The University of Trieste took part in the presentation of the new Manifesto for Public Engagement, promoted by APEnet – the Italian Network of Universities and Research Bodies for Public Engagement.

The Manifesto, the result of a collaborative and open process involving the network’s 57 members – universities, research institutions, polytechnics and high schools across Italy – updates the Association’s identity and, for the first time, outlines a shared direction.

It calls for:

• the integration of Public Engagement into the strategic plans of universities and research institutions;
• recognition of its value in career pathways and research evaluation systems;
• the promotion of a culture of participation and collaboration among all stakeholders;
• support for lifelong learning, open science, and the active involvement of new generations.

The document sets out a crucial vision for strengthening alliances between research and civil society, with the aim of bridging the gap between science and the public.

Inspired by the latest European recommendations on the social role of research, the Manifesto underlines the urgent need to enhance the public value of knowledge by promoting processes of listening, dialogue, collaboration and co-creation as key elements for generating cultural, social and economic impact.

“The APEnet Manifesto,” explained Giulia Carluccio, outgoing President of APEnet and Vice-Rector of the University of Turin, “is a key step in accelerating a paradigm shift within the research institutions of our country. Universities and research bodies are committed to producing and enhancing knowledge through listening, dialogue and collaboration in order to address current and future challenges together with society.”

New APEnet Board of Directors

Alongside the presentation of the Manifesto, APEnet elected its new board of directors, who will lead the Association for the next three years.

The board includes:

• Irene Baldriga (University of Rome La Sapienza)
• Pier Andrea Serra (University of Sassari)
• Giorgio Chiarelli (Italian National Institute of Nuclear Physics - INFN)
• Elisa Ascani (University of Florence)
• Elisabetta Bani (University of Bergamo)
• Andrea Attanasio (University of Calabria)
• Valentina Lomi (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia)
• Alessandro Zennaro (University of Turin)
• Monica Guerra (University of Milan Bicocca)

Pier Andrea Serra has been appointed President and will be supported by two Vice-Presidents: Irene Baldriga and Elisabetta Bani.

What is APEnet?

APEnet – the Italian Network of Universities and Research Bodies for Public Engagement – has been active since 2018 and was formally established as an Association in 2022 to consolidate and give visibility to the role of Public Engagement in Italy.

Public Engagement is a set of values and institutional actions undertaken by universities and research institutions to foster social, cultural and economic development in collaboration with all societal actors. It is a dynamic process of interaction aimed at progressively closing the gap between research and society, addressing new challenges that take local identities into account and recognising the contribution of all those involved, thereby amplifying the impact of their work.

APEnet serves as a space for dialogue, research and development of tools and actions, sharing and strengthening the knowledge and skills needed to drive the cultural transformation that sees universities and research bodies as key actors in promoting the country’s inclusive growth through listening, dialogue and collaboration with society.

Ensuring public funding for providing home care to older adults with limited self-sufficiency could prove not only to be a welfare measure, but also an effective strategy for improving seniors’ mental health, reducing psychiatric care costs, and easing the burden on families.

This is the conclusion of an international study published in the prestigious journal Health Economics, led by Ludovico Carrino, Professor of Political Economy at the University of Trieste, in collaboration with Erica Reinhard of King’s College London and Mauricio Avendano of the University of Lausanne.

The study, among the first in the scientific community to empirically examine the socio-economic impact of public home care for older adults, analysed data from four European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, and Spain), and highlighted the many potential benefits of publicly supported Long-Term Care (LTC) programmes.

The findings show that access to home care services:

• reduces the risk of clinical depression by 13 percentage points, compared to an observed average of 28% in the study population;
• lowers the risk of loneliness by 6.7%;
• improves perceived quality of life by 14%.

Ludovico Carrino, Professor of Political Economy at the University of Trieste, commented: ‘In addition to the health benefits for individuals, the study highlights the potential economic impact of such measures. Late-life depression has high healthcare costs: studies conducted over the past decades show an annual extra cost of $3,225 per person aged 65–74 in the UK, while in Germany the figure is $2,840 annually for those over 75. Reducing the incidence of mental health disorders through an efficient home care system therefore means not only improving the quality of life for older people, but also decreasing the need for medication, psychiatric care and hospitalisation, with positive effects on the sustainability of national healthcare systems.’

Another key finding of the research relates to the role of informal caregivers. Care provided by family members, such as children or relatives, is often the main source of support, with a significant impact on the work and personal lives of those providing care. Widening access to home care services could relieve caregivers from what is often an all-consuming role, returning human resources to the labour market with potentially positive outcomes for productivity and household income. In Italy, where the development of public Long-Term Care lags behind that of other European countries, the findings of the Health Economics study may offer concrete guidance for shaping public policy and updating welfare strategies. 

‘Legislative initiatives in recent years have sparked reflection on the need to strengthen funding and broaden access to home care services, drawing attention to a highly relevant issue in a country where an ageing population will inevitably lead to a rise in the number of people requiring care,’ concluded Ludovico Carrino.

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Full study published in Health Economics
There Is No Place Like Home: The Impact of Public Home‐Based Care on the Mental Health and Well‐Being of Older People

The University of Trieste’s Botanical Garden on Via Licio Giorgieri, with an area of 2,400 square metres, houses around 400 species from Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australia. These also include species endemic to the Karst, Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Mediterranean, with a small section dedicated to pteridophytes. 

The Botanical Garden boasts a two-century-old downy oak (quercus pubescens), the only tree preserved during wartime deforestation. Beyond its perimeter, but still an integral part of the Botanical Garden, is the Monte Valerio Nature Trail, which features informative signs explaining the flora and fauna encountered by visitors.

A botanical garden, the hortus vivus of antiquity, is an institution that keeps living plants, documented, labelled, arranged and ordered according to scientific criteria. It is open to the public in order to educate visitors about the plant species and provide recreational activities, while also carrying out research and conservation projects.

Created in 1963 by Prof. Sandro Pignatti, the botanical garden of the Botany Institute at the University of Trieste was conceived as a collection mainly dedicated to Karst and regional flora, with several specimens native to the Western Balkan area. After its conception, budget cuts, lack of personnel and diverging research activities led the garden to significantly deteriorate, reducing it simply to a green space between the buildings of the UniTS Campus. Despite its state of neglect, the garden became a special area for research and teaching and a new greenhouse was constructed, the first in Europe to be equipped with interactive plant identification tools used by students on the Systematic Botany course. Since 2022, thanks to the impetus of Prof. Andrea Nardini, Professor of Plant Physiology, and Prof. Mauro Tretiach, at the time Head of the Department of Life Sciences, the garden has made a comeback after numerous exotic species were purchased and large areas for research activities were newly designated.

The two local institutions Giardino Botanico Carsiana (dedicated to the flora of the Karst) and Trieste’s Civico Orto Botanico, both with cultivars and exotic plants, inspired the small university garden to redefine its goals as not just an exhibition space but a place to strengthen its functionality as a teaching location: a garden serving as an extension of the classroom or laboratory, a space for observing the characteristics of plants and thus providing first-hand knowledge and in-depth information in university lessons.
The University Botanical Garden continues to be a recreational space for students but also a place for meetings and gatherings in keeping with plant conservation requirements.

Andrea Moro, curator of the Botanical Collections, and Marinella Perosa, author of the book “Botanica&Erbario” (Quaderni Visionari, Effigi editions) spoke at the inauguration.

Stefano Furlani, Professor of Physical Geography and Geomorphology at UniTS, was awarded the ‘Nobel’ for underwater activities: the Golden Trident.

Awarded by the International Academy of Underwater Sciences and Techniques, the Golden Trident is the industry’ s highest accolade worldwide.

Prof. Furlani was awarded the Golden Trident ‘for having made a fundamental contribution to international scientific research by combining geomorphology and mapping of rocky coastal environments (from sea level to the seabed) with new models of integrated exploration, such as the GEOSWIM Survey Programme. He did so using different technologies and promoting activities which enhance rocky coasts and the study of their contribution in the context of sea level changes.’

Since the first edition in 1960, more than 200 celebrities have been awarded the Golden Trident, such as Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Folco Quilici, Jacques Piccard and Enzo Maiorca. Scientists, researchers, pioneers, journalists and teachers who are less well-known but represent excellence in their field at international level have also received the award.

The University of Padua's Equal Opportunities Committee (CUG) has awarded UniTS researcher Giovanna Gilleri the Prize for Research on Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation for her work entitled ‘Women, and All of Us: Article 5(a) CEDAW as a Protection for All Gendered Individuals’.

CEDAW stands for the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979.

The committee has awarded the prize to Giovanna Gilleri for her innovative interpretation of Article 5(a) of the CEDAW Convention, in which through detailed legal analysis and dialogue with feminist and queer thought she demonstrates how the fight against gender stereotypes, by extending protection to all gender identities, can promote an inclusive vision of anti-discrimination law.
 

Friday 23rd May saw the conclusion of the on-site visit of the expert panel (CEV) of the Italian national agency for the evaluation of universities and research institutes (ANVUR) for the Periodic Assessment of the University of Trieste.

The final meeting took place in the Main Hall of Building A and was attended by the entire academic community.

During the presentation, the key strengths and areas for improvement identified through the analysis of documents and consultations with staff and students were communicated. 

The Preliminary Report, in accordance with ANVUR assessment procedures, will be sent to the University within 90 days.

From 29th May to 1st June, Trieste University Press (EUT) will take part in èStoria, the 21st International Festival of History, to be held in Gorizia and Nova Gorica, European Capital(s) of Culture 2025.

The theme of the 2025 edition will be ‘Cities’, intended as symbolic, historical and cultural spaces. The aim is to offer a space to reflect on the role of cities in the history of humanity, intertwining the past and present of Gorizia with those of a hundred others, from Uruk to Gaza, from Athens to New York.

EUT will host three public events:

Thursday 29 May – 11:30– 12:30
Dora Bassi Hall – Gorizia
Il corpo della città / Telo mesta. Studies and research in the form of snapshots of Gorizia – Nova Gorica European Capital of Culture

Presentation of the book Il corpo della città / Telo mesta (The body of the city), EUT, 2024), edited by Thomas Bisiani and Adriano Venudo. The work, created within the RRR Lab of the University of Trieste in collaboration with EUT, offers an urban and cultural interpretation of Gorizia and Nova Gorica through the photographic gaze of the COLGO Collective. A talk on the city as a place, its status and what it means to be a citizen there.

Speakers: Thomas Bisiani, Alessio Bortot, Giovanni Fraziano, Sonia Prestamburgo, Adriano Venudo.

Admission is free and subject to limited seating capacity.

Saturday 31 May at 15:00 – 16:00
Ridotto F. Macedonio – Verdi Theatre, Gorizia
L’affaire Prezioso. Aprile 1915. La missione segreta del direttore politico de ‘Il Piccolo’ by Marina Silvestri

Journalist and author Marina Silvestri presents the book L’affaire Prezioso. April 1915. La missione segreta del direttore politico de ‘Il Piccolo’ (Prezioso’s case. The secret mission of the political director of ‘Il Piccolo’, EUT 2024). It was a mild April in Trieste in 1915, when delicate discussions took place between Roberto Prezioso, director of Il Piccolo, and Leopold von Chlumecký, his Habsburg counterpart. The two men, maneuvering ambiguities and complex political dynamics, each try to support the cause of their own government, while Italy’s neutrality is becoming increasingly fragile and the shadow of war is approaching.

Speakers: Marina Silvestri, Federico Vidic
Chair: Georg Meyr

Admission is free and subject to limited seating capacity.

Sunday 1 June, 6.30 p.m. – 7.30 p.m.
Main Hall – Santa Chiara Campus, Gorizia
Working on the border in the Upper Adriatic area

During this talk, integration and labour mobility in Europe will be discussed, with a particular focus on the historical events of the Upper Adriatic area. Professor Maria Dolores Ferrara will present her recent book Lavorare oltre confine (Working Beyond Borders, EUT 2024).

Speakers: Maria Dolores Ferrara, Luigi Menghini, Fabio Spitaleri, Davide Rossi

Admission is free and subject to limited seating capacity.

 

For up-to-date information on the programme: www.estoria.it 

A persistent inflammation affecting blood vessels and potentially leading to serious thrombotic complications, even in young individuals with no known risk factors – this is the reality of systemic vasculitis, a group of rare autoimmune diseases which, if not promptly recognised and treated, can compromise vital organs such as the heart, kidneys, lungs and brain.

These conditions are the focus of a study published in Nature Reviews Rheumatology, one of the world’s most prestigious journals in the fields of immunology and rheumatology. The study is coordinated by Professor Giacomo Emmi, immunologist, lecturer in Internal Medicine at the University of Trieste, Head of the Department of Clinical Medicine and Scientific Coordinator of ASUGI (local health authority).

The article, the result of a coordinated review effort involving leading research centres in Italy, Sweden, Russia, Turkey and Australia, provides an overview of the thrombotic and cardiovascular manifestations associated with vasculitis. It also proposes new treatment strategies based on an anti-inflammatory approach.

The topic will be the subject of a presentation by Professor Emmi during the European Vasculitis Society (EUVAS) congress, being held for the first time in Trieste from 21st to 24th May, and bringing together over 400 specialists from across Europe. The congress is a key event for clinicians and researchers working in this area and is noted for its strongly multidisciplinary approach. Emmi is a member of the society’s board and part of the organising committee for the event.

"Our work," explains Emmi, "shows that in many forms of vasculitis, thrombosis is not an isolated event, but a direct consequence of vascular inflammation. In such cases, anticoagulants alone may be insufficient and must be combined with immunological therapy. A deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying these findings changes the therapeutic approach and may open new avenues for other chronic inflammatory and non-inflammatory diseases as well."

Among the types of vasculitis examined in the review are:

• Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis – a disease primarily affecting the respiratory tract, heart and peripheral nervous system;
• Behçet’s syndrome, which involves blood vessels of varying calibre and is characterised, among other things, by inflammatory thrombotic events.

The publication focuses on:

• the differences between arterial and venous thrombotic events;
• therapeutic management at different stages of the disease;
• and the various pathogenetic mechanisms that can inform clinical decision-making.

The study, available online via the Nature platform, represents a significant contribution to the international discourse on systemic autoimmune diseases, a constantly evolving field of medicine.

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Full Study Published in Nature Reviews Rheumatology         
Arterial and venous thrombosis in systemic and monogenic vasculitis
Federica Bello¹˒¹⁵, Filippo Fagni²˒³˒¹⁵, Giacomo Bagni⁴, Catherine L. Hill⁵˒⁶, Aladdin J. Mohammad⁷˒⁸, Sergey Moiseev⁹, Iacopo Olivotto¹˒¹⁰, Emire Seyahi¹¹ & Giacomo Emmi¹²˒¹³˒¹⁴

1. Cardiomyopathy Unit, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
2. Department of Rheumatology, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden
3. Department of Clinical Sciences, Rheumatology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
4. Department of Rheumatology and Inflammatory Diseases, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
5. Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
6. Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
7. Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
8. Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
9. Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
10. IRCCS Don Carlo Gnocchi Foundation, Florence, Italy
11. Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
12. Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
13. Department of Internal Medicine, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Giuliano Isontina (ASUGI), Trieste, Italy
14. European Reference Network ReCONNET, Trieste, Italy
These authors contributed equally: Federica Bello, Filippo Fagni

Artificial intelligence, digitalisation, immigration, environment, food safety, workers' rights, common market, public order: these are just some of the present and future challenges that the European Union is facing regarding common regulation. The Universities of Trieste and Udine will be analysing these topics from 21st to 23rd May in the Biasutti Room of the FVG Palace in Trieste, on the occasion of the 8th Conference of the inter-university PhD in ‘Law and Innovation in the European Legal Space’.

Around forty young scholars from roughly fifteen Italian universities are expected to contribute across ten interdisciplinary sessions based around the field of law.

Established in 2017 as an interactive workshop for PhD students exclusively from FVG universities, the initiative is now open to participation from PhD students from other locations, selected based on responses to a call for papers.

The Conference will open on Wednesday 21st May at 15:00, with institutional greetings from the President of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Massimiliano Fedriga, the head of UniTS Department of Law, Language, Interpretation and Translation, Gian Paolo Dolso, and the head of UniUD Department Law, Silvia Bolognini. 

The coordinator of the PhD course, Marina Brollo from the University of Udine, and the deputy coordinator, Angelo Venchiarutti from the University of Trieste, will introduce the proceedings. This will be followed by the first session, discussing ‘Fundamental Rights: between traditional categories and new protection requirements’ and moderated by Dimitri Girotto from the University of Udine. The second day (Thursday 22nd May, from 9:00) will start with ‘Tax law: between artificial intelligence and new regulatory requirements’, chaired by Mario Nussi from the University of Udine. This will be followed by a session on ‘Sanctioning systems: judges and artificial intelligence’, chaired by Federico Costantini of the University of Udine. In the afternoon (from 14:30) the conference will focus on ‘Risks and civil liability in the “digital age”’, chaired by Raffaella Pasquili from the University of Udine. The last session will be on ‘New challenges: environment, immigration, governance, food security’ and will be moderated by Fabio Spitaleri from the University of Trieste. 

The last day (Friday 23rd May, from 9:00) will open with ‘Navigation law: from ancient Rome to current challenges’ moderated by Massimo Campailla from the University of Trieste. This will be followed by a session on ‘Business Crisis and Insolvency Code, Civil and Criminal Proceedings’ moderated by Elisa Grisonich from the University of Genoa. The following topic will be ‘Administrative, labour and commercial law: comparing Italy and Spain’, chaired by Roberta Nunin from the University of Trieste. In the afternoon (from 14:30) the final two sessions will discuss ‘Internal and supranational public law’, moderated by Ludovico Mazzarolli from the University of Udine, and ‘Constitution and administration’, moderated by Francesco Emanuele Grisostolo from the University of Udine. 

The conference will conclude with a speech by Laura Montanari from the University of Udine, former coordinator of the PhD course.

The Urology Department of the Cattinara Hospital has also received the bollino rosa (pink stamp) from Fondazione Onda – the national observatory on women’s and gender health – which recognises healthcare facilities committed to promoting women’s health and integrating gender-specific medicine.

Founded in 2005, Fondazione Onda awards the stamps based on clinical requirements, the quality of care and welcome, attention to gender differences, and training and communication activities.

This is the third accreditation awarded to the facility of ASUGI and the University of Trieste: following the bollino arancione (orange stamp) for excellence in the treatment of kidney diseases, and the bollino azzurro (blue stamp) for pathways dedicated to male and prostate health, the Urology Department in Trieste is the first in the region to earn the full trio of Onda certifications.

This recognition also extends to the educational aspect: specialist trainees begin working in a clinical environment that adopts a gender-sensitive and non-discriminatory approach to care from the outset.

‘Gender-specific medicine is not a separate field,’ says Prof. Giovanni Liguori, Head of the Urology Department of ASUGI and Professor of Urology and Andrology at the University of Trieste, ‘but an integral part of an approach to treatment that considers each person in their full complexity.’

‘Accreditations such as this confirm the value of the path we have taken together with Prof. Paolo Umari, Professor and Head of the Robotic Surgery Unit, Dr. Gianluca D’Aloia, Head of the Prostate Unit, and Dr. Francesca Vedovo, Head of Functional Urology.’