August 8, 2025
By Patricia Waldron
In Italy, computer science suffers from an image problem. The field is often equated with IT work, rather than seen as a dynamic scientific field capable of fundamentally shaping both culture and the economy.
“Computer science is seen more like a vocational field," said Lorenzo Alvisi, Ph.D. '96, the Tisch University Professor in Computer Science and chair of the Department of Computer Science. "There is little understanding of the intellectual depth behind it.”
To shift Italian perceptions of the field, Alvisi and three colleagues with Cornell connections set out to elevate the status of their field and train the next generation of Italian computer scientists.
The program they created, the Scuola Ortogonale, (or, Orthogonal School in English) offers specialized training paths that complement university programs in computer science. Its mission is to equip STEM students with the tools to expand the frontiers of fundamental research in computer science and to translate their breakthroughs into drivers of economic prosperity and social innovation.
The school focuses on developing key cross-disciplinary skills that are orthogonal, or at a right angle, to what university programs offer. These skills include: deep comprehension of scientific and technical material; presenting ideas clearly and impactfully; precise and compelling technical writing; the ability to learn independently, driven by the desire to achieve ambitious, long-term goals; and conducting original, independent research.
In addition to Alvisi, the Scuola Ortogonale's founders include: Özalp Babaoglu, professor of computer science at the University of Bologna, and formerly an associate professor at Cornell; Gianfranco Bilardi, professor of information engineering at the University of Padua and previously a Cornell assistant professor; and Alessandro Panconesi, Ph.D. '93, professor of computer science at the Sapienza University of Rome. Together, they founded the Elicsir Foundation to run the program, with Babaoglu as president.
This year, the Scuola Ortogonale selected 20 graduate students (the “Ortogonalsti”) from universities across Italy to receive a fellowship for the two years of their master's degree in computer science. Each student is guided through the program by a leading Italian computer scientist, who serves as the student’s personal mentor. After graduation, the Ortogonalisti are invited to complete a paid internship, either in academia or industry.
Nancy Kalaj, a graduate student at the University of Trento studying artificial intelligence systems, is one of this year's cohort. She said she is most looking forward to the internship portion of the program.
"This is an opportunity that is going to lead me to do great things in the future," Kalaj said. "The opportunity to do either research or to work for a foreign company, especially big tech companies, is something that is not to be taken for granted."
Kalaj first encountered computer science while working in bioinformatics as an undergraduate, with Nate Sutter, a professor of biology at La Sierra University. Sutter also has a Cornell connection – he was formerly an assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
The Scuola Ortogonale's founders hope the program will encourage more partnerships between academia and industry. “In the U.S., industry and academia have created a partnership that enriches both,” Alvisi said. “In Italy, they instead often regard each other with suspicion.”
Alvisi and his colleagues envision that, by offering students a fresh perspective on computer science, they can create a new generation of innovators who will both advance fundamental computer science research and drive Italian entrepreneurship.
The Scuola Ortogonale receives financial support from Schmidt Sciences.
Patricia Waldron is a writer for Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science.