UNIVERSITY

Art. 1 - Establishment, seat, term

“e-Campus” Online University hereby establishes the “STUDY and RESEARCH CENTRE on ENERGY and the ENVIRONMENT”, hereinafter for the sake of brevity “CREA”, which will have analogous Centres in other countries that wish to participate in the project.

In Italy, the CREA is established by the Faculty of Engineering, pursuant to and for the effects of article 21 of the Statute of e-Campus Online University.

The CREA’s headquarters are in Novedrate at e-Campus Online University; it will have autonomous offices and a secretariat.

The CREA has organisational, functional, scientific, teaching and financial autonomy and operates under a self-financing and non-profit regime.

The CREA accepts and adopts the applicable Statute and Regulations enacted by e-Campus Online University and must adhere to the guidelines of the Faculty of Engineering.

The CREA reports to one central research, planning, monitoring and control authority.

The CREA is established for a 9-year term that may be extended.

With a view to creating real synergies at European level, the CREA has the possibility to stipulate agreements with foreign universities which will create similar centres in their countries, which will operate in accordance with the parameters dictated by the CREA.

Art. 2 - Objectives and goals

The CREA aims to be a centre for the study of the thermodynamic, fluid dynamic, energy-related, ecological, technological and environmental challenges presented by machines and plants intended for energy conversion.

The Centre will also examine issues related to the study and optimisation of agro-energy initiatives, with particular focus on the logistical aspects and their economic and environmental implications. It will examine issues inherent in territorial characterisation in terms of the availability of residual biomasses (types and quantities) and the implementation of energy crops in soils not intended for agriculture.

The Centre’s goals will also include all issues related to systems for the measurement and detection of significant values and those aiming at energy and environmental audit, both civil and industrial. This aspect will pertain to both measure implementation techniques and their validation, other than the planning of said measurement technologies.

The Centre will focus especially on the constant update of issues related to energy and the environment, encouraging participation in scientific fora and conferences.

Subjects that involve the systemic issues of energy and the environment in complex industrial society systems (SmartCities and Smartgrid) will be the subject of particular study.

The competences of the Centre will cover the aspects of design, management, diagnostics, audit, verification of environmental impact, experimentation and testing, as well as technical/economic and environmental feasibility studies.

The approach of these subjects may range from the principles that underlie energy conversion to the machines and plants intended therefor; depending on the environmental sector, the centre will examine all issues that relate to the safeguarding of natural characteristics on all levels and will also study environmental audit and remediation technologies.

All aforementioned objectives will aim at the attainment of both research and direct application at the industrial stage or at the definition of technical rules or procedures.

The attainment of these goals will involve the widest possible number of public and private entities which, supported by the Centre’s researchers, will be able to initiate autonomous strands of activity, always pertaining to energy-related and environmental objectives.

The CREA intends to act as interlocutor at European level, to propose research directions and financing measures towards the diversification and increase of financing instruments related to energy production projects.

Lastly, the CREA intends to become a tool for sensitisation and education, through the promotion and organisation of meetings, conferences and round table discussion on subjects that pertain to its activities, the production of scientific and informational documents and publications, and the organisation of thematic seminars.

Art. 3 - Activities and entities involved

The following activities are foreseen:

- Research and development (also experimental) related to the issues of interest to the Centre;

- Study and development of technologies for their implementation;

- Research and study of European, national, regional and local tenders or applications, for the identification of the incentives that are offered to various sectors of activity, with assistance;

- Design and delivery of in-depth courses on the Centre’s subjects and objectives, ranging from seminars to actual courses, conferences and fora.

Individual researchers and professors of eCampus or other Universities, public or private Bodies and companies, other research centres or university structures, such as Departments or Faculties, may collaborate towards said objectives.

Permanent employees will only originate from eCampus; however, parts of the research or studies carried out by the CREA Centre may be commissioned to other bodies.

Art. 4 - Bodies of the Centre

The bodies of the Centre are as follows:

1. Scientific director

2. Operations coordinator

3. Coordination council

The mandate of the Centre’s bodies is set to three years.

The early termination, on any grounds, of the mandate of a representative of the Centre’s bodies shall have no effect on the normal term of the body itself.

Art. 5 - Scientific management

The Centre’s Scientific Director is appointed by the University Senate from among its professors and who apply as candidates for its management.

The Scientific Director’s mandate is set for the entire 3-year term; he/she represents the Centre and appoints its Operations Coordinator.

The Scientific Director prepares the programme of research activities, the budget and financial statements, drafts the annual report on the research activities carried out by the Centre.

Art. 6 - Operations coordinator

The Operations Coordinator is appointed by the Scientific Director.

the Operations Coordinator implements the annual programme of research activities elaborated with the Scientific Director.

The Operations Coordinator promotes all activities of the Centre and coordinates its services, emits the orders necessary for its operation and supervises its administration.

Art. 7 - Coordination council

The Coordination Council is composed of 5 (five) members elected among the members, i.e. all researchers officially employed by the Centre. The companies that support the Centre may participate in the Coordination Council with additional members, whose total number may not exceed a maximum of 3.

Art. 8 - Participating researchers

The following persons may be employed by the Centre:

1. Professors and researchers of eCampus university, from any Faculty, who express their wish to participate in the activities of the Centre and who send a request to the Scientific Director.

2. National and international eminent scholars in the scientific areas of the Centre’s interest.

Art. 9 - Sources of financing

The Centre carries out its activities aiming to be self-financed and uses resources originating from:

- Contributions of e-Campus university

- Contributions from European, national, regional and local funds

- Activities on behalf of third parties

- Agreements and contracts

- Income from the sale of publications

- Fees for the registration and participation in scientific or educational activities organised by the Centre

- Individual contributions

- Charitable donations

The Centre will have a regulation for the management of resources and of the available financial instruments.

Art. 10 - Auditors

For the proper management of resources, the Centre will use the services of 3 professionals registered in the Register of Auditors, in charge of supervising the audit of the managed resources.

The Auditors must prepare a semiannual report on the activities of the CREA, which will be sent to the Rector and to the Scientific Director. The latter will have the right to question the report, by submitting a comparison request to the Auditors.

Once a year, the Auditors must prepare a report on the activities carried out by the CREA and on the proper accounting, fiscal and legal management thereof. Said report must be approved by the University Senate within 30 days from its production. If such approval has not been granted within 30 days, the report shall be deemed to have been approved.

The appointment will be made by the University Senate with specific resolution.

Art. 11 - Dissolution of the Centre

1. The Centre will be dissolved at the end of the term laid down in Article 1, unless it is dissolved early by virtue of a resolution of the University Senate.

2. The assets of the Centre at the time of its dissolution shall be distributed to the founding faculties.

Art. 12 - Continuation of activity

At the latest 4 months before the end of the term of Article 1, the University Senate may adopt a resolution for the continuation of the activities of the Centre beyond the aforementioned term, setting a new term.

Art. 13 - Final provisions

Any amendments to this Statute or the inclusion of new campuses to the Centre may be proposed and subsequently approved by resolution of the University Senate of e-Campus University.