ACADEMIC POSITIONS
Current position
- Adjunct Professor of Sanskrit Language and Literature,
Department of History, Cultures and Civilizations, University of
Bologna, 2012–.
Former positions
- Research Fellow in Philosophies, Religions and History of India
and Central Asia, Department of Linguistics and Oriental Studies,
University of Bologna, 2011 -2012.
- Research Fellow in Basic Religious Notions in Islam, “Dynamics
in the History of Religions between Asia and Europe” – Käte
Hamburger Kolleg, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 2010-2011.
- Research Fellow in Philosophies, Religions and History of India
and Central Asia, Department of Linguistics and Oriental Studies,
University of Bologna, 2007-2010.
STUDIES
- PhD in Indian and Tibetan Studies, Department of Oriental
Studies, University of Turin; dissertation: A Persian Commentary
to the Upaniṣads. Dārā Šikōh's “Sirr-i akbar”, defended on
March 9th 2007.
- 3-year Degree in Oriental History and Civilizations, University
of Bologna; thesis: An Indian Manuscript: the “Subodhinī” of
Śrīdharasvāmin (110/110 cum laude), 2003.
- 4-year Degree in Philosophy, University of Trieste; thesis:
The Unity of Empledoclean Thought in the Light of the Strasbourg
Papyrus (110/110 cum laude), 1999.
- High School Diploma in Classical Studies, Liceo Dante
Alighieri, Trieste, 1994.
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
- Project co-director and editor of Perso-Indica. A Critial
Survey of Persian Works on Indian Learned Traditions at the UMR
7528 ‘Mondes iranien et indien' (Paris), with Fabrizio SPEZIALE (
Institut d'études iraniennes, Sorbonne Nouvelle-CNRS ) and Carl W.
ERNST (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). Funded by UMR
7528, Paris; Institut Français de Recherche en Iran, Tehran; Iran
Heritage Foundation, London; 2010–2012.
- Co-editor of the series ‘Uyūn al-Akhbār. Studi sul mondo
islamico (A collection of studies on the Islamic world,
published yearly by the Department of Linguistics and Oriental
Studies, University of Bologna), 2007–2010.
ADVISORY BOARD
- Member of the Editorial Board of the Indo-Iranian
Heritage book series, edited by M. Karimi Zanjani-Asl and
Fathullah Mutjaba'i, published by the Majma‘-i Zakhā'ir-i Islāmī
(Qum) and Avicenna-Institut für Geistesgeschichte, Bonn,
2011–2016.
- Member of the Editorial Committee of the journal Eṭṭelā‘āt-e
ḥekmat va ma‘refat. Monthly Journal of Philosophical and Mystical
Studies, Tehran, 2008–2010.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
- 30-hour courses of Intermediate and Advanced Sanskrit Language and Literature,
Department of History, Cultures and Civilizations, University of
Bologna, 2011–2020.
- 30-hour seminars, as part of the 60-hour course
requirements of “Indology”, Department of Linguistics and Oriental
Studies, University of Bologna, 2008–2010.
- Student supervisor (PhD, MA and BA theses), Department of
Linguistics and Oriental Studies, University of Bologna, 2005–2021.
- Courses in Indian History and Philosophy at the FIY (Italian
Yoga Federation), La Spezia (Italy), 2006-2007.
GRANTS
- Research Fellowship in Basic Religious Notions in Islam – Käte
Hamburger Kolleg Bochum, “Dynamics in the History of Religions
between Asia and Europe”, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, April 2010-March
2011.
- “Marco Polo” Travel Grant, University of Bologna, for a
research residency at the Institut Français de Recherche en Iran,
Tehran, winter 2009.
- “Marco Polo” Travel Grant, University of Bologna, for a
research residency at the Henry Martyn Institute for Research,
Interfaith Relations and Reconciliation in Hyderabad, India, winter
2008.
- Travel Grant for an International Conference in Iran,
University of Bologna, summer 2007.
- Summer Grant for a course in Persian Language and Literature,
«Islamic Culture and Relations Organization», Tehran, summer
2004.
- “Castelpietra Award” for excellency in Greek and Philosophy,
Liceo Dante Alighieri, Trieste, 1994.
CURATORIAL EXPERIENCE
- M.K. Gandhi – My Life Is My Message .
Organization of the photographic exhibition, Department of
Linguistics and Oriental Studies, University of Bologna,
January 30th–February 13th, 2009.
- Collaboration with Adelphi and other
Publishing Houses (revision of texts and translations, collation
of manuscripts, proof reading etc.), 2002 – .
- Project Evaluator for DAAD - Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst
SELECTED PAPERS AND INVITED LECTURES
- Tra terra e cielo. La mappa della città sacra di Benares del Civico Museo d'Arte Orientale di Trieste, per la serie di incontri "Orientiamoci", Trieste, December 1st, 2021.
- L'ombra della morte. Peripezie di un'idea. Una pratica prognostica nell'India tradizionale. Convegno "Yoga e Ayurveda a sostegno della vulnerabilità. Prevenzione, compassione e saggezza", Trieste, June 29th, 2019.
- La confluenza degli oceani. Temi mistici della cultura
indo-musulmana.Scuola di Pace Furio Jesi, Bologna, May
12th, 2012.
- Gauging Islam at Naimiṣa. Premodern Prophecies in
Ancient Garb. 3rd International Indology Graduate Research
Symposium (IIGRS), Université Sorbonne Nouvelle-Paris III,
September 29th-30th, 2011.
- The Sanskrit-Persian Translation Movement and Dārā Šikōh's
“Majma‘ al-Baḥrayn”. Käte Hamburger Kolleg,
Ruhr-Universität Bochum, December 20th, 2010.
- Facets of Secrecy in Hindu-Muslim Interaction. Religious
Secrets in Contact. Käte Hamburger Kolleg,
Ruhr-Universität Bochum, December 2nd, 2010.
- Pandit Ghostwriters in Mughal Translations? The Case of the
“Samudrasaṅgama” . 39th Annual Conference on South Asia,
University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA, October 14th–17th, 2010.
- Savouring the Ineffable. Metaphors of taste in mystical
experience across religions. Religion for the Senses. Part
III: Religious Meanings of Taste, Smell and Touch in Ancient and
Medieval Asia and Europe, Käte Hamburger Kolleg, Ruhr-Universität
Bochum, April 20th–21st, 2010.
- Persian Manuscripts in India. With Special Reference to the
Translations of Sanskrit Texts. International Seminar on
“Indian Manuscripts and Their Preservation. Strategies for
Conservation, Diffusion and Awareness”, French Institute of
Pondicherry, Februray 25th–26th, 2010.
- The case of modern Persian: A Preliminary Survey of
Sources. Scientific meeting of the project Extended Sanskrit
Grammar, UMR 7597 (CNRS – Paris 7 – Paris 3), Paris, November
28th–29th, 2009.
- Il dialogo interreligioso tra musulmani e hindu in epoca
Moghul. India di Ieri, India di Oggi. Lecture at the
Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, University of
Bologna, May 30th, 2009.
- Introduzione alla storia dell'Islam nel Subcontinente
indiano. Lecture at the Department of Linguistics and
Oriental Studies, University of Bologna, April 30th,
2008.
- Il dialogo tra Islam e Induismo nell'India moghul.
Lectures at the Department of Linguistics and Oriental Studies,
University of Bologna, April 23th, 2008.
- A Persian Commentary to the Upaniṣads: Dārā Šikōh's «Sirr-i
Akbar». International Conference on “Intellectual Relations
and the Renewal of Religious Thought in Iran and Muslim India
during the Modern Period (1500-1900)”, Iranian Institute
of Philosophy, Tehran, June 30th – July 2nd, 2007.
- La letteratura persiana nel Subcontinente indiano.
Lecture at the Department of Linguistics and Oriental Studies,
University of Bologna, April 2006.
- Il velo di Māyā. Suggestioni indiane nel pensiero di
Schopenhauer. Lecture at the Department of Philosophy,
University of Trieste, 2003.
- Empedocle mago e sciamano. Lecture at the Department of
Classical Philology, University of Trieste, 1999.
RESEARCH TRIPS
- Research trip to Myanmar, summer 2014.
- Research trip to Pakistan and India, summer 2011.
- Research trip to the University of Pune, India, summer
2010.
- Research trip to the Ecole Française d'Extreme Orient,
Pondicherry, winter 2009.
- Research residency at the Institut Français de
Recherche en Iran, Tehran, winter 2009.
- Research residency at the Henry Martyn Institute for
Research, Interfaith Relations and Reconciliation, Hyderabad
(India), with further missions in Pakistan, winter 2008.
- Persian language and literature courses in Tehran,
summer 2004 and winter 2007.
- Research trip to Iran, summer 2005.
- Sanskrit language course in Benares, winter
2005.
