1. Could you briefly introduce yourself and describe your research area?
My name is Gabriele Tuozzo, and I am a PhD student at the Department of Computer Science of the University of Salerno. My research area lies within the fields of the Semantic Web and Knowledge Graphs, with a specific focus on Knowledge Graph quality and FAIRness. In particular, my work involves both the definition and measurement of quality and FAIRness indicators, as well as the study of approaches and tools aimed at improving them.
2. How did the contact with the partners involved in the collaboration begin? What role did NEOLAiA play in this process?
The connection was established thanks to Professor Maria Angela Pellegrino, who was involved by Professor Yacine Sam from the University of Tours. Professor Sam had proposed a scientific collaboration and a visiting period for a researcher interested in topics closely related to his research activities. In this process, NEOLAiA played a very important role: Professor Sam was looking for researchers from one of the universities belonging to the Alliance, in order to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the project to promote collaboration among the partner institutions. Thanks to NEOLAiA, I had the opportunity to spend one month at the University of Tours, where I worked closely with Professor Yacine Sam and his team.
3. What initiative or project emerged from this collaboration?
This initiative led to a collaboration in the field of federated Knowledge Graph querying through natural language, leveraging a multi-agent architecture based on Large Language Models. The collaboration is still ongoing, and we are currently working on a publication to be submitted to one of the leading international venues in the Semantic Web field.
4. What was the main added value of working with colleagues from other universities within the Alliance?
The main added value was the opportunity to become part of a highly stimulating international research environment. During my time at the University of Tours, I had the chance to interact not only with PhD students from the host institution, but also with Erasmus students and researchers from different parts of Europe and the world. This exchange allowed me to broaden both my scientific and personal perspectives. Moreover, the experience represented an important learning opportunity, as it enabled me to explore topics and develop technical skills that I had not yet fully addressed during my PhD journey.
5. What advice would you give to a researcher who has not yet taken advantage of the opportunities offered by NEOLAiA?
I would definitely encourage others to take advantage of these opportunities. The initiatives promoted by NEOLAiA not only allow researchers to carry out research activities in international environments, but also provide the opportunity to build long-lasting scientific relationships. In my case, the collaboration with Professor Yacine Sam and his team has continued even after the visiting period, contributing to the development of a new research collaboration network.
