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Letter of Invitation to Rome, Italy / NYC, USA Meeting

 
May 17, 1999

Dear Colleagues:

On behalf of President David A. Caputo, Rector Giuseppi D'Ascenzo, University of Rome, La Sapienza, Engenio Sonnino, Director, Center for the Study of Rome, President Rodney W. Nichols, New York Academy of Sciences, and myself, you are invited to join us in New York City during the week of June 21, 1999 for the unique and exciting opening event of: "Rome, Italy/New York, USA: Urban Problems and Shared Solutions for the First Decade of the Next Millennium."

Rome was the first great urban center, containing approximately 1.25 million people two thousand years ago, and therefore can be said to have more experience in urban issues. Rome, which is about to enter its' fourth millennium, and we New Yorkers, who are historically quite young, welcome the chance to share our views and insights, to our mutual benefit, at this critical moment in the revolution of our approach to urban problems.

Hunter College and the University of Rome, La Sapienza, have agreed to cooperate on urban research problems under three broad themes: (1) Urban Planning; (2) Social and Health; and (3) Environmental Problems. Six Italian researchers and municipal officials, will be paired in talks with their New York counterparts. It is hoped that joint research on these critical, current problems will emanate from the interaction at our meetings. These symposia will be open to all interested participants. Students, as well, are encouraged to attend and fully participate.

Paper presentations and discussions will take place over two days, on Monday June 21st at Hunter College (8 West) and on Tuesday June 22nd at the New York Academy of Sciences (2 East 63 Street). There will also be two field trips, to the inner city of the South Bronx on June 23rd, and to the distributing valve chamber for the NYC water supply on June 24th. There will be plenty of opportunity to interact at the several social events including a reception and dinner at hosted by Professor Gioacchino Tomasi, Director of the Italian Cultural Institute (at 686 Park Avenue) on Monday June 21st at 6:00, at the two lunches (Hunter College and New York Academy of Sciences), and at the joint `self-study' excursions in NYC. All activities are at no cost to participants.

Please log on the meeting's web page for the full program,  including talk abstracts http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/rome-nyc.html.

Sincerely,

Victor Goldsmith
Acting Dean of Research