Letter from the chair
After the last two years, which had been largely defined by remote research, teaching, and learning, the start of academic year 2021-2022 marked a return to “residential” activities, which was met with a healthy mix of enthusiasm and caution. As much as we had longed for our usual way of interacting with each other on campus pathways, in our offices, in our classrooms, as well as in our much longed-for exchange programs in Aix-en-Provence, Bologna, and Florence, we were also wary of the still-present threat of the pandemic.