Nicolò Marchetti - the KALAM project coordinator and PI - has a long experience in archaeological research in Western Asia, notably in Syria, Palestine, Turkey and Iraq. As scientific director of several excavation projects at important sites therein, he gave equal significance to the investigation of ancient remains and their fruition by the public through the creation of archaeological parks. The latter, addressed to both local communities and tourists, are acting as meaningful elements for the cultural and economic development of the surrounding areas. These activities have been implemented also through his coordination of several concluded EU-sponsored cooperation projects such as ARCHAIA, WALADU and EDUU. He coordinates the online platform OrientGIS, which provide dynamic maps marking historical sites and landscapes, also in relation to potential threats in selected areas of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Egypt. He directs the NINEV_E and QADIS projects in northern and southern Iraq respectively and coordinates the Erasmus+ BANUU project.
Founded in 1088, the Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna plays a key role in higher education and research in Italy and beyond. Organised around 5 campuses (Bologna, Cesena, Forlì, Ravenna, Rimini), UNIBO offers 232 degree programmes, 48 PhD programmes and 53 specialisation schools to more than 87.000 students, making it the most popular university in Italy. The research framework includes 356 research projects funded by the European Union based at UNIBO but in collaboration with hundreds of Italian and international universities and organisations.