The Institute for Scientific Interchange ( it, Istituto per l'Interscambio Scientifico, ISI Foundation, ISI) is an independent, resident-based research institute known for its work in complexity science,

theoretical A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may be ...

and

mathematical physics Mathematical physics refers to the development of mathematical methods for application to problems in physics. The '' Journal of Mathematical Physics'' defines the field as "the application of mathematics to problems in physics and the developme ...

. It is located in

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The ...

(

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, EU).

History

ISI was founded in 1983 and supported by the regional government, the province and city of Turin, and by two banking institutions in

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

: Compagnia di San Paolo and the CRT Foundation. In the 2011 SIR World Report of Institutional Rankings, ISI ranked 28th in Europe for scientific impact, 87th worldwide and 1/4th of the articles produced at ISI are in the top cited 10%. The ISI worked with the CRT Foundation (in particular with the Lagrange Project) and the San Paolo Company.

Activities

Description

The mission of ISI is to promote

scientific research The scientific method is an empirical method for acquiring knowledge that has characterized the development of science since at least the 17th century (with notable practitioners in previous centuries; see the article history of scientific m ...

, interchange and cooperation at the highest degree of quality both in terms of creativity and originality of research and to represent a pillar of high level interdisciplinary training. ISI aims to create research groups in innovative and interdisciplinary labs, with a special focus on the science of complex systems. ISI focuses on: complex networks, complexity science,

statistical physics Statistical physics is a branch of physics that evolved from a foundation of statistical mechanics, which uses methods of probability theory and statistics, and particularly the mathematical tools for dealing with large populations and approxim ...

and quantum physics research

Training

* Joint masters-level program: the Master in

Epidemiology Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population. It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evide ...

, the Lagrange Scholarships * Doctoral studies: possibility to host PhD students wishing to pursue full-time graduate studies under the supervision of an ISI faculty member. PhD students receive their doctoral degrees from a university partner, which can range in locations. * Courses: Selection of planned courses each year, including cross-listed programs with universities and mini-courses given by ISI Faculty, associate faculty, and visiting researchers.

Alumni

* Jacob Biamonte, Former Research Group Leader of the Quantum Science Laboratory *

Tullio Regge Tullio Eugenio Regge (; July 11, 1931 – October 23, 2014) was an Italian theoretical physicist. Biography Regge obtained the ''laurea'' in physics from the University of Turin in 1952 under the direction of Mario Verde and Gleb Wataghin, and ...

, First President of the ISI Foundation

Governance

Board of trustees

* Mario Rasetti, president *

Valentino Castellani Valentino Castellani (born 19 March 1940) was the independent Mayor of Turin, Italy, from 24 June 1993 to 1 June 2001. He is also a noted university professor and alumni of the Polytechnic University of Turin, where he got a master's degree in ...

, Regione Piemonte * Pietro Terna, Provincia di Torino * Piero Fassino, Città di Torino * Giovanni Ferrero, Fondazione CRT

Scientific Advisory Board

* Porter Bibb, MediaTech Capital Partners * Gunnar Carlsson, Stanford University * Noshir Contractor,

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

* Kimmo Kaski,

Aalto University Aalto University ( fi, Aalto-yliopisto; sv, Aalto-universitetet) is a public research university located in Espoo, Finland. It was established in 2010 as a merger of three major Finnish universities: the Helsinki University of Technology, the ...

Tomaso Poggio Tomaso Armando Poggio (born 11 September 1947 in Genoa, Italy), is the Eugene McDermott professor in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, an investigator at the McGovern Institute for Brain Research, a member of the MIT Computer Scien ...

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...

* Francesco Profumo, IREN S.p.A. * Mario Rasetti, president

References

External links

Institute for Scientific Interchange (ISI Foundation)
{{DEFAULTSORT:ISI Foundation Physics institutes Organizations established in 1983 Universities in Italy Education in Turin Universities in Piedmont