At the close of the celebrations for the Day of Italian Research in the World, the Italian Ambassador to Canada Alessandro Cattaneo yesterday presented the honours of the Order of the Star of Italy in the rank of Knight to Professors Rolando Fausto Del Maestro and Gabriel Niccoli. The ceremony took place at the Residenza d'Italia in Gatineau on the sidelines of the conference 'Italian Talent in Canada: Excellence and Collaboration - A Scientific Discussion of Italian Contribution to Science in Canada', which brought together prestigious figures from the Italian-Canadian academic and scientific world.
Del Maestro, born in Borgo Val di Taro and emigrated to Canada at the age of 3, a leading figure in neurosurgery and medical-scientific innovation, was honoured for his exceptional merits and his role as an ambassador of Italian excellence in the field of medicine. A world-class expert in brain tumours, he has made a major contribution to their understanding and the treatment of cancer patients. His current research activities focus on the use of simulation and artificial intelligence in surgery.
Niccoli, who emigrated to Canada from Calabria at the age of 15 and is professor emeritus at the Department of Italian and French Studies at the University of Waterloo, was honoured for his tireless commitment to the dissemination of Italian culture in the academic sphere and for the constant link maintained between Canada and Italy in the field of humanistic studies. During his career, Prof. Niccoli has published in three languages on various topics, including the Italian-Canadian diaspora, to which he has devoted significant critical attention.
During the ceremony, Ambassador Cattaneo emphasised that the two honours, conferred by the President of the Republic, represent recognition of the value and commitment of the two recipients in promoting scientific knowledge. The ambassador also recalled the extraordinary importance of the scientific and academic relations between Italy and Canada, which constitute one of the fundamental pillars of bilateral cooperation, animated by an active network of researchers, universities and centres of excellence on both sides of the Ocean.
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