Orthogonal School
The main activity of the ELICSIR Foundation is the design and implementation of the Orthogonal School, a two-year excellence program for talented and motivated students who are simultaneously pursuing a Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or closely related fields (such as Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, and Cybersecurity) at a public Italian university, and who are in good standing with their academic progress.
The Orthogonal School is made possible by a generous grant from Schmidt Sciences.
Objectives
The Orthogonal School offers educational paths that complement those typically available in university programs, specifically tailored for the field of computer science, with the aim of developing several transversal skills:
being able to read scientific and technical material in depth
being able to speak in order to communicate ideas effectively, for example, by learning how to deliver high-level presentations
being able to write high-quality technical reports, scientific articles, and project proposals, including entrepreneurial ones
learning independently in order to achieve a specific goal that is ambitious and medium- to long-term
conceiving scientific research as a driver of economic and social prosperity, transforming technical and scientific knowledge into successful products and services
conducting independent and original research
Resources for Students
The Orthogonal School offers its students:
a scholarship for the two-year Master’s degree program
personalized educational paths, guided by mentors and established researchers who oversee their development
a series of meetings throughout the year, which include seminar-style activities combined with moments of project collaboration and synthesis of experiences gained during the personalized educational paths. These meetings also aim to develop a strong sense of identity and community among students and mentors. The meetings take place on weekends. Accommodation and travel expenses are covered by the School (up to a maximum limit, set for each event).
financial and organizational support for an internship at a prestigious academic institution or at a leading international company or startup
Participation in the Orthogonal School is based on a selective procedure.
Announcements and Admission Requirements
Participation in the Orthogonal School is based on a selective procedure and is reserved for students enrolled in a Master’s degree program with a focus on computer science at a public Italian university.
the Board of the Orthogonal School
Lorenzo Alvisi, Cornell University
Gianfranco Bilardi, Università di Padova
Alessandro Panconesi, Sapienza Università di Roma
the Coordinator of the orthogonal academic year
Bruno Codenotti, CNR
the Mentors of the Orthogonal School
The team of Mentors is being updated
Paolo Boldi, Università Statale di Milano
Valeria Cardellini, Università di Roma Tor Vergata
Flavio Chierichetti, Sapienza Università di Roma
Barbara Di Camillo, Università di Padova
Matteo Frigo, Google
Zeynep Kiziltan, Università di Bologna
Elena Loli Piccolomini, Università di Bologna
Vittorio Maniezzo, Università di Bologna
Giovanni Manzini, Università di Pisa
Alberto Montresor, Università Statale di Trento
Antonio Norelli, Oxford University
Lorenzo Orecchia, University of Chicago
Andrea Pietracaprina, Università di Padova
Nicola Prezza, Università Ca' Foscari di Venezia
Geppino Pucci, Università di Padova
Daniele Venturi, Sapienza Università di Roma
First Orthogonal weekend
The first Orthogonal weekend was held in Bertinoro from November 15 to 17, 2024.
Friday, November 15
18:00 Arrivals and room allocation
19:15 Welcome toast
Dinner at a restaurant in Bertinoro
Saturday, November 16
09:45 - 10:00 Ozalp Babaoglu, Presentation of the Elicsir Foundation
10:00 - 10:15 Alessandro Panconesi, Presentation of the Orthogonal School
10:15 - 10:30 Bruno Codenotti, Academic Year Activities
10:30 - 10:50 Mentor presentations (Paolo Boldi, Flavio Chierichetti)
10:50 - 11:15 Coffee Break
11:15 - 11:45 Mentor presentations (Giovanni Manzini, Andrea Pietracaprina, Geppino Pucci)
11:45 - 12:45 10 students introduce themselves
12:45 Lunch on-site
15:00 - 16:00 Work meeting (mentors and Orthogonal School board)
16:00 - 16:40 Mentor presentations (Barbara Di Camillo, Matteo Ceccarello, Elena Loli Piccolomini, Valeria Cardellini)
16:40 - 17:10 Coffee Break
17:10 - 18:10 10 students introduce themselves
20:00 Dinner at a restaurant in Bertinoro
Domenica 17 Novembre
10:00 - 10:45 Antonio Norelli and Alessandro Panconesi, Presentation of the project
10:45 - 11:15 Coffee Break
11:15 - 11:55 Mentor presentations (Daniele Venturi, Zeynep Kiziltan, Vittorio Maniezzo, Antonio Norelli)
12:00 - 12:30 Ozalp Babaoglu and Alessandro Panconesi, Conclusions and Upcoming Events
12:30 Lunch on-site
From 13:30 Departures
Second Orthogonal weekend
The second Orthogonal Weekend will be held in Bertinoro and Bologna from November 30 to December 2, 2024.
Saturday, November 30
14:00 - 14:30 Lorenzo Alvisi and Gianfranco Bilardi introduce themselves
14:30 - 15:30 Alessandro Panconesi, Defendant al-Khwārizmī, Stand Up! — Reflections on Algorithms from the Defendant’s Bench
15:30 - 16:30 10 students from the Contaminations Program introduce themselves
16:30 - 17:00 Coffee Break
17:00 - 18:00 Ruggero Frezza, Innovation Scenarios in Computer Science in Italy
20:00 Dinner
Sunday, December 1
10:00 - 10:30 Alberto Montresor and Nicola Prezza introduce themselves
10:30 - 11:00 Five students from the Contaminations Program introduce themselves
11:00 - 11:30 Coffee Break
11:30 - 12:00 Five students from the Contaminations Program introduce themselves
12:30 Lunch on-site
15:30 - 16:30 Bruno Codenotti, Computational Theory of games
16:30 - 17:00 Coffee Break
17:00 - 18:00 Open discussion and clarifications about the Contaminations Program
20:00 Dinner
