Embassy of Italy in Korea Successfully Holds 4th "Ambassador for a Day" Event

Encouraging Women's Participation in STEM Fields
Event Held in Celebration of "Italian Science Day"

The Embassy of Italy in Korea announced on April 24 that it held the "Ambassador for a Day" event on April 22.

From the left, Stefano Mara, Defense Attach? of the Embassy of Italy in Korea (Army Colonel), Emilia Gatto, Ambassador of Italy to Korea, Go Minyoung, Ambassador for the day, Giorgio Cavalieri, Political Counselor, Massimo Fasera, Science Counselor. Embassy of Italy in Korea

The "Ambassador for a Day" program, which allows female university and graduate students to experience a day in the life of a senior diplomat, was first launched in 2022 and marked its fourth edition this year. This year, the event was held in conjunction with the "World Italian Science Day," which commemorates the birthday of Nobel laureate Italian scientist Rita Levi-Montalcini.

This year, Go Minyoung, a student in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Dongguk University Graduate School, was selected as the ambassador for the day and participated in various events alongside Emilia Gatto, Ambassador of Italy to Korea.

In particular, she attended a video conference with Paola Zanotti, Director of the Italian National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), where they discussed scientific research and innovation. Paola Zanotti is a prominent Italian female scientist who worked at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and has served as Director of INFN since August 2023.

The "Ambassador for a Day" program concluded with a dinner celebrating "Italian Science Day." The dinner, held at the Italian Ambassador's residence, brought together Italian scientists who play a central role in scientific cooperation between Korea and Italy. In addition, the "Association of Italian Scientists in Korea" was inaugurated, led by Italian scientists active in Korea, to promote scientific exchange between the two countries.

An official from the Embassy of Italy in Korea stated, "The number of Italian scientists active in Korea has been increasing recently," and added, "The Association of Italian Scientists in Korea and the embassy will work closely together to promote exchanges between research institutes and universities."

Go Minyoung, who participated in the event, commented, "It was impressive to experience the diplomatic field firsthand," and added, "I realized that diplomacy involves cooperation in various fields such as politics, culture, science, and the economy."

Emilia Gatto, Ambassador of Italy to Korea, said, "The vision of Rita Levi-Montalcini has been a great inspiration to all of us," and emphasized, "It is extremely important to create an environment that values gender equality and balance not only in science but also in diplomacy and other fields. By doing so, we can bring gender equality issues into public discussion and overcome the challenges faced by modern society." She further stressed, "Events like 'Ambassador for a Day' are important in achieving these goals."