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43-472: The Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI) is an international school for advanced studies located in L'Aquila , Italy. Founded in 2012 as a research institute and superior graduate school dependent on the National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), the academic institution has been made autonomous in 2016. The institute was first proposed after the earthquake in L'Aquila of 2009 , when

86-656: A canteen. In 2017 more than 1400 applications were submitted, most of which from abroad, making the GSSI the institute with the highest number of international applications in Italy and one of the most attractive research centers in Europe. Research institute In the early medieval period, several astronomical observatories were built in the Islamic world. The first of these was the 9th-century Baghdad observatory built during

129-410: A circular plan and was divided by a long corridor so that there were six spaces on either side. It was the main space in which observations took place as well as scientific documents were kept. Smaller circular units were found near the central tower, which are thought to have been the platforms on which astronomical instruments were placed. A casting workshop, a school building as well as a large library

172-415: A flat-topped hill, which spanned about 400 meters in length by 150 meters in width. The layout of the site consisted of one central tower and five other circular platforms. The site also included a building dedicated to metalworking (for the creation of astronomical tools), as well as living quarters. The site also contained a large dome, the purpose of which was to allow the resident astronomers to measure

215-764: A large collection of astronomical instruments and books and it served as an educational institution. It was also used as a model for the later Ulugh Beg Observatory in Samarkand, the Taqi al-Din observatory in Constantinople , and Jantar Mantar observatory in Jaipur . The region of Alamut was previously held by the Nizaris , a sect of Shia Islam also referred to as the Assassins or Hashashins . Hulagu Khan

258-409: A new observatory in the location of his choosing, and al-Tusi chose the town of Maragha in modern-day Iran. Al-Tusi was the first director of the observatory, and he oversaw the placement of new instruments, recruitment of staff, the stocking of an integrated library, and was appointed administrator of the observatory's endowment. The site for the observatory was situated outside of Maragheh city on

301-699: A positive assessment of the research institute. This lead, on 25 March 2016, to the establishment of the University through a special decree of the Council of Ministers . 8 August 2016 the director, Eugenio Coccia, was appointed rector of the university. The research activities of the Gran Sasso Science institute focus on four main areas, namely Astroparticle Physics , Computer Science , Mathematics for Natural, Life and Social Sciences and Regional Sciences and Economic Geography. The official language of

344-882: A trial basis as an international post graduate teaching and research institute with a special statute supported by the INFN , the University of L'Aquila , the IMT of Lucca, the International School for Advanced Studies of Trieste and the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies of Pisa. In 2015 the activities of the 2012–2015 period were evaluated by the National Agency of the University System Evaluation and Research (ANVUR), which concluded with

387-606: The Alamut castle , where al-Tusi and several other scholars had taken refuge to continue their studies. However, there is dispute over whether or not al-Tusi was held by the Nizaris against his will, or even assisted the Mongols in their attack. Hulagu respected al-Tusi for his scholarship in science and decided to appoint him as a wazir (vizier). Hulagu and his men took al-Tusi with them as they then went to sack Baghdad . In

430-661: The Gaocheng Astronomical Observatory in China. A celestial globe from the observatory made around 1279 is now preserved in Dresden , Germany . It is a rare example of decorative art from Iran of the 13th century, designed by al-Urdi and made of bronze inlaid with silver and gold . The Maragheh observatory was excavated by the Iranian archeologist Parviz Varjavand in 1972 after his work

473-606: The Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) organized several meetings to plan the economic revitalization of the area. A proposal was made to establish an educational institution for the purposes of teaching and research which would make use of the National Laboratories of Gran Sasso of the National Institute of Nuclear Physics located right near

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516-706: The Rockefeller Institute , Carnegie Institution of Washington and the Institute for Advanced Study . Research was advanced in both theory and application. This was aided by substantial private donation. As of 2006, there were over 14,000 research centres in the United States. The expansion of universities into the faculty of research fed into these developments as mass education produced mass scientific communities . A growing public consciousness of scientific research brought public perception to

559-471: The GSSI. The applications are evaluated by four selection committees, one for each Ph.D. program. The admission to the Ph.D. programs is based on the academic background, skills, scientific value and general aptitude to research of the applicants with respect to the subjects of the interdisciplinary programs. The selected Ph.D. students are awarded with a fellowship, free accommodation at the GSSI facilities and use of

602-498: The International Centre for Theoretical Physics and the research complex Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, the biology project EMBL, and the fusion project ITER which in addition to technical developments has a strong research focus. Research institutes came to emerge at the beginning of the twentieth century. In 1900, at least in Europe and the United States, the scientific profession had only evolved so far as to include

645-472: The astronomical handbook titled Zīj-i Īlkhānī or Ilkhanic Tables detailing the movement of the planets. About 350 years before Galileo had viewed the Milky Way through his telescope, Tusi had already offered his own thoughts on the galaxy, stating that the "milky" color was likely due to clusters of small stars. Mu'ayyid al-Din al-'Urdi was an astronomer and engineer who was in charge of constructing

688-530: The available instruments. At the time, the Maragheh Observatory was the first observatory to outlive its founder, remaining active for more than 50 years, with over a hundred astronomers conducting research in the facility during its lifespan. The stagnation and downturn of the Maragheh observatory began in the late 13th century. A major blow came when the observatory lost its patronage after

731-529: The beginning of the 14th century, but the design influenced several other observatories. One example is the Ulugh-Bey observatory, located in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. This observatory, built in the 1420s, was similar in scale to the Maragheh Observatory. The Ulugh-Bey Observatory later served as a reference for European observatories. Hulagu's older brother, Khublai Khan , also constructed an observatory,

774-557: The buildings of observatory as well as manufacturing the astronomical instruments. It is believed that he also played a key role in designing the "complex system of water wheels" for the observatory. In his detailed account of the instruments , he lists the Mural quadrant and the Armillary Sphere as two of the instruments he designed for the observatory. The Celestial Globe however was likely crafted around 1300 by Muhammad,

817-582: The capital of Abruzzo. The GSSI was officially established in 2012 and later activated in the academic year 2013 – 2014. Among its founders are the academics Eugenio Coccia, appointed the first director of the institute, Paola Inverardi and Pierangelo Marcati. The inauguration took place on 14 November 2013 in the presence of Prime Minister Enrico Letta , and the Nobel Prize in Physics Carlo Rubbia . The institute initially operated on

860-459: The capital of the Ilkhanate. In one account, Al-Tusi took advantage of Hulagu's superstitions, and told him that he could predict the future if he would sponsor the observatory. A second account suggests that Hulagu's brother, Mongke Khan had a great interest in mathematics and astronomy, and this influenced Hulagu's decision to reach out to al-Tusi to construct the observatory. Regardless of

903-553: The deaths of Hulagu in 1265 and his son Abaqa in 1282. Over time the site turned to ruins as a result of frequent earthquakes and a lack of funding. Over centuries of enduring conflict in the region, the contents of the observatory's library were stolen or destroyed. Shah Abbas the Great of Persia arranged for repair sometime in the early 17th century, but the Shah died before the restoration could begin.The observatory became inactive by

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946-473: The fore in driving specific research developments. After the Second World War and the atom bomb specific research threads were followed: environmental pollution and national defence . Maragheh observatory The Maragheh observatory ( Persian : رصدخانه مراغه), also spelled Maragha, Maragah, Marageh, and Maraga, was an astronomical observatory established in the mid 13th century under

989-485: The institute is English. The Ph.D. programs provided by the institute are characterised by an average duration of 4 years. Apart from the courses that constitute an integrating part of the Ph.D. programs, several seminars given by international lecturers are held at the institute. Each year the Gran Sasso Science Institute awards an average of 40 Ph.D. positions, 10 for each research area of

1032-463: The newly formed Ilkhanate, al-Tusi was placed in charge of waqfs , a type of religious endowments, which Hulagu would later order him to use to build and fund the observatory. Prior to 1259, al-Tusi spoke to Hulagu about the need for new astronomy tables; due to his own interest in astrology, the Khan responded by authorizing the funding and construction of the Maragheh observatory, and later made Maragheh

1075-889: The observatory in order to use the library for his studies; he left a description of the observatory. A number of other prominent astronomers worked with Tusi at the observatory, such as Muhyi al-Din al-Maghribi , Mu'ayyid al-Din al-'Urdi , from Damascus , Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi , and Hulagu's Chinese astronomer Fao Munji, whose Chinese astronomical experience brought improvements to the Ptolemaic system used by Tusi. After 12 years of intense work by al-Tusi and other scientists, including Mu'yed al-Din al-Arad-Najmedin Cathy, Najmd al-Din Qazvini, Allame Qutbuddin Shirazi, and Fakhruddin Maraghi,

1118-519: The observatory. During Uljaytu's reign, he appointed al-Tusi's other son, 'Asil al-Din as director. Scholars and students of mathematics, science, and astronomy came to the Maragheh Observatory from across the Islamic world and up to the eastern borders of China. Like other madrasas constructed in Islamic structures at the time, the observatory also served as an educational institution, focused on teaching astronomy and providing hands-on experience with

1161-449: The original reasons for the construction, Hulagu became the first ruler to fund an observatory by sponsoring its construction with a waqf . The construction of the observatory began in 1259 and lasted between 3 and 5 years. Some speculate that after Mongke's death, there was a short period when construction came to a halt. Mu'ayyad al-Din 'Urdi was then appointed to be in charge of construction. Hulagu gave al-Tusi permission to build

1204-551: The patronage of the Ilkhanid Hulagu and the directorship of Nasir al-Din al-Tusi , a Persian scientist and astronomer. The observatory is located on the west side of Maragheh , which is situated in today's East Azerbaijan Province of Iran . It was considered one of the most advanced scientific institutions in Eurasia because it was a center for many groundbreaking calculations in mathematics and astronomy. It housed

1247-631: The placement and motion of the sun. Men of mathematics, science, and astronomy came to the Maragheh Observatory from across the Islamic world and further. According to texts recovered from the observatory, the site had a reputation so widespread it had reached as far as China as students had traveled to study mathematics, physics, and astronomy. Evidence has been found to suggest a major focus on education; student oriented texts have been discovered that offer introductions to mathematical astronomy and astronomical tables. Scholars in attendance included Bar-Hebraeus , who late in his life took residence close to

1290-762: The principles of mass production and large-scale teamwork to the process of invention in the late 1800s, and because of that, he is often credited with the creation of the first industrial research laboratory. From the throes of the Scientific Revolution came the 17th century scientific academy. In London, the Royal Society was founded in 1660, and in France Louis XIV founded the Académie royale des sciences in 1666 which came after private academic assemblies had been created earlier in

1333-455: The school seems to have ended with Narayana Bhattathiri (1559–1632). In attempting to solve astronomical problems, the Kerala school independently discovered a number of important mathematical concepts. The earliest research institute in Europe was Tycho Brahe 's Uraniborg complex on the island of Hven , a 16th-century astronomical laboratory set up to make highly accurate measurements of

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1376-464: The seventeenth century to foster research. In the early 18th century, Peter the Great established an educational-research institute to be built in his newly created imperial capital, St Petersburg . His plan combined provisions for linguistic, philosophical and scientific instruction with a separate academy in which graduates could pursue further scientific research. It was the first institution of its kind in Europe to conduct scientific research within

1419-520: The so-called the Rasadkhana caves with temple like rock structures which resemble Chinese and Mongol religious architectural styles. These underground spaces are believed to have been used by visitors for religious ceremonies during the Ilkhanid period. In recent years, interest has increased in the historical significance of this site. A dome shaped cover has been built to protect the remnants of

1462-452: The son of Mu'ayyad al-Din al-Urdi who's signature can be found on the globe. It is made out of brass with silver and gold inlay and was acquired in 1562 by Augustus, Elector of Saxony . The decline of the Maragheh observatory began in the 13th century. The observatory survived during the reign of seven rulers of the dynasty, including the reigns of Abaqa and Uljaytu . After al-Tusi's death, his son Sadr al-Din succeeded him as director of

1505-465: The stars. In the United States there are numerous notable research institutes including Bell Labs , Xerox Parc , The Scripps Research Institute , Beckman Institute , RTI International , and SRI International . Hughes Aircraft used a research institute structure for its organizational model. Thomas Edison , dubbed "The Wizard of Menlo Park", was one of the first inventors to apply

1548-843: The structure of a university. The St Petersburg Academy was established by decree on 28 January 1724. At the European level, there are now several government-funded institutions such as the European Space Agency (ESA), the nuclear research centre CERN , the European Southern Observatory (ESO) (Grenoble), the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) (Grenoble), EUMETSAT , the Italian-European Sistema Trieste with, among others,

1591-639: The tables were compiled in the Zij-i Ilkhani . The tables were published during the reign of Abaqa Khan , Hulagu's son, and were named after the patron of the observatory. Nasir Al-Din al-Tusi was the lead astronomer and first director of the observatory. His most notable work was the creation of the Tusi-couple , a geometric based system that solved some of the fundamental issues with Ptolemaic calculations. Other notable works were revisions to Euclid's Elements and Ptolemy's Almagest as well as

1634-421: The theoretical implications of science and not its application. Research scientists had yet to establish a leadership in expertise. Outside scientific circles it was generally assumed that a person in an occupation related to the sciences carried out work which was necessarily "scientific" and that the skill of the scientist did not hold any more merit than the skill of a labourer. A philosophical position on science

1677-509: The time of the Abbasid caliph al-Ma'mun , though the most famous were the 13th-century Maragheh observatory , and the 15th-century Ulugh Beg Observatory . The Kerala School of Astronomy and Mathematics was a school of mathematics and astronomy founded by Madhava of Sangamagrama in Kerala , India . The school flourished between the 14th and 16th centuries and the original discoveries of

1720-471: Was a Mongol ruler and the grandson of Genghis Khan. As the Mongols expanded their territory Hulagu was put it charge of conquering Mesopotamia , Persia, Egypt, Syria, and the Abbasid Caliphate , the territory that would become the Ilkhanate. From 1253 to 1256, Hulagu and his army were waging a campaign of conquest against the Nizaris in the Iranian region of Alamut . In 1256, the Mongols took

1763-431: Was commissioned by the University of Tehran and the University of Tabriz . Before this excavation there had been no modern archaeological research conducted into this ancient scientific site. The excavation took place on a hill located west of the town of Maragheh where the central tower along with numerous other architectural units were unearthed including a residence for Hulagu and a mosque. The central tower had

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1806-597: Was not thought by all researchers to be intellectually superior to applied methods. However any research on scientific application was limited by comparison. A loose definition attributed all naturally occurring phenomena to "science". The growth of scientific study stimulated a desire to reinvigorate the scientific discipline by robust research in order to extract "pure" science from such broad categorisation. This began with research conducted autonomously away from public utility and governmental supervision. Enclaves for industrial investigations became established. These included

1849-472: Was part of the scientific research complex of the observatory Fragments of glass and pottery were found as well as copper coins and a gold coin from the IIkhanid period. A variety of architectural stones (brick, carved and engraved stone, glazed tile) which were used for the construction and the ornamentation of the buildings were also discovered. On the west side of the hill, Varjavand also came across

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