Il mio Overseas a Sydney, Australia (Gen-Lug 2007)... e il mio periodo di Tesi all'Estero a Rotterdam/Utrecht, Olanda (Ott 2007-Mar 2008)!

Uni mates in Rovereto!

Another weekend, another group of guests!
This time we are going back to the University time... two of my very best friends came to visit me, together with their boyfriends, in a sunny and relaxed weekend, spent around Rovereto and Trento (where we went for the Christmas' markets)

Postato da: DexterH46 a 22:02 | link | commenti
unibo

20/03/2008 – 3) The press conference

After the sparkling wine everybody moved to the room provided for the press conference. The end of a cycle, started right there in room 1.3 some years ago with the Calculus lesson taken by Professor Dore.
Some questions have been gathered in the weekend after the graduation, but are published here as well. (D = Doctor, J = Journalist).

J:”Next destination? Will you remain for some time in Italy and Bologna?”
D:”I definitely need a rest. First of all I have to fix some problems with my teeth. And check what’s wrong in my back”.
J:”Which girls do you prefer? English, Aussie or Dutch?”
D:”Eheh, you never miss a gossip question! Let’s say that it shouldn’t be a bad idea to know better the Dutch, very cute girls!”
J:”Job opportunities?Are you going back to The Netherlands?”
D:”I may go back to London, I have been asked to do so, but not immediately. I have a job interview next week (26/3, ndr) but I will withdraw it. It’s the place where my friend Elisa works, but I cannot accept the fact that she could not come for working reasons. Working to live is fine, living to work is not. It is a concept that people in Italy are forgetting. Tomorrow I will send my renounce, count on it, I have got other priorities in my life: feelings. In the meantime I will give private lessons and maybe I will bring some young boys and girls on studying holidays: meal and housing for free, nice time, possibility to see new places and you get even paid. If you are interested let me know...”
J:”Do you really think of going on this way for a long time? You have a Master in Management Engineering with the highest mark...”
D:”If I find a job that lets me having some time to celebrate my Friends or to stay with my imaginary girlfriend then I will quit with these “low profile jobs”. If I will earn less it will mean I will waste less, easy. I have learnt how to do many sacrifices in these last years. I am trustful and sure of doing well. In my opinion sacrifice, commitment and precision are a great point to start from. Furthermore it's important to be surrounded by nice people, and I have a good team around me".
J:”Other plans?”
D:”For sure from 1st to 4th August volunteering with Unitalsi. Actually I invite all my Friends to join this experience. Try it once, you will not regret it. Then some other event like concerts or motorbike races (soon the list of the possible events will be available, ndr), and maybe a holiday in Cotè Azùr, guest of a friend of mine on an island near St.Tropez”.
J:”No more studies?”
D:”Never say anymore. I regret some wasted time during my studies, I will miss the status of being a student. Who knows, maybe a bachelor not much hard, to learn some languages. Or a specialised course like the one organised in Rimini and San Marino on how to plan sport events. They may be interesting solutions".
J:”Girlfriends?None?”
D:”No, not now, it’s a choice... theirs! Let’s put it in this way: if within, let’s say, six months, I will not find a girlfriend, then I may go and look for her abroad! Single way ticket!”
J:”You have beaten your friends and some friends; only two 110 in your session, happy for this?”
D:”Hold on a moment. I didn’t have and don’t have any challenge with my brothers or my friends. Actually I wish them the best, and to get even the “laude”. If there was a challenge, it was with the people who never cooperate inside the University, with those who always kept everything for themselves, for those who have never been thankful, for those who passed some exams “mysteriously”. I have demonstrated that you can win even doing four experiences abroad, having a lot of friends and, above all, dedicating some time to the others. This is the most precious victory, not the mark itself”.
J:”But the result remains and is great. Some particular dedication?”
D:”You can’t be disappointed with a 110. If I think to some members of the team, my laude would have been outrageous in their respect, so I am more than happy. A particular mention to those who have been present on the 20th from the morning. And to Piero who contributed to stop me from giving up five years ago. He left us last year. An example for everybody, there are only a few like him, and for sure all of us have lost something”.
After the afternoon press conference The Doctor climbed San Luca without shoes. In the evening there have been the celebrations for the reached target, free drinks for everybody offered by The Doctor (in case some pictures will be published soon).

Postato da: DexterH46 a 17:04 | link | commenti (13)
unibo

20/03/2008 – 2) The after race

After the crowning, it was time for the sparkling wine to be opened.
But in the meantime it was necessary to dress like a true Doctor.
A suit taken (thanks to Chicco!) in Pesaro which maybe needed some work to look similar to a biker’s suit, a replica helmet of one used by Valentino and the English, Australian and Dutch flags.

A “thank you” goes to all those who have participated in some way with their wishes and congratulations.
A BIG “thank you” goes to those who sacrificed study, work and other duties to be there for my discussion, proclamation and/or podium ceremony.
Some of them are in the picture below, but not all of them unfortunately. So I list their names here: special thanks to: Andrea F., Andrea M., Arnaldo, Chiara G., Chiara L., Clarissa, Elia, Elisa, Fabio, Fabrizia, Federica, Francesca C., Francesca D.L., Giacomo, Luca, Lucia, Marco, Paolo. For sure I will not easily forget their presence. Promised.
In the evening I have then surely appreciated the “visits” from Elisa, Federica, Gabriel who joined the others. If I knew it before I would have invited for the whole day the three “guests” of the evening, so Anastasia, Francesco and Susanna, nice guests... it will be for the next time!

Postato da: DexterH46 a 13:53 | link | commenti
party, unibo

20/03/2008 – 1) The Doctor wins!

I started saying <<That is my objective. I will finish everything within March 2008>> a long time ago. Actually it was more than a year ago. It was so early that just a few were listening to me. Once in Australia I was telling the same to my Internationals friends, but it was such a far away day, nearly a year, and they met me only a few weeks before... The target looked close after the success in the exams taken in Sydney, but even tremendously uncertain after having failed in what had to be the last exam in December. But it was not a good idea to give up. So, gritting my teeth I came back Italy in January. In or out. Then the results, at the beginning of February, and even there still was a lot to work for the thesis, I started sending invitations one month before the great day. A time window that was enough in my opinion for many to ask for half day off or a whole day off, working a bit more the days before in case. But it seems that in Italy many people are under slavery, and so on the seats of the grey Engineering Faculty, supporting The Doctor, only a few came. Not so many but... certainly good ones! And I was there, man of word, keeping my promise of graduating within March 2008.
The proclamation may sound something like <<The committee has approved your examination with a score of 110 over 110. With the powers given to me by the Magnificent Rector I hereby declare you Doctor in Management Engineering – Masters Degree>>.

After the hand shake with both the President and my Supervisor, the elation towards the crowd and the dedication to the supporters there. In the meanwhile people were still clapping their hands both for me and for the other new “doctors”.
After the proclamations and the speech made by Professor Grandi, hugs with the teammates before going out to receive the crown by Chiara, for the occasion a podium girl!

Postato da: DexterH46 a 09:32 | link | commenti (3)
unibo

ARRIVAL project, I am in as well!

A week before my graduation, the annual ARRIVAL Project meeting has taken place in Rome.
The ARRIVAL Project is founded by the European Union and is a research project.
The acronym ARRIVAL stands for Algorithms for Robust and online Railway optimization: Improving the Validity and reliAbility of Large scale systems.
The main objective of this project is to study and develop algorithms able to provide solutions and valid answers to complex problems such as railway transportation.
More information about the project can be found on http://arrival.cti.gr/
However today, being more specific, I wanted to mention this meeting that has taken place in Rome. My graduation was scheduled for 20th March in Bologna. A week before, the results of my research were already shown in this international conference. And my name appeared next to those of some true experts of these problems. A strange sensation. Surely unexpected only four – five months ago when I have started working on my thesis. But if you look on Thursday 13th, a few minutes before 3pm, here it is my name. Iurij is here! The Doctor is here! Don’t you believe me? Here you are the program of the meeting...
http://www.diel.univaq.it/arrival/program.php

Postato da: DexterH46 a 21:11 | link | commenti (1)
unibo, utrecht

Competition: "Guess the Graduation"

After the great success achieved by the “guess the high school grade” in 2001, now the competition goes on with “guess the PG Bachelor final mark (and its session!)”.
In 2001 Mr. Tontini Andrea (who eventually became Rag. Brondini and then Doctor Branzini) won a free dinner betting on my “91/100”. Now the winner can be YOU! A free dinner is waiting for you, and some lower prizes may be available as well!
Take part into the competition is easy and... FREE! Basically you can’t lose anything! Just follow the easy rules and... fingers crossed!
-Competition entries can be done from 02/10/2007 to 02/11/2007;
-Every participant can ONLY make A prediction, either on the blog in Italian or the one in English;
-All the predictions will be associated to ONE participant (the first one to bet “gets” both mark and session he/she has indicated à Two people can not bet on the same combination mark+session) in EACH website;
-Predictions can only be made either on www.dexterh46.splinder.com or on www.australia2007.splinder.com, leaving a comment at the end of this post indicate at least the initials of your name and surname (or a nickname, or something to identify you), further than the prediction of course!
-In case none bets the exact combination, the victory will be assigned to the closest mark, regardless of the session (which will become important in case there are two predictions with the same mark).

Hints:
-Final mark can vary from 66/110 to 110L/110 (110L stands for 110/110 plus a special appreciation on my work)
-My UG Bachelor final mark has been 101/110.
-You can choose among the following sessions: December 2007, January 2008, March 2008, June 2008, July 2008, December 2008, January 2009, March 2009.
-On 30th September 2007 I have gained 77 credits out of 120. Final projects worths 18 credits since it’s supposed to be a huge one. I am waiting for the validation of 30 further credits (don’t worry if the sum will be higher than 120);
-I still have to take a compulsory exam (6 credits) and start my final project (in case the validation will be positive, otherwise more exams to take, one every 6 credits not validated).
-Every April I have to pay 2000 Euro of taxes if I haven't graduated before that month.

Postato da: DexterH46 a 23:42 | link | commenti
announcements, unibo

4th September – The Doctor 3 – UTS 1

On 4th September I collected the official transcripts from UTS.
They confirmed the unofficial marks I got in the late July from the internet. I did not want to trust them too much since UTS made mistakes more than once, but luckily this time there was no error.
Three marks increased my Italian average, one of them decreased it.
48663(Engineering) - Advanced Manufacturing – 82 – DISTINCTION.
25746(Business) - Financial Management: Concepts and Applications – 81 – DISTINCTION.
35140(Science) - Operations Research Modelling – 98 – HIGH DISTINCTION.
21797(Business) - Strategic Supply Chain Management – 76 – DISTINCTION.
My Italian average was something around 77/78, so I can say that three of these marks have increased it, while one has decreased it. On overall I should be now in a better position.
This result is for all those who believed in me. My heart for all of them.
Especially for two of them... the two to whom I promised I would have done my best.
My heart for Eva, the girl I declared all my love to and who asked me to do my best for her. Hope it has been enough.
And my heart for Piero,the friend I lost on the other side of the world, the legend who taught me how to take University life.

Postato da: DexterH46 a 22:19 | link | commenti (2)
unibo, uts , the battle of sydney

7 January 2006 - The first (second) step

Il mio viaggio si può dire che comincia il 7 Gennaio 2006*, quando escono le graduatorie per il Progetto Overseas. Sono alla "Sydenham Library" nel pomeriggio del primo Sabato dell'anno 2006 (festeggiato e cominciato a Londra, dove mi trovavo per lavoro), so che le graduatorie usciranno Lunedì 9 ma per curiosità dò una sbirciata.

Entro nel sito di UniBo, poi nella sezione scambi Internazionali e clicco su Progetto Overseas, poi inizio a guarde le graduatorie di mio interesse. York University, Toronto, 2 posti disponibili... 13° in graduatoria, non si può nemmeno sperare nel ripescaggio (ragazzi che vincono in più di un posto possono optare solo per uno scambio). University of Melbourne, 4 posti disponibili... 8° in graduatoria. Ho qualche chance in più, ma al momento sono tagliato fuori. Ultima carta da giocare... UTS Sydney, 4 posti disponibili... 3° in graduatoria! "Yes, cashback!!!".

Da lì in poi la lotta è stata con la burocrazia, esami da cercare per il riconoscimento, corse da un ufficio all'altro, aiuto pressochè inesistente da parte di chi invece dovrebbe fornirne all'interno dell'Università, ma la prima gara, forse la più importante, era stata vinta.

*(a dire il vero l'avventura era cominciata a metà Ottobre, quando ho dovuto sostenere il TOEFL, obbligatorio per fare domanda. In condizioni quasi pietose per un ascesso dentario che non mi permetteva di parlare, ero riuscito a strappare un punteggio di 263/300 nel TOEFL Computer Based... le Università partner chiedevano valori sul 220-230...)

Postato da: DexterH46 a 12:12 | link | commenti (2)
bureaucracy, unibo, overseas, uts