A big donation for Seed Program

Trento, 27th May 2019

The SeeD (Summer Course in Environmental Engineering for Development) is a training program for engineering students focused on environmental management which promotes a human and sustainable development. It gives to young engineers the opportunity to learn how technical and engineering solutions have environmental, social and cultural impacts through field activities in international cooperation contexts. During the 13 years of program, Italian students, from the MSC “Integrated Environment and Land Design in context of International Cooperation” of the University of Trento, with foreign students, from the local partner University, learnt how to deal with environmental issues using context-aware technologies. Each project has been developed with the support of local partners: NGOs, Universities and/or private enterprises. This multi-sectorial approach has amazed Mrs Ornella Dogliotti Vigliani, widow of Eng. Piergiorgio Vigliani, passed away in July 2017, who found the aim of SeeD deeply related to the ideas of her recently perished husband.

Piergiorgio Vigiliani was a brilliant engineer from Milano, he spent his entire life working for environment protection against contamination. In ’60 he started to work with international agencies in UK and USA, where he started to collaborate with EPA (Environment Protection Agency). He established TEI (Tecniche eliminazione inquinamenti), the first Italian society specialized in environmental topic, in ’70 preempted the green wave of the last years. «Vigliani – said Mrs Ornella Dogliotti Vigliani – is an expression of a modern and integral view of the Engineer, who is able to deal with different topics (from aeronautics to contamination and sensors) and can play the role of technician and entrepreneur, and specially who is aware of human dimension and social relevance and impact of the profession».

For these reasons, the widow and the family of Eng. Vigliani decided to support the activities of SeeD with a donation of 75 thousands euros. Thanks to this amount, it will be possible to strengthen the activities of the program and to guarantee the participation of both Italian and International students to internships.

The agreement was signed by Paolo Collini, the rector of the University of Trento, and Mrs Ornella Dogliotti Vigliani in the presence of Prof. Guido Zolezzi, the chair holder of the UNESCO-Chair in engineering for human and sustainable development, and Eng. Marco Bezzi, responsible of Seed programs. The presence of Mrs Dogliotti daughters, Speranza and Carlotta, and her groundchildren, highlights how the whole family was in line with the widow’s intent.