The Monash University Prato Centre (often known as Monash Prato) is a teaching and research centre in Tuscany. It is located in an 18th-century palace, the ''Palazzo Vaj'' (or ''Vai''), in the historical centre of Prato. It was opened on 17 September 2001, as part of

Monash University Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university has a ...

's internationalisation policy. It was established with the assistance of the local government of Prato, the region of Tuscany and prominent Italian-Australians Rino and Diana Grollo. The Centre aims to develop Australia's links with Europe, through research collaboration, seminars and conferences, and as a centre of study for Australian students. It is now the largest Australian institution of its kind in Europe. The Centre's patron is Sir

James Gobbo Sir James Augustine Gobbo, (22 March 1931 – 7 November 2021) was an Australian jurist who served as the 25th Governor of Victoria, from 1997 to 2000. Family and early life James Gobbo was born in Carlton, Victoria, on 22 March 1931, to Itali ...

, AC, an Australian jurist who was the first

Governor of Victoria The governor of Victoria is the representative of the monarch, King Charles III, in the Australian state of Victoria. The governor is one of seven viceregal representatives in the country, analogous to the governors of the other states, and t ...

of Italian descent.

Location

Prato is a city and '' comune'' in Tuscany. It is 24 km from Florence, accessible by road or a 20-minute train ride. It is a centre of Italy's textile industry and of the

slow food Slow Food is an organization that promotes local food and traditional cooking. It was founded by Carlo Petrini in Italy in 1986 and has since spread worldwide. Promoted as an alternative to fast food, it strives to preserve traditional and reg ...

movement. It is home to around 180,000 people, making it the second largest city in Tuscany and the third largest in

Central Italy Central Italy ( it, Italia centrale or just ) is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), a first-level NUTS region, and a European Parliament constituency. Regions Central I ...

, after Florence and Rome. In addition to Monash, other educational institutions in Prato include Il Polo Universitario "Città di Prato" (a branch of the University of Florence). Situated at Via Pugliesi 26, the Monash Prato Centre occupies the ''Palazzo Vaj'', an 18th-century palace in the town's historical centre. Certain parts of the building are believed to be even older, as 15th century frescoes have been discovered on one of the Palazzo's outer walls. The name ''Vaj'' (pronounced ''vai'' in Italian) comes from the family which originally owned the building in the 18th century. From 1875 to 1999, the palazzo was a prestigious club for local businessmen, largely used for gaming. The modern interior was largely created in the 1950s by the famous Italian architect Italo Gamberini and is heritage-listed by the Italian Government.

Activities

The Prato Centre hosts students from Monash who complete part of their degree at the Centre. The main academic areas offered by the Centre are law, art and design, music, history, international relations and Italian. This entails hundreds of Monash students being hosted by the Centre throughout the year. Classes are conducted by academics from Monash University, as well scholars from the University of Florence, Osgoode Hall Law School, King's College London and various experts working within the law, social sciences and the arts. The Centre is popular among Monash students, because it enables them to study overseas without having to transfer to a foreign university. The Centre also holds major international conferences, organised by both Monash and other academic institutions. Additionally, it regularly hosts a range of guest speakers for students, staff and the local community. The Centre also has an Artist-in-Residence program. Since the establishment of the Prato Centre, more than 12,000 students and researchers have studied and worked there.

Centre Directors

* Bill Kent (2000–2004) * Annamaria Pagliaro (2005–2008) * Loretta Baldassar (2009–2011) * Cecilia Hewlett (2012–)

Notable faculty

Each year, staff from across the world visit the Centre to teach the various courses on offer. Regular teachers at the Centre include: * Stephen Charles - former Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria *

Annalisa Ciampi Annalisa Ciampi is an Italian law professor and public official. In 2017, Ciampi served as United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association. Education Ciampi received her Juris Doctor degree fro ...

- former United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association (2017) *

Nancy Gertner Nancy Gertner (born May 22, 1946) is a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. She assumed senior status on May 22, 2011, and retired outright from the federal bench on September ...

- Judge of the

United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts (in case citations, D. Mass.) is the federal district court whose territorial jurisdiction is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The first court session was hel ...

* George Hampel - former Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria, Professor of Trial Practice and Advocacy

References

External links

Monash University Prato Centre Website

Information about Prato