- I started by recalling that it is extremely positive for the PhD   program and the students to spend a period abroad. All students, if   they have the possibility, are invited to plan a period,  possibly of   at least 3 months, in a research center outside Italy. In   particular, students with a fellowship from the University are   invited to profit of the 50% increase of the fellowship.   Spending a period abroad is a requirement, if you wish to earn an  European PhD certificate.

- I would like to have a more dynamic website. I think to a  website   in which it is easy to post information. I would like that each student contributes to spreading information on his/her activity: a   conference you followed, a paper you read, a presentation you made,   a new publication....

 But to start I urgently need two volunteers to renovate the current web site. Any volunteer there?

- I think it would be nice to have a periodic scientific meeting of  PhD students. A regular internal seminar series (weekly or bi-weekly), with one of you presenting a paper (an interesting  paper just read, a paper just written, ...)

 I need a couple of volunteers (again) to organize this ("simply" to   get a speaker, choose a date, reserve a room, post an invitation).
 I am not sure, but I will check if the one who presents can get a credit for presentation skills

Feedback from students:

- foreign students say that they are having or they had important difficulties in:

 - finding help  in the immigration process (even finding information)

 - housing/accomodation

 - language barriers

For what concerns language barriers, we should use English as much as possible, in communication and in our courses. 

- on line courses: it is important that we allow (and formalize the rules) to give credits to students who follow on line courses. We need a way to certify quality and attendance. We will try to formalize a set of rules - if you have suggestions, please write me.

 - a student asked for introductory courses, e.g., on Matlab

- course quality: it would be nice to have some feedback from students on the courses they followed. I have opened an anonymous feedback link on the moodle page

- some students asked for help in finding post-doc opportunities. Please if anybody has some news, let us know so that we can post on the web site. I have just posted in the moodle site with a couple of announcements

- PhD student current representatives will soon finish their period. We need a couple of volunteers to be nominated