timpanaro, Ettore Passerind’Entreves, Cesare Luporini, Vittore Branca and Eugenio Garin.Palazzone di CortonaThe Palazzone is a Renaissance villa in Cortona (Arezzo)donated to Scuola Normale by Count Lorenzo Passerini in1968. It houses a center for academic activities, conferencesand the orientation courses of the Scuola Normale. Somerooms were frescoed by Luca Signorelli and by Papacello.Reception 050 509399Conferences secretariat 050 509398DormitoriesEach undergraduate student is granted an en-suite singleroom in one of the dormitories of the Scuola Normale. Eachroom is equipped with Internet connection and a telephonefor internal and external calls.Collegio Domenico TimpanoFormed by three interconnected building components(Timpano, Timpanino and Acconci), it can house up to 120students and grant holders. A computer room, a laboratory ofphysics, study rooms and recreational spaces (including agarden) are available for the students. The dormitory has beenopen since 1959 and is located at Lungarno Pacinotti No. 51.Reception 050 509500Collegio Alessandro D’AnconaNamed after the man of letters Alessandro D’Ancona, thisdormitory houses 54 students. Besides the bedrooms, areading room, a TV room and a music room are available forthe student. It houses the cafeteria of Scuola Normale. Thedormitory is accessed from Consoli del Mare No. 3.Reception 050 509210Collegio Enrico FermiHousing 46 students, it is the smallest of the Scuola Normaledormitories. Lecture rooms and recreational spaces areavailable for the students. The dormitory is in via S. ApolloniaNo. 29.Reception 050 509800Collegio Giosue CarducciIt opened in 1995 and houses up to 91 students. Fullyequipped shared facilities are available, such as a billiard andtable tennis room, a gym room, a projector room, a musicroom, a computer room, a laundry room and some studyrooms. The offices for the Nutritional and PsychologicalCounseling Service provided by the Scuola Normale are in thisbuilding as well. The dormitory is in via Turati No. 15, not farfrom the railway station.Reception 050 509999Collegio Alessandro FaedoOpened in 2006, it is the most recent dormitory of the ScuolaNormale, purchased and managed in cooperation with theScuola Superiore Sant’Anna. The building houses 83 studentsof the Scuola Normale and the same number of students ofthe Scuola Sant’Anna. Recreational spaces, study rooms, agym room, a projector room, a computer room and a musicroom are available for the students. The dormitory is in via delGiardino No. 3.Reception 050 5088004. Associations and FoundationsConservatorio Santa Chiara FoundationThe Conservatorio Santa Chiara in San Miniato became afoundation in April 2006, with the aim of supporting the manyactivities of the Scuola Normale in academic and teachingfields. The spacious building housing the Foundation is ofgreat historical value: first a Clarisse convent and a boardingschool for girls, since the mid 1990s it has housed the SantaChiara Museum. It is equipped with twenty-five rooms, acafeteria and conference rooms of several dimensions. It canhouse up to 50 people.Via Roma, 15 - San Miniato (Pisa)Reception 0571 43050Associazione Normalisti (Scuola Normale Association)Founded in 1997 by a promoting committee headed by Prof.Alessandro Faedo, the Associazione Normalisti currently hasmore than 600 members (alumni, current students,researchers and professors), who work or are still workingwithin the Scuola Normale Superiore. The Association isdirected by Prof. Franco Montanari.Tel.: 050 50950184| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts85| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

Amici della Scuola Normale (Friends of the Scuola Normale)The Amici della Scuola Normale is a free partnership amonginstitutions and companies, created in 1990 with the aim ofpromoting innovative activities involving the Scuola Normale.The association promotes activities within different fields, todevelop a permanent connection between the world ofbusiness and economy and the Scuola Normale, betweenapplied research and pure research. It is directed by AntonioMaccanico.Tel.: 050 509654Fondazione Giorgio PasqualiHoused in the main premises of the Scuola Normale, theGiorgio Pasquali Foundation offers annual fellowships fordoctoral students of philology, archaeology and classicalhistory. It was founded in accordance with the will of Mrs.Maria Nosei, widow of Giorgio Pasquali, professor at theScuola Normale from 1930 to 1952. It is headed by SalvatoreSettis.Tel.: 050 509040Fondazione Collegio PuteanoThe Puteano College was founded on 8 December 1604 by theArchbishop of Pisa, Carlo Antonio Da Pozzo, with the aim ofproviding young needy Catholic students with the necessaryeconomic means to attend the University of Pisa. TheFoundation pursues the project of its founder by offering twofellowships every year. It is headed by Pietro Pietrini.Tel.: 050 2213615Fondazione SansoneThe Emma and Giovanni Sansone Foundation was establishedby will of Prof. Giovanni Sansone, who was a student of theScuola Normale from 1906 to 1910 and then professor ofmathematics there. The Foundation is housed at the ScuolaNormale, and its aim is to grant doctoral fellowships to youngpostgraduate students of mathematics. It is headed bySalvatore Settis.Tel. 050 50921586| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

8_Cultural Activities

1. Edizioni della NormaleThe Scuola Normale has always combined its teaching andresearch activities with an extensive and significant publishingactivity, first of all the Annals of the two Faculties. Since 2003,the publishing activity of the Scuola has been reorganized onseveral levels, by establishing a modern publishing center, byredesigning the graphics of the series, and by rethinking itsnetwork of collaborations and its target public.Scuola Normale’s publishing center, Le Edizioni, publishes theacademic activity of the two Faculties, but is also open to worksby external scholars. Its publications are designed to addressthe wider educated public, by dealing with themes andproblems ranging from the ancient world to contemporaryculture in all the varieties of its aspects – from the arts to thesciences, from philosophy to literature.The publications are organized in a series of collections: Studi,Testi e commenti, Opere di Tommaso Campanella, Carteggi,Seminari e convegni, Biblioteca, Forme, Strumenti, Lezioni,Appunti, Quaderni, Tesi, CRM Series, Colloquia.Besides traditional publishing, the staff of Le Edizioni is alsointerested in on-line publishing, working in synergy withSIGNUM, the Center for Computer-Based HumanitiesResearch, to experiment with new methods for bookconsultation.The catalog includes over three hundred titles and can beconsulted on-line at the following address:www.sns.it/it/edizioni/catalogo.For further information, see: edizioni@sns.it; Tel. 050509220/509892.2. I Venerdì del DirettoreI Venerdì del Direttore — Guest Speakers on FridayAfternoons — is a series of public conferences, generally heldon Friday afternoons, organized with respect for the spirit ofdialogue typical of the Scuola Normale. Outstanding figuresfrom the intellectual, scientific, economic, political or literaryworlds dialogue with students and professors of the ScuolaNormale and the citizenship of Pisa on current topics. Amongthe guests of recent editions: Giuliano Amato, Franco Battiato,Ezio Mauro, Gao Xingjian, Corrado Passera, and FrancescoRosi.3. Seminars, Conferences, ilcontestoThe Scuola Normale offers its students, researches, professorsand the city of Pisa a variety of cultural activities, oriented to abroad non-specialist audience and pertaining to a wide rangeof fields and to the world of music.90| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts91| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

SymposiaThe Scuola Normale opens its academic year with a day ofconferences and debates on 18 October every year in memoryof the anniversary of its foundation by Napoleonic decree onthat date in 1810. The day is organized in turn by one of the twoFaculties and ends with a classical music concert which marksthe opening of the concert season of the Scuola Normale.Series of Seminars by External ProfessorsDuring the academic year, the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty ofSciences organize series of seminars on both specialized andmore popular topics by professors external to the ScuolaNormale. Presented by outstanding figures from university,research and cultural areas, the seminars are oriented not onlytowards the students and professors of the Scuola Normale,but to a broader audience of scholars and thinkers. Otherevents, conferences and days of study, such as the LezioniFermiane, Lezioni Comparettiane and Cattedra Galileiana, areorganized in collaboration with prestigious institutions.The Students’ ForumThe Students’ Forum grew out of the desire of a group ofstudents to take part in the cultural life of the Scuola Normale,to reflect on the present-day situation and to approach theworld of work. Its activity mainly consists in the organization ofpublic meetings with outstanding personalities, chosen andinvited for their expertise within various fields of interest. Theyare not traditional conferences, but rather an open discussionbetween the guests and the audience. Meetings pertain tothree main areas: Education and Research; Economics andDevelopment; Art and Communication.Mathematics, Culture and SocietyEvery year, the Ennio De Giorgi Mathematical Research Centerorganizes an annual lecture series on Mathematics, Culture andSociety, a series of meetings aimed at encouraging an exchangebetween the world of scientific research and the rest of society.The purpose of these meetings, which are characterized by thevariety of subjects dealt with, is to reveal the way in whichmathematics is involved in many, even unexpected, disciplinaryfields and in everyday life. The lectures are held in the AulaDini, a conference hall in Palazzo Castelletto.The Colloquia of the Faculty of SciencesThe Faculty of Sciences organizes monthly meetings withinternationally renowned experts, pertaining to topics ofgeneral interest within the fields of biology, chemistry, physicsand mathematics. Their aim is to provide some occasions ofmeeting and discussion to students, grant holders, visitingstudents, researchers, professors and everyone else who isinterested in participating.92| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts93| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

SIGNUM SeminarsEvery year, SIGNUM, the Center for computer-basedhumanities research, offers a series of seminars, investigatingtopics related to the application of computer science tohumanities. These meetings are generally held in the AulaBianchi lecture hall at Scuola Normale.ilcontestoilcontesto is a journal of cultural, social and political criticalanalysis. It was founded in 2003 by students of the ScuolaNormale and is published by Ets. The journal promotes acultural exchange between humanities and sciences, on topicssuch as publishing, war, law and Europe.4. I Concerti della NormaleIn the panorama of regional and national concert seasons, theConcerts of the Scuola Normale have attracted particularattention thanks to the wide variety of genres explored andtheir stylistic experimentation. Every year from October to Junethe Scuola Normale offers its students, professors and allinterested music lovers an intensive program of musicalevents and orchestral interpretations by some of the mosttalented groups, soloists and directors on the contemporaryscene.Music entered the Scuola Normale in a period when thepractice of universities organizing concerts was practicallyunheard of in Italian.The idea came from Gilberto Bernardini, Director of theScuola Normale, who worked together with Maestro PieroFarulli to organize the first concert season in 1967.Under the management first of Piero Farulli, then of AndreaMascagni and, most recently, of Carlo De Incontrera, theconcert season became a traditional element of the culturalactivities of the Scuola.Over its forty years of activity, the Concerts have brought toPisa both internationally famous and young talented artists,offering space as well to Medieval, Renaissance and Baroquemusic, and to repertoires of modern and contemporarycomposers.Musical Activities at Scuola NormaleSince 1967, the Scuola Normale has encouraged musicalculture and the passion and appreciation of its students formusic through different activities.Music LecturesThe Music Lectures integrate concert activity with theory,performances and short series of concerts. Famousinternational Maestros are invited to hold lectures that haverecently taken the form of proper monographic seminars inthe Aula Bianchi lecture hall of the Palazzo della Carovana.The Vincenzo Galilei ChorusThe Vincenzo Galilei Chorus was founded in 1973 by MaestroPiero Farulli. Its repertoire ranges from Renaissance music tothe music of the twentieth century, from a cappella tosymphonic-choral performances. Nowadays composed ofmore than 60 members counting singers and musicians, atthe beginning of each academic year it opens the selections tonew Scuola Normale students. The Association has itspremises within the Scuola Normale Superiore.Musical IntervalsThe Musical Intervals are series of concerts organized andperformed by the students. They are held in Aula Bianchi andallow students from within and external to the Scuola toperform before an audience of young music lovers. Every year,a student is elected to organize and manage the event.For further information please contact:concerti@sns.it / Tel.: 050 509052/50943294| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts95| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

9_Appendix: Historical Outline

The Scuola Normale Superiore was founded in 1810 by NapoleonI, as twin institution of the École Normale Supérieure in Paris,itself dating back to the French Revolution jurisdiction: the aim ofthese “Schools” was to offer specialized programs for the trainingof teachers. The term “École Normale” (“Scuola Normale”) wascoined by Joseph Lakanal who, in submitting a report to theNational Convention of 1794 on behalf of the Committee of PublicInstruction, explained it as follows: “Normales : du latin norma,règle. Ces écoles doivent être en effet le type et la règle de toutesles autres”. Students had to study not only academic subjects, butalso and especially how to communicate and teach them to youngcitizens.The Decree of FoundationNapoleon rethought the project of an École Normale in 1808, byestablishing a “Normale” hall of residence in Paris, to houseyoung students and train them in the art of teaching thehumanities and sciences. The project was replicated in Tuscany bya decree dated 18 October 1810, with the foundation in Pisa, seatof one of the Imperial University Academies, of a branch of theÉcole Normale Supérieure in Paris, called the Scuola NormaleSuperiore.The first competition for 25 students was announced in February1811 with a deadline at the beginning of September, but it was notuntil 1 November 1813 that the Scuola Normale in Pisa trulystarted its activities by enrolling its first arts and sciences studentsand establishing disciplinary regulations for its dormitory, firstlocated in the Convent of San Silvestro. The Scuola Normale wasreserved to the most worthy students, selected after theirsecondary-school programs. The students would receive theirdegrees from the Faculty of Arts or the Faculty of Sciences of theImperial University and their teaching diploma from the ScuolaNormale. After having undergone these training activities, thestudents would work as secondary schools teachers for at leastten years.The Grand-Duchy Period: 1847-1859When, in 1814, Grand Duke Ferdinand III returned to Tuscany, theproject of a Scuola Normale in Pisa ceased. Only at the beginningof the 1840’s, in connection with the university reform of 1839-1841, the project of an institution aimed at training secondaryschool teachers was resumed. The question was combined withthe proposals of resumption of the educational activities of theancient Order of Saint Stephen, whose main premises were withinthe Palazzo della Carovana in Pisa. On 28 November 1846, agrand-ducal motu proprio founded a Tuscan Scuola Normale inPisa (also referred to as the Imperial Royal Scuola Normale, sinceit was linked to the Austrian system), with both theoretical andpractical aims, under the patronage of the Order of Saint Stephen,but depending on the University of Pisa. Ten full scholarshipswere available through a competitive examination, with preferencegiven to members of the Order; further places were available by98| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts99| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

payment of tuition fees. Features worth mentioning are the threeyearcourse of studies, the great importance paid to the religiousand disciplinary aspects of the life in the Scuola Normale,entrusted to the charge of a rector chosen from amongclergymen, the professional orientation, as evidenced by thechoice of the professor of pedagogy at the University of Pisa asDirector of Studies; the right reserved to the philology andphilosophy students of the Scuola Normale to be housed in thedormitories, whereas the physics and mathematics students wereconsidered as “associate students”. The Scuola Normale openedin November 1847, in Palazzo della Carovana, and later bore theconsequences of the 1848 university riots at the University of Pisa,from the expulsions of the short democratic period to theuniversity counter-reformation in 1851.During the grand-ducal period, the Scuola Normale was affectedby the political climate of its time: enthusiasm for theRisorgimento was countered by reactionary and denominationalattitudes for fear of subversive movements and riots.Nevertheless, the Scuola Normale took on a special role withinthe educational organization of Tuscany, proved by the fact thatthe exams to qualify as teachers took place in Pisa.The Scuola Normale during the Kingdom of Italy: 1859-1862Between 1859 and 1862, with some changes to its statute, due tothe complex ongoing process of reorganization of the nationalschool and university system, the Scuola Normale survivedmostly thanks to the work of the new men called to theUniversity of Pisa at that time and thanks to important figuresfrom the grand-ducal Scuola Normale, such as the pedagoguePecchioli and the canon Sbragia. After a long debateconcerning the organization of one or more universitiesstructured according to the different models offered by theÉcole Normale in Paris, by German seminars and by Englishcolleges, an important reorganization of the Scuola Normale inPisa occurred in 1862. After several project proposals, theMinister Matteucci implemented new regulations in a decreedated 17 October 1862. The program would last three years andthe admission to the Scuola would occur through a competitiveexamination after the first year of university studies; there was tobe an organic division into two Faculties, of Arts of Sciences,with the Arts students housed at the Scuola Normale; a moresecular approach to teaching was encouraged, without anyreligious and denominational element. Admission exams couldbe sat at the six main universities of the Reign, which ensured anational hiring basis, even if for a limited number of students.With its unique role in the new national university system, theScuola Normale became the place where a renewed intellectualelite was trained through unique forms of teaching, andpromoted a new discipline, based on example, collaborationand emulation, in a framework of significant cultural andideological open-mindedness, which was simpler to apply withina limited and selected community.From 1863 to 1927In 1863, the new Director of the Scuola Normale, Pasquale Villari,organized the extension of the program to four years. Furthermore,in the same period the University of Pisa added new chairs, also tosupport the role that the Scuola Normale had gained. Villari left theScuola in 1865, and his place was taken by the mathematicianEnrico Betti; from 1890 to 1900, the position of Director was filledby literature historian Alessandro D’Ancona, and from 1900 to 1918by the mathematician Ulisse Dini. The new regulations, issued byMinister Coppino in 1877, reviewed and simplified the internal studyregulations and equalized, from an organizational point of view, theFaculties of Arts and Sciences; moreover, the last two years at theScuola were linked to the Schools of Education, i.e. to the subsidiarycourses established in 1875-1876 within the Faculties of Arts andSciences and aimed at the training of teachers. Teaching was carriedon by private tutors as well as by professors of the University of Pisaworking in the Scuola Normale; the figure of the “internalprofessor” of the Scuola Normale became typical only under thedirection Gentile and afterwards. Further changes to the statutewere introduced in 1895 and 1908 to strengthen the qualifyingnature of the institution. The life of the Scuola suffered frommaterial difficulties during the years of the First World War and inthe post-war period, from the changes that occurred in thecomposition of the teaching staff of the University of Pisa and, moregenerally, in the intellectual climate of Italy. In 1918, Luigi Bianchibecame the Director of the Scuola. The abolition in 1920 of the100| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts101| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

Schools of Education within the universities resulted in somechanges in the Scuola Normale regulations at the beginning of1923. Minister Giovanni Gentile attempted to address someurgent financial needs, but was unsuccessful at assuring theScuola Normale the permanent availability of doctoral fellowships,which were initially contemplated as internship positions and thenofficially established in 1927.The Scuola Normale under Gentile: 1928-1943Gentile, one of the protagonists of Fascist politics within the fieldof education, was placed at the head of the Scuola Normale ascommissioner in 1928 and as director in 1932. He reacted to asituation of decadence by expanding the premises of the ScuolaNormale, Palazzo dei Cavalieri, by increasing the number ofscholarships available and of the internal activities, and bypromulgating a new statute in 1932, which recognized the ScuolaNormale as an advanced education institute with “a legal statusand administrative, educational and disciplinary autonomy”.Gentile was able to consolidate the Scuola Normale thanks to theexceptional funds granted by Mussolini as well as provisionscoming from the establishment around the University of Pisa ofan inter-provincial university consortium in 1931. The relationshipbetween State and Church, inaugurated by the Lateran Treaty,eased the negotiations with the archbishopric aimed at obtainingthe use of Palazzo Puteano. This building, together with CollegioTimpano, was used to house the young students of the ScuolaNormale while the works to expand Palazzo della Carovana werecarried on. Under Gentile, the Scuola Normale was closed to femalestudents, who had become relatively numerous in the years aroundthe war. Gentile tried to maintain a space of autonomy for the ScuolaNormale, even though this autonomy was limited and even reducedby the statute in 1938. In policies and discipline and in hisrelationships with the students, he oscillated from tolerance tocontrol. The fundamental aims were twofold: preparatory training forteaching and for the teaching qualifying examinations, andpromoting a high scientific and literary culture. The Scuola Normalecarried on its activity during Second World War, albeit with somelimitations and practical difficulties. Gentile left the direction of theScuola in August 1943.Post-war Period: 1944-1963In the months during which the fronts of World War II continued tochange locations, the direction was entrusted to the mathematicianTonelli – who was especially involved in trying to materiallysafeguard the Scuola Normale, by defending the library andfurnishings of Palazzo dei Cavalieri and moving the most importantcollections to the nearby Carthusian monastery in Calci. After theliberation of Pisa his place was taken by Luigi Russo, who was incharge until October 1948. During the post-war period, there weremany practical difficulties; however, besides the restoration ofPalazzo dei Cavalieri, it was decided to announce a competition forseventy scholarships for veteran or partisan students, with efforts toraise awareness of the need for financial resources in addition topublic funds and thus create a patrimony through donations andpurchases. The replacement of Russo with Professor EttoreRemoti from Genoa by the Christian Democratic ministerGonella gave rise to discussions and disputes, in which, besidesnoticing the material improvements obtained by the ScuolaNormale, the political nature of that succession was underlined.In 1952, the Scuola Normale was opened to female studentsagain. Meanwhile, in 1951, it was formally involved in theestablishment of the Antonio Pacinotti boarding school,reserved to students of the faculties of Agriculture, Economicsand Engineering, with plans to be further opened to otherfaculties as well. The aim of the boarding school, whosestructure was meant to be similar to the one of the ScuolaNormale, was to train teachers in technical subjects andpromote research in the field of applied sciences. The Directorof the Scuola Normale would have headed the board ofdirectors of the new boarding school as well, and the ScuolaNormale was also involved in the administrative and disciplinarymanagement of the medical and juridical boarding schools.Nevertheless, the new-born scientific boarding schools,originally planned to work alongside the Scuola Normale, didnot succeed in finding an organic and lasting connection with it.The present-day StructureDuring the long directorship of Gilberto Bernardini, beginning in1964, the present-day structure of the Scuola Normale began toemerge; this structure was ratified by a law dated 7 March 1967,which established the Scuola Normale Superiore forundergraduate and doctoral studies, initially dependent of theUniversity of Pisa before obtaining full autonomy. The statute of1969 explicitly defined the new educational framework and,beginning at the end of the sixties, the Scuola Normalestrengthened its image as an institute for advanced education,with a great increase of the number of internal professors, thefoundation and enhancement of research facilities and centers,and an increased number of undergraduate and doctoral students– also thanks to the law of 18 June 1986, which granted theperfezionamento diploma at the Scuola Normale equal status tothe Doctor of Philosophy. Through its college life and its culturalinterests, and the encouragement of the daily contact amongyoung people, the Scuola Normale has always encouraged acontinuous exchange of ideas and comparison of points of view,and favored the collaboration among young people from all overItaly and from different backgrounds. It has promoted educationalactivity; born with the aim of training teachers, it has gone beyondthis task to become an institution for advanced specialization,known in Italy and abroad for its cultural activities and for thescholars who have been trained and have taught here. Over time,the Scuola Normale has increasingly opened up to society, andwhile remaining an elite institute, has offered its cultural activitiesand heritage to an ever-wider audience.102| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts103| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts

10_Contacts

Main Number050 509111Fax 050 563513Student Services Division050 509236 / segreteria.studenti@sns.itFaculty of Arts Administration Office050 509296 / segreteria.lettere@sns.itFaculty of Sciences Administration Office050 509203 / segreteria.scienze@sns.itOrientation and Continuing Education050 509030 / orientamento@sns.itResidences and Food Service050 509293 / convitto@sns.itPresident’s Office050 509215 / 050 509855 / direttore@sns.itHead Administrative Offices050 509235 / segreteria.diramm@sns.itPress Office and Communications050 509324 / stampa@sns.itConcerts050 509052 / concerti@sns.itPlacement and Career Service050 509749 / placement@sns.itLibraryMain numbers:Palazzo della Carovana050 509205Palazzo del Capitano050 509700http://biblio.sns.it/106| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts107| the Scuola Normale | Undergraduate Programs | Doctoral Programs | Student Mobility | Student Orientation, Postgraduate Education || College Life | Facilities | Cultural Activities | Appendix: a Historical Outline | Contacts