Connecting Research Administrators Across Europe

The administration team from STC Research Centre, consisting of Anna-Maria Selvehed, Caroline Cato, Camilla Åström, and Christine Grafström, travelled to Salerno to learn more about UNISA’s administrative organisation and how they work with everything from project management and financial administration to communication.

The visit was hosted by Marco Carratù, Associate Professor at UNISA and Assistant Professor at Mid Sweden University. He leads the international relationship that has long-standing and close cooperation with STC Research Centre. Over the years, several researchers and PhD-students have taken part in exchanges between the two universities, resulting in a deeper and more long-term partnership.

- The collaboration between UNISA and STC has grown steadily in recent years. We see great opportunities to combine our strengths in research and education, says Marco Carratù. 

Asscociate Prof. Marco Carratú demonstrates a research project in the lab. 

During the visit, the STC team met with UNISA’s finance department, which shared insights into how the funding of doctoral students and research projects is organized, as well as their day-to-day administrative work. Despite differences in systems and routines, both teams recognized many shared challenges and approaches.

- Understanding how our international partners operate makes us stronger as an organization. Meetings like this build relationships and lay the foundation for future collaborations, says Anna-Maria Selvehed, administrative project manager at STC Research Centre.

From the left: Camilla Åström, Chiara Senatore, Anna-Maria Selvehed, Vincenzo Gallo, Vincenzo Perrotta, Gerardo Iannone, Mattias O'Nils, Caroline Cato and Christine Grafström. 

UNISA Head of Research Administration, Pierfrancesco Maresca, explained how his office supports nearly one hundred researchers at the institution, handling everything from reporting to funding agencies to coordinating the administrative and financial aspects of research projects. He also provided insight into how EU funding works in Italy and how collaborations with other universities and industry partners are established.

UNISA was founded in 1968 and in 1988 the campus was built in Fisciano, about 15 minutes’ drive from Salerno. The campus is home to around 40,000 students and offers everything needed for student life, including housing, sports facilities, healthcare, restaurants, and shops.

The research group at UNISA works closely with STC Research Centre. PhD-student Peter Astile, who is part of the international research school - IRS TransTech, divides his position between the two universities and recently moved to Salerno to carry out two years of doctoral studies on site. As the next step in the collaboration, Professor Mattias O’Nils and Associate Professor Marco Carratù are currently working on a joint EU Interreg project proposal.

- This project marks a strategic step toward a transparent and sustainable forest-based economy that safeguards Europe’s cultural and environmental heritage. By merging AI, IoT, and advanced data analytics with the preservation of regional wood-fired traditions such as authentic Neapolitan pizza, it enables full traceability of wood materials from forest to final use. This approach strengthens environmental responsibility, fosters circular resource management, and promotes cooperation among European regions with diverse industrial ecosystems, tells Marco Carratù.

This Knowledge Exchange to UNISA was funded with support from EU Programme ERASMUS+.