No doubt: Francesco Maurelli knows how to multitask. As Professor of Marine Systems with a focus on Marine Robotics at Constructor University, he is first and foremost a researcher and teacher. But he is also an entrepreneur, an Esperanto protagonist, involved with the United Nations and the European Vegetarian Union, to name just a few activities. Recently, the 39-year-old was also appointed to the renowned Global Young Academy, which is based at the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.

Members of the Global Young Academy (GYA) are selected on the basis of scientific excellence, their number is limited to 200, and they are appointed for five years. The goal of the international society is to give a voice to young scientists and to promote cross-disciplinary dialogue at an international level. This is why the GYA fits pretty well into what I've been doing," Maurelli said.

Collaborating across borders, fostering exchange, connecting people of diverse backgrounds – that is important to the native Italian, who identifies as European, and has been for a long time. This has also a lot to do with his fascination for Esperanto. Maurelli not only speaks the world language, which was created at the end of the 19th century, he was and is active in various board functions in the World Esperanto Association. Esperanto is intended to help overcome language barriers and connect peoples; the language is spoken by people in more than 120 countries. "At scientific congresses participants often group along nationality lines”, Maurelli explained, “at Esperanto meetings, it is different. The language brings people together, regardless of their nationality and education which is very enriching."  

Next year, the World Esperanto Congress will be held in an African country for the first time, in Tanzania. Maurelli will probably travel there these days to help the Esperanto community organize it, because he is nearby anyway. In Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, the GYA held its annual meeting last week. There, the new members were officially accepted into the Academy.

Maurelli has seen a lot of the world: He studied in Rome, Liverpool and Edinburgh, and conducted research at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, the Technical University of Munich in Germany and at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States. He also often commits to cross-national cooperation. For example, in the European Youth Forum of the European Union and as a speaker at numerous United Nations events.

Therefore, it was almost logical that in 2017 he transferred to Constructor University in Bremen, where students from more than 110 nations live together on one campus. "The university really is a window to the world, which is more than a slogan", Maurelli said. "Students become global citizens within three years. I am proud of that". However, academic reasons brought him here in the first place. With the Ocean Lab, Constructor University has a unique infrastructure for marine robotics. In addition, Bremen, with its numerous research institutions and companies, is a beacon for underwater robotics in Germany. "There is a lot happening here", Maurelli said.

Having robots perform tasks underwater is challenging. They cannot use GPS to locate themselves, visibility is poor, they have to deal with currents, and if they extend an arm, their center of gravity changes. Nevertheless, they should act as autonomously as possible and no longer be controlled by humans, for example when checking pipelines and cables or cracks in the masonry of dams. Maurelli is leading one such research project in Pakistan. "The trend is moving from inspection to intervention," he said.

It is the variety of tasks in underwater robotics that appeals to him. And that he is on the road a lot: "I am not made for a “9 to 5” job." He also uses surface vehicles for teaching: ducks, more precisely, yellow rubber ducks. They live in "Duckietown", a city for autonomous cars, the "Duckiebots". Maurelli wants to get young people, especially women and girls, excited about robotics. He is, for example, cooperating on a project with schools in Bremen that can remotely access the infrastructure in the Ocean Lab at Constructor University.

All of the above would be enough activity for a lifetime, but Maurelli has more to offer. During his time in Scotland, he founded "Kosmo Strategio ltd", an entrepreneurial company specialized in EU funding applications, project management and training activities, which now employs four people. He was President of the European Vegetarian Union and is still on the board. And as a member of the Faculty Council, he is committed to the future of Constructor University.

Finally, there is a special activity on his to-do list: applying for German citizenship. That, he says, is a matter of identity, as he would also like to vote in Germany. "I have spent my whole professional life outside of Italy," Maurelli said. "A single country doesn't represent what I am." If it were possible, he would apply for another citizenship – for that of the world.

This text is part of the “Faces” Series, in which Constructor University introduces students, alumni, professors and staff.

About Constructor University:
An international community, vibrant and diverse. Offering academic excellence, ensuring the highest standards in research and teaching. Empowering students to solve the world's pressing challenges through knowledge and science: Constructor University is a top-ranked, English-speaking, private university. Founded in 2001, it provides a wide range of 25+ academic programs and PhD. The Constructor ecosystem comprises the University, located in Bremen, Germany, and an institute in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.
Over 1.800 students from more than 110 nations on campus benefit from a unique interdisciplinary, foundational theoretical and practical education. Enriched with a buzzing entrepreneurial culture that prepares young professionals to thrive in the job market. With 6.000+ alumni worldwide, our community keeps growing – with our highest cohort ever registered in 2022.
The research-centric faculty projects are funded by the German Research Foundation and the European Union's Framework Program for Research and Innovation as well as by globally leading companies.
The Constructor ecosystem benefits from partnerships with high-ranked universities such as Carnegie Mellon, the University of Geneva or the National University of Singapore School of Computing, and technology companies such as Anisoprint, JetBrains and ChemDiv.

Constructor is a global institution dedicated to addressing the main challenges of the world through science, education, and technology. Apart from the University in Bremen, the ecosystem comprises an Institute in Schaffhausen (Switzerland) and several for-profit entities that provide technology infrastructures and solutions, life-long education programs, consulting services, and funding.