A special evening open to the entire community to celebrate research, knowledge, and the next generation. On Thursday, 16 July, from 9:00 p.m., the University of Trieste will once again bring its Graduation Day 2026 to the heart of the city. During this solemn ceremony, the University's 38th-cycle PhD graduates will be officially awarded their doctoral degrees, culminating in the traditional academic cap toss.

Set against the evocative backdrop of Piazza Verdi, as part of the Trieste Estate festival, this important academic tradition will become an opportunity for the University and the local community to come together.

The event is made possible thanks to the support of local partners CiviBank and Bluenergy Group S.P.A., which share the University's commitment to innovation, growth, and the development of the community.

Dedicated to science and its power to shape the future and drive societal progress, the evening will feature distinguished guest Alberto Di Minin, researcher, science communicator, and Full Professor of Innovation Management at the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa. He will deliver the Lectio Magistralis entitled The Future Needs Teachers and Mentors: Reflections on Research, Open Innovation, and Human Responsibility.

Every era imagines the future through the science and technology of its time. Yesterday it was electricity, chemistry, mechanics, and telecommunications; today it is artificial intelligence. Yet history shows that great revolutions have never been driven by technology alone. Science has enabled innovations that have generated new projects, products, and ideas capable of changing the world. These transformations have always depended on teachers and mentors—women and men able to see beyond the horizon, transform research into opportunity, and build bridges between knowledge, industry, and society. Drawing on these ideas and stories from the past, the lecture will explore the role now entrusted to the protagonists of this ceremony: the new PhD graduates of the University of Trieste. Today they take on a new responsibility. In a world undergoing profound transformation, they too will be called upon to give technology a human purpose and, in turn, become the teachers and mentors of the future.

Alongside science, music will also play a central role throughout the evening thanks to the performance of Pierpaolo Foti, violinist and composer, renowned for his energetic style that combines classical technique with engaging pop and rock influences.

Hosting the evening will be journalist Marinella Chirico.

Among those attending the ceremony will be Donata Vianelli, Rector of the University of Trieste; Francesco Longo, Rector's Delegate for Doctoral Programmes; Massimiliano Fedriga, President of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia; Roberto Dipiazza, Mayor of Trieste; Alberta Gervasio, Chief Executive Officer of Bluenergy Group S.P.A.; and Luca Cristoforetti, General Manager of CiviBank.

Trieste Estate is organised and promoted by the Municipality of Trieste – Department of Culture and Tourism, in collaboration with the Department of Education and Family Policies and the Department of Territorial Policies, with the support of PromoTurismoFVG and the collaboration of the Trieste Convention & Visitors Bureau.