giovedì 12 dicembre 2013

Istituto Europeo internship program: GOKI FUJIYA, intern in Pharmacovigilance

Goki Fujiya
by Ilaria Gelichi



Goki, tell us something about yourself. Who are you, how old are you and where are you from…

My name is Goki Fujiya, I’m 36 years old and I come from Sapporo, Japan.

What is your field of study?

I studied medicine and at first I worked as a medical doctor in Japan. Then I went to an American law school in Philadelphia to become a lawyer and I took an internship in law as well. After this period, I practiced as a medical doctor but I realized that I was more interested in the pharmaceutical sector. For this reason, I decided to take an internship in pharmacovigilance.

Why did you choose this program, and Italy?

I chose Italy because I was interested in the Italian language, and this program has given me the chance to both study Italian and intern in pharmacovigilance. I chose Istituto Europeo’s internship program also for the excellent internship placement, the good price and the possibility to intern without any knowledge of Italian.

What do you like most about the city of Florence - and of Italy of course?

I really like Italian language and culture. I lived in other countries – like Germany – and I met a lot Italians. Italian people are very friendly and nice, so I really enjoy living among Italians and having Italian friends.
Florence is a beautiful city. I live in the center and it’s wonderful. I like walking in the streets, admiring the buildings and the scenery.

Where do you currently work here in Florence?

I work at the Careggi University Hospital in Florence, a very good placement.

Which kind of internship are you doing? What are your main tasks and responsibilities?

I’m doing an internship in Pharmacovigilance, also known as Drug Safety. During the first weeks my supervisors showed me the Pharmaceutical Department in all its sections and showed me what they are doing, and on what they are working. After this period I focused on pharmacovigilance and on my research. In general, pharmacovigilance analyzes the side effects of many kinds of medicines on patients. In particular, my research focuses on the side effects of new medicines introduced in Europe and Italy, but well known and used for several years in the USA. I analyze the data of the American Food and Drug Administration and collect information about what kind of side effects there are with these new drugs in America and what kind of guideline the US government has made. Another task I have is to research the crushing of medicines – which means, side effects caused when medicines are crashed (like pills with a particular coating) for patients who have stomach or throat problems and cannot swallow them intact.

Did you like this internship?

Yes, I really enjoy my internship!

Would you recommend this internship and this program to someone else?

Yes, I would definitely recommend this internship in pharmacovigilance. In my experience, most people I work with speak English, so I don’t have much difficulty. In other fields, some knowledge of the Italian language is required; one more reason to study Italian!




Ethics and Beauty in Florentine restaurants - Our suggestion today: MOYE' FIRENZE

The chef Marco Terranova
by Louisa Loring



Marco, you are the chef for Moyé in Florence.  Tell us something about your career.  How did you start? How did you end up working for Moyé?

My name is Marco Terranova, I am Sicilian and I am 37 years old.  I started working for my father when I was 14 in his bakery where I learned a lot.  After finishing my studies at the scuola alberghiera, a hospitality school, I first worked abroad in London, the United States and the Caribbean and then returned after five years to Milan in Italy where I worked for the famous restaurant Dal Bolognese. Being that I am a person who likes change, I started working for this franchising, Moyé after my experience in Milan.  There are four locations in Milan, one in Chieti and one in Florence.

I see that change is important for you.  Is this also important in cooking? I mean, do you like changing things and experimenting? 

Yes, I love change because I don’t like to always do the same things.  If you start this profession at a young age, it is important to have a lot of experience.  Experience allows you to change locations, styles and techniques.  Right now I am holding back a bit.  I don’t consider myself a famous chef but I am accomplished in my experiences. 

In recent years, how have you seen the restaurant world change?

The world of restaurants is always changing.  Even those traditional recipes are always being modified and changed.  I think that in the kitchen you need passion.  Take for example, a simple plate of pasta with tomato sauce.  It is enough to simply add a bit of rosemary to give it a different spin and a totally new flavor.

Changing something can be a risk. Do you like to take risks?

Yes, I do.  If I do make changes, I do it with ingredients that I know well so I don’t run into big problems.

In your opinion, what characteristics do you need to have to be a great chef?

You need to be very humble and have respect for others around you, but also, you need to surround yourself with other situations and people; just because I am a chef it doesn’t mean that I know how to do everything.  Even someone who isn’t a professional can teach you something.  Humility is certainly one of the most important qualities of a great chef.

When you cook, do you follow trends or try to start new ones?

Personally, I generally go with the flow.  It depends on the client in front of me: if it’s a person who wants to try new things, I can also try to bring innovation to the table.

Chef Marco Terranova and Moyé: how much did you have to change you culinary vision to adapt to Moyé’s style?


This restaurant serves traditional Pugliese cuisine and there is already a chef that decides the menu with set recipes that need to be closely followed.  Being a franchise, you have to follow their standards; I can be more creative by choosing the special of the day, for example, but besides that, we have to follow the recipes that we are given. 

In your opinion, why should a client come to eat at Moyé?

Without doubt, one of the reasons for which I recommend Moyé is that here, all the ingredients we use are of our own making: the mozzarella, the pasta, the tomatoes, the oil, etc. They are all fresh and of the best quality.

We have called this selection of columns ‘Ethics and Beauty in Florentine Restaurants’ for many reasons, amongst them being that Florence is obviously a synonym for beauty and because it is the city where the sense of political ethic was born.  How important are these words, ethics and beauty, in your work?

They are very important.  A dish needs to tempt you, it needs not only to be good but also presented in a certain way because we eat with our eyes first.  On the other side, the respect of ethics is relevant for a chef’s skills in regards to chemistry and to the origin of produce; having this knowledge is very important.    

What are your plans? Do you think you will stay at Moyé or will you continue your journey elsewhere?

I would like to stay here because the franchise is also expanding abroad and being that I will have the job to run the start-ups of these new restaurants, I will have the possibility to move and gain new experience.  Next year, we are expecting new openings in London, Paris and Miami.  It really is an all-involving profession.

What is your relationship with the city of Florence?

I lived in Florence for six years, ten years ago, working for the restaurant Il Caminetto, close to the Duomo.  I have lots of friends in Tuscany and I have always been drawn to Florence in a special way.  Then, I moved to America and then to Milan.  When I was asked to relocate to Florence, I willingly accepted and have been very happy to have had the chance to return here.  Florence is very beautiful, full or art, and you eat and live well.

Can you give us one piece of advice for a youth who wants to become a chef?

This work calls for a lot of time and if you choose to do it, it must be because you are very passionate about it.  It is also very important to gain a lot of experience because it will help develop your future and improve yourself. 






Moyé Firenze
Via del Parione, 16
50126 Firenze, Italia
+39 055 285635

mercoledì 4 dicembre 2013

INTERIOR DESIGN INTERNSHIP



Interior Design Internship

Duties: 
- Assist the interior designers as required to produce   quality technical drawings 
- Support new and existing client development
- Support new work for existing clients.
- Assist in the preparation and coordination of    
  documents for client presentations and project 
  documentation.
- Support the strategic design process. Meet the interior design goals for the project using the strategic       
  design process.
- Participate in project meetings, pin-ups and brainstorming sessions.
- Assist the Interior Designer with the design aspects of the project work, including programming, 
  conceptual and pre-design, schematic design and design development, construction documents for finishes 
  and furniture drawings.
- Support the development of solutions to interior design problems.
  ....and much more….

Contact: info@istitutoeuropeo.it 

venerdì 29 novembre 2013

ISTITUTO EUROPEO: Pharmacovigilance Internship




Description:
ISTITUTO EUROPEO Internship Program provides interns with 12/16/20/24 weeks of supervised and practical work experience that is directly related to their academic studies and career goals.
Pharmacovigilance is defined as the science and activities relating to the detection, assessment, understanding and prevention of adverse effects or any other drug-related problem.


Job Requirements:
Requirements: ISTITUTO EUROPEO evaluates undergraduate and graduate candidates based on the same criteria as entry-level employees, which includes grade point average, leadership abilities, communication skills, and relevant coursework and computer skills.
Specifically ISTITUTO EUROPEO accepts in the program for Pharmacovigilance interns who have:


-       Minimum G.P.A. of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
-       A diverse set of extracurricular activities; and
-       At least one year of pharmacy school 

mercoledì 27 novembre 2013

Architecture Internship in Florence




If you’re creative and you’ve got an eye for detail, chances are you would enjoy learning about architecture. So why not try out architecture internships in a city like Florence? A city that will inspire you every single minute of your stay.

As an Architecture Intern, you will be allocated tasks and a project according to that which the company is busy on during the time of your internship. You will be trained in using design solutions that go hand in hand with socially and environmentally responsible construction and operational practices.
This internship will provide you with valuable experience in your field, and enhance your skill level and will broaden your mind.

Shocking discounts for 2014!

martedì 26 novembre 2013

LIBRERIA DELLE DONNE a bookshop, library, historical archive, social service agency, advocacy center, and much more - in the centre of Florence



 by Rachael Perez




            A common characteristic that is shared among social organizations is to have a hand in several different affairs; as creating and promoting change within a community is a job that can certainly be described as multi-faceted.  When I sat down with Signora Milly Mazzei from Libreria delle Donne though, I could not have foreseen just how many hats this association wears. At face value one may only see a bookstore. As I learned this is much on the contrary, as the extent of their work goes beyond the small shop on Via Fiesolana; to serve not only as a business, but as a cultural and social venue as well.
            Opened on March 8th, 1980, the Libreria delle Donne still holds true to its feminist roots as a self-proclaimed bookshop for women. It may come as no surprise that it was the Cooperative of Women who opened its doors and who, despite formally transitioning from a single cooperative into two separate associations, continues to oversee it today. Signora Milly explains how at the time of its foundation in 1979, she was its youngest member and a student furthering her cause for a collective center… a library where women could come together. As the feminist movement of the 1970’s was alive and well throughout Italy, these 37 women of all different ages, occupations, and socio-economic levels, decided to open a bookshop dedicated to selling only women’s literature. The city of Florence granted them the space, which had been abandoned for 60 years; “we had a lot of work to do, but we did it. Just us women, we renovated the whole thing ourselves” says Milly. Their efforts were rewarded as its opening was met with popular demand, calling for a staff of at least three women per shift to keep up with the public’s interest. Now, 33 years later, it opens its doors to more than just customers off the street.
            To uphold its mission, which Milly describes as, “helping the Florentine community as a whole in any way they can, with special attention and focus on women”, the Libreria has partnered with several Italian entities to lend a helping hand; the first of these being with local prisons for women. The female prisoners make items such as t-shirts and bags, which the bookstore then sells. In a similar fashion, the shop has also partnered with a specific women’s prison group known as Pantagruel. What is unique about this particular group is that instead of bags and t-shirts, the convicts make dolls and stuffed animals following the guidelines of psychiatrist, Steiner. It was his theory that providing individuals with this hands-on framework was parallel to techniques used to educate young people. The Libreria has received several letters from the women, expressing their gratitude and explaining how what they earned from the sales, allowed them to send money back home to their families.
            It is not only female convicts that this association works with, but also a group of male juveniles as well. The bookshop first came into contact with these young men when the prison bought several book titles from the Libreria to supply their library. Through this supply of literature the prisoners began to read a book about a young girl coming from Iran to Italy. The story unfolds to explain how she struggles to gain citizenship and recognition from the Italian government, despite her having lived in Italy during the early years of her life. “What was interesting to see…” says Milly, “is how the male convicts identified with her story, which at its core was a tale of multiple identities and the struggle that came with that”. The Iranian girl who wrote the story heard about how the convicts and the personal intrigue it had sparked among them, and went to visit. Since that time, the bookshop has worked closely with the juveniles to raise public awareness and support for them.
            It may seem unconventional for a bookshop to be partnering with populations that society typically deems as unwanted and unreachable, but the goal of their work is to give the public different insights to violence. Whether it is the violence that comes with bureaucracy, as the Iranian girl faced, or the violence of criminals’ pasts, as they attempt to move forward and rehabilitate themselves; the Libreria wants to help the community see that violence does not always have to perpetuate more violence. Good can come from evil. Another goal of this work is to help these groups (and their projects) be financially self-sustaining. All the profits made go directly back to the prisons; the bookshop does not take any money from the sale. These groups are not receiving monetary support from the Italian government, so the only way to continue their work is to support themselves.
            If this community outreach is not enough, the Libreria also serves as a sort of social service agency, where individuals (particularly women) can drop in with their questions or concerns if they are faced with personal struggle, may it be physical, emotional, or psychological. After talking with the individual to assess their situation, the staff can then make the appropriate recommendation to a local social service agency, where they can seek professional and/or medical help. It is this part of their work that according to Milly makes their association unique. “We are open right out on the street, six days a week”, says Milly, so if a woman should need help she can seek refuge at a known establishment, or rather within the comfort of a familiar place.
            After discovering that the bookshop’s influence extends far beyond its doors, one may wonder the impact it has within its four walls, so to speak. This is where I introduce the archive. As a champion of feminism, both past and present, the archive works to preserve the history of the feminine mystique. Within this collection of literature devoted to the feminist movement lies journals, magazines, and articles that can no longer be found. The Libreria has held subscriptions to social science and feminist review magazines from U.S., Germany, France, and Spain going back to 1980. Milly also gained access to archives from a former activist group in Florence, whose work cannot be accessed anywhere else but at the shop. Holding even more recognition, specifically on the feminist movement in Italy, are the bookstore’s original copies of the magazine Effe. During the 1970’s this publication was considered a bible for Italian women. Unfortunately, the Libreria is the only place where one can find copies of every issue it published and because of this it is conserving the political memories of this social movement, and keeping the feminist memory alive.
            In fact, many of the 4,900 books, articles, and magazines that are stored at the Libreria have either gone missing, or have a limited amount of copies left in existence. Therefore the shop’s utilization of a digital inter-library loan system, established by the public libraries within Italy 13 years ago, serves as the point of access for those looking to read the literature of the time. The process for uploading their material is one that is ongoing, with the delay being an issue of “no time and no money” says Milly. However, if one is looking to access the information first hand, they are more than welcome to come into the shop and read to their hearts content; but cannot take any archive material out of the shop.
            In addition to the archive the Libreria also holds a special reading group, with the texts selected focusing solely on feminist issues. Started eight years ago with the participation of other local social organizations, this reading group is today comprised of twenty women, and in its most recent form this group has developed into a literature and writing group. The bookstore also holds lectures every Sunday, which are open to the public. The topic although ever-changing, from female roles in the theater to famous English Florentine community members, is always feminist in nature. Finally, there are the books that the shop writes and publishes to raise awareness about the great female artists, both past and present who are unknown. In a city where art is at every corner and is visited by crowds who have come to see the masters, this association is doing its part to showcase these talented women and their work.
            Although Milly acknowledges that there are other social organizations working to help women and highlight the history of feminism, there are not many others (if any at all) that are as eclectic as Libreria delle Donne. For they are a bookshop, library, historical archive, social service agency, advocacy center, and the list can go on; so I take my hat off to the association that proudly wears so many for the city of Florence.

venerdì 22 novembre 2013

DECEMBER 2013 at ISTITUTO EUROPEO: Schedule of Activities





November 25th December 20th


NB: To participate in the activities students must sign up on the list in the
secretariat. The activities will be carried out with a minimum of 5 participants
(10 participants for lunches/dinners/special visits)
*Except entrance tickets for museum, churches


Mon  25  9:00 am       Written and oral placement test
               7:00 pm       Welcome dinner € 30 
Tue   26  3:00 pm       Presentation about cultural activities in Florence in December
Wed  27  2:00 pm       Meeting with opera: “Lucia di Lammermoor” by G. Donizetti  
Thu   28  2:00 pm       Movie: “Un Americano a Roma” by A. Sordi
Fri     29  7:00 pm       Dinner in trattoria € 30
             11:30 pm       Night out at the disco
Sat    30  7:30 am       Hiking in Chianti with lunch and wine tasting 45
Sun   1    8:00 am       Day trip to Montepulciano, Pienza & Montalcino with lunch € 69
Mon  2    2:00 pm       The Director meets the students of Istituto Europeo
Tue   3    3:00 pm       Visit to a Florentine workshop: Lastrucci’s mosaics
Wed  4  12:30 pm       Lunch (typical tastings of Tuscan cuisine) € 20
Thu   5    2:00 pm       Movie: “My voyage to Italy” by M. Scorsese
Fri     6    7:00 pm       Dinner in trattoria € 30
             11:30 pm       Night out at the disco
Sat    7    8:00 am       Day trip to Venice75
Sun   8    7:30 am       Christmas Markets in Bolzano 75

Mon  9     2:00 pm      Visit to Ferragamo Museum € 5
Tue   10  2:00 pm      Movie: “Lo spazio bianco  by F. Comencini
Wed  11 12:30 pm      Lunch (typical tastings of Tuscan cuisine) € 20
Thu   12  9:00 pm      Concert provided by the artists of Istituto Europeo
Fri     13  7:00 pm      Dinner in trattoria30
              11:30 pm      Night out at the disco
Sat    14                      No Activities
Dom  15                      No Activities

Mon  16  2:00 pm      Visit to Alinari Museum € 9
Tue   17                      Movie: “La stanza del figlio” by N. Moretti
Wed  18  12:30 pm     Lunch (typical tastings of Tuscan cuisine) € 20



Thu   19  3:00 pm       Conference: “Dante and his Time”
Fri     20  12:30 pm       Farewell party. Awarding of attendance certificates/diplomas
                 7:00 pm       Farewell dinner € 30
               11:30 pm       Farewell party at the disco