Scientific life. Congresses, conferences, and symposia From October 6 to 11, 2003, the next conference of the Society of Iranian Scholars of Europe, which is held every four years, was held in Ravenna, Italy*. The conference venue was not chosen by chance. Ravenna is the largest cultural center in Italy, where outstanding cultural monuments of the Roman and Byzantine Empires are preserved. Italian Iranian studies as a traditional branch of Oriental studies has reached a fairly high level. The study of Iran is carried out in several scientific and educational centers: at the University "La Sapienza" in Rome, at the University of Naples "L'Orientale", at the University of Venice, at the University of Bologna (founded in 1088) and at the Faculty of Cultural Heritage in Ravenna. In the latter, students are taught in such areas as ancient history of the East, archeology, philology and paleontology of Iran and archeology of India, history of religion of Iran and the Iranian world. Among the lecturers are Professors A. Panainho, P. Calleri, M. Totzi, M. Vidale and others. The branch has a rich library. Its collections include books from the personal libraries of prominent scientists. Books on the study of Byzantium were transferred from the collection of A. Pertuzi and T. Vertele. And after the death of the famous researcher I. Gershevich in 2001, the books belonging to him (10 thousand volumes) were replenished with the funds of the library of the mentioned faculty of Ravenna. Asmussen (10 thousand volumes) were also transferred to the foundation. Ravenna is also home to the Italian Institute for Africa and the Orient, which functions as part of the Faculty of Cultural Heritage. It was formed in 1995 as a result of the merger of the Italian Institute for the Near and Far East, founded in 1924 by J. Gentile, and the Italian-African Institute, headed by J. Gentile. Gnoli. The Institute of Africa and the East is patronized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and carries out ... Read more