The University of Trieste has inaugurated its first Study&Share classroom, a new learning environment designed to meet the evolving needs of its student community, where individual study is complemented by collaboration, social interaction and knowledge sharing.

Located in Building C9 on the Piazzale Europa Campus, the new classroom has been conceived as a flexible, informal and adaptable space that can accommodate different activities throughout the day. Students will be able to study individually or in groups, work on collaborative projects, meet with classmates, have lunch and enjoy breaks in a welcoming environment featuring modular furniture and up-to-date technology that can be easily reconfigured to suit different needs.

"This new type of classroom was created by listening to our students' needs, and we are delighted to provide them with this flexible space," said Rector Donata Vianelli. "Once the 'UniTS Renewed' redevelopment project is completed, our students will have access to numerous environments that encourage social interaction and the exchange of ideas, fully aligned with the needs of contemporary higher education."

The inauguration of the classroom marks the first milestone of "UniTS Renewed", the University's redevelopment programme aimed at modernising learning spaces and enhancing campus life.

By spring 2027, additional Study&Share classrooms of varying sizes and layouts will be created, all sharing the same vision: to provide spaces that foster not only learning, but also interaction, dialogue and a strong sense of belonging to the University community.

The overall plan includes the refurbishment of 25 classrooms, providing a total of 2,256 student seats across four University campuses, as well as the renovation of 30 study, reading and break areas, for a total of 894 upgraded seats.

Fabrizio Sors, tenure-track Assistant Professor of General Psychology at the Department of Life Sciences of the University of Trieste, has been elected to the Managing Council of the European Federation of Sport Psychology (FEPSAC).

FEPSAC brings together researchers, practitioners and institutions active in research, education and the application of sport psychology to physical activity and human performance. Through conferences, working groups, publications and educational initiatives, it supports scientific exchange and collaboration across the field.

During his term, Sors will take part in the work of the Managing Council and in the Federation’s initiatives, contributing in particular to collaboration between researchers and practitioners, interdisciplinary exchange and the dissemination of scientific knowledge.

The appointment builds on Sors’s previous involvement in the European scientific community. At the time of his election, he was serving a second term as coordinator of the Research Department of the European Network of Young Specialists in Sport Psychology (ENYSSP), a European network of early-career researchers and practitioners that works with FEPSAC on research and education. The new role may also strengthen links between the Federation’s activities and the sport psychology research developed in Trieste.

The University of Trieste played a leading role in the success of iNEST – Interconnected Nord-Est Innovation Ecosystem, one of the major Innovation Ecosystems funded under Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), which has now concluded having fully achieved all of its project objectives. The final report by the independent scientific reviewers confirms the successful completion of all planned activities, recognizing the initiative's significant scientific, economic, and societal impact.

The University of Trieste played a key role in Spoke 8, dedicated to maritime, marine, and inland water technologies, developed in collaboration with the Alto Adriatico Technology Hub, the Eastern Adriatic Sea Port Authority, OGS - Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale, and the Universities of Padua, Trento, Ca' Foscari Venice, and IUAV University of Venice.

The project addressed some of the most pressing challenges related to environmental sustainability and climate resilience in the Upper Adriatic region, leveraging the area's extensive scientific expertise while promoting knowledge transfer to industry.

Spoke 8 focused on five strategic research areas: marine ecosystem biology; the management of physical and chemical hazards and their impact on the hydrosphere; sustainable coastal transport; integrated land-sea planning; and the development of the Upper Adriatic Digital Twin. By integrating environmental data, predictive models, artificial intelligence algorithms, and advanced visualization systems, the project developed innovative decision-support tools with significant benefits for the sustainable management of coastal areas.

Alongside its research activities, the project placed strong emphasis on technology transfer. In this context, it developed a digital platform designed to connect researchers, businesses, and investors, as well as a scientific and technological information service aimed at disseminating funding opportunities, research results, and best practices across the ecosystem.

A central hub for these activities was the Lab Village, hosted at the Urban Center in Trieste. Conceived as a meeting place for researchers, companies, startups, and public institutions, it was established to accelerate innovation processes and foster new collaborations.

More broadly, iNEST's achievements highlight both the scale and the effectiveness of the initiative. Over nearly four years of activity, the ecosystem produced 977 scientific publications, involved 517 researchers, supported 99 projects dedicated to early-career researchers, and, through 35 cascade funding calls, financed more than 200 projects carried out by companies, SMEs, public bodies, and regional administrations.

Roberto Di Lenarda, former Rector of the University of Trieste and current President of the Permanent Conference of Medical Academic Boards, has been awarded Honorary Membership in the National Carabinieri Association.

The certificate was presented by Colonel Gianluca Migliozzi, Provincial Commander of the Carabinieri in Trieste, during a ceremony held at the Provincial Command Headquarters. The honour recognizes Professor Di Lenarda's longstanding support for and collaboration with the Carabinieri and the initiatives promoted by the National Carabinieri Association, reflecting a strong and enduring institutional partnership.

The 10th Symposium of the International Association for Lichenology – IAL10, the world’s leading scientific meeting devoted to lichenology, opened today, Monday 27 July, at the University of Trieste. Organised every four years by the International Association for Lichenology, the symposium is being held in Italy for the first time and is bringing researchers from around the world to the University’s Piazzale Europa campus.

Lichenology is the scientific study of lichens, complex organisms that develop through a stable association between a fungus and one or more partners capable of photosynthesis. Found in a wide variety of environments, including some of the most extreme regions on Earth, lichens provide an important model for understanding the mechanisms of symbiosis, adaptation and evolution. Their sensitivity to environmental conditions also makes them valuable tools for monitoring air quality and ecosystems, while their interaction with rocks, buildings and monuments is studied in the field of cultural heritage conservation.

The scientific proceedings, which began today in Building H3, will continue until Friday 31 July. The programme includes five plenary lectures, more than twenty thematic sessions, four workshops, oral presentations and poster sessions. Contributions explore the latest developments in genomics and other “omics” sciences, taxonomy and systematics, symbiosis biology, ecophysiology and biodiversity. Considerable attention is also being devoted to the effects of climate change, ecosystem conservation, the monitoring of urban and natural environments, and the relationship between lichens and historical monuments and buildings.

The plenary lectures are being delivered by Nina Gunde-Cimerman of the University of Ljubljana, Pavel Škaloud of Charles University in Prague, Theo Llewellyn of Imperial College London, Daniel Stanton of the University of Minnesota and Gulnara Tagirdzhanova of Stockholm University. Their presentations address topics including symbioses capable of developing in extreme environments, ecological and evolutionary parallels between lichens and corals, the genetic mechanisms underlying the production of protective substances, lichen responses to climate change and the molecular interactions between the different organisms involved in lichen symbiosis.

The local organisation is coordinated by academics from the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Trieste. The symposium president is Lucia Muggia, Professor of Systematic Botany, while Mauro Tretiach, Professor of General Botany, serves as vice-president. The scientific and organisational secretariat also includes Stefano Martellos, Professor of Systematic Botany, and Fabio Candotto Carniel, Professor of General Botany. The Trieste team is working alongside a national organising committee and an international scientific committee composed of experts from Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States.

Trieste’s bid was selected in 2021 during the previous edition of the symposium, which was held online. The decision recognised the long-standing contribution of the University’s research group to Italian and international lichenology, as well as the city’s geographical position, multicultural character and particularly extensive network of scientific institutions.

The programme is complemented by scientific field trips devoted to observing lichens in their natural environments. Two itineraries took place before the symposium, crossing the south-eastern Alps and central Italy. A further excursion is scheduled from 1 to 3 August in the Italian and Slovenian Classical Karst, with stops including the Val Rosandra Nature Reserve, the Škocjan Caves area, the Trnovo Plateau and the Duino area.

The full programme and further information are available on the official IAL10 website.

EUT – Edizioni Università di Trieste has joined Fondazione LIA as a member. This decision reflects a clear commitment: ensuring that its publications can be accessed by all readers is not merely a legal obligation, but a matter of cultural and social responsibility.

For more than ten years, Fondazione LIA has worked to support publishers in creating accessible digital publications. It collaborates with all stakeholders across the publishing supply chain—including publishers, distributors, aggregators, booksellers and digital libraries—to make the entire reading experience accessible. EUT’s membership strengthens this network and brings a valuable perspective: that of an organisation which produces and disseminates scientific and academic knowledge and is committed to doing so without excluding anyone.

EUT – Edizioni Università di Trieste was established to promote and disseminate the results of the University’s teaching and research activities across all academic disciplines. Its decision to join Fondazione LIA demonstrates how the academic world is developing a more concrete awareness of the importance of accessibility.

“EUT – Edizioni Università di Trieste’s membership of Fondazione LIA represents an important step in strengthening our vision of academic publishing based on openness, sharing and the accessibility of knowledge. The dissemination of knowledge is one of the essential missions of the University of Trieste and its publishing house. We believe that inclusivity must be an indispensable condition, rather than merely a regulatory requirement, if research findings are to reach the widest possible audience and foster the circulation of culture. Our collaboration with Fondazione LIA will enable us to contribute actively to the development of a fairer publishing ecosystem, capable of fully recognising the social role of science communication,” said Elena Tonzar, Head of EUT – Edizioni Università di Trieste.

“We are delighted to welcome EUT as a member of Fondazione LIA. This partnership is particularly significant to us because of EUT’s role in disseminating knowledge, and we hope it will inspire other university publishers to embark on the same path,” said Cristina Mussinelli, Secretary General of Fondazione LIA.

Mapping groundwater aquifers located more than 400 metres beneath the seabed in the coastal area between Jesolo and Lignano. This was the objective of the recently completed oceanographic expedition carried out under the RESCUE project aboard the Laura Bassi research vessel of the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS).

Coordinated by the University of Trieste, with OGS as a project partner, RESCUE aims to strengthen water security through research and innovation by identifying freshwater resources in unexplored coastal and offshore aquifers. Building on recent scientific discoveries, the project is mapping deep, low-salinity aquifers—located at depths exceeding 400 metres—both on land and beneath the seabed. At a time when freshwater resources in coastal regions are increasingly threatened by population growth, pollution and climate change, these aquifers could help supplement water supplies for drinking, agriculture and industry, while also reducing the costs associated with seawater desalination.

Researchers and students from OGS, the University of Trieste, the University of Pisa, CNR-ISMAR (Institute of Marine Sciences of the Italian National Research Council) in Bologna, the University of Malta, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI, California, USA) took part in the expedition aboard the Laura Bassi.

During the campaign, researchers carried out seismic reflection surveys to obtain high-resolution images of the subsurface beneath the seabed, together with seafloor mapping. In addition, electromagnetic surveys were conducted for the first time in the area to detect the possible presence of freshwater aquifers beneath the seabed. The investigations, which did not involve any seabed sampling, covered an area approximately 10 kilometres offshore, extending from Jesolo, in the Province of Venice, to the Tagliamento Delta off the coast of Lignano.

"The surveys were carried out under excellent environmental conditions, and all operations proceeded according to plan. The data collected are of very high quality, but several months of laboratory processing and analysis will be required before we can confirm the presence of freshwater aquifers beneath the northern Adriatic seabed," said Cristina Corradin, OGS researcher and scientific coordinator of the expedition.

"The operations required the integration of several geophysical techniques and close collaboration among the different research teams, the technical and scientific staff, and the ship's crew," explained Daniela Accettella of OGS, chief scientist aboard the Laura Bassi.

"After two years of scientific work, the RESCUE team has successfully applied innovative integrated geophysical methods for investigating deep offshore aquifers in one of the most promising study areas: the seabed of the northern Adriatic, particularly off the coast of Friuli Venezia Giulia. The new data will improve our understanding of regional groundwater resources and contribute to addressing water shortages linked to climate change and extreme events, such as the heatwave and drought currently affecting Europe," said Professor Michele Pipan of the University of Trieste, coordinator of the RESCUE project.

This oceanographic expedition has also laid the groundwork for a second research initiative funded by the European intergovernmental association JPI Oceans. Launched through a joint initiative by Malta and Italy, the new project will seek to confirm the presence of freshwater beneath the northern Adriatic seabed by drilling an offshore scientific borehole—the first of its kind in Europe. The project is coordinated by the University of Malta and involves OGS, the University of Trieste, the Alto Adriatico Technology Hub, as well as research institutions from Germany and Greece. It is funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) and the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

RESCUE – Resources in Coastal Groundwater Under Hydroclimatic Extremes is a project co-funded by the Water4All Partnership and the European Union. It addresses water scarcity in coastal regions by investigating deep groundwater resources located both onshore and beneath the seabed. The project focuses on mapping these resources, assessing their long-term sustainability, and developing policy recommendations for their sustainable use.

The project is coordinated by the University of Trieste, with OGS as a partner. Other partners include the University of Derby (United Kingdom), Ruden AS (Norway), and the University of Malta.

The roots of the Degree Programme in Physiotherapy at UniTS date back to 1976, when Flavia Ruzzier established the School for Rehabilitation Therapists. The initiative grew out of the experience of the Centre for Motor and Functional Rehabilitation, founded ten years earlier by Professor Vincenzo Zuccon, and led to the creation of what remains one of the most distinctive features of physiotherapy education at the University of Trieste: the Palestra Didattica, its clinical teaching facility.

For almost half a century, this facility has provided a unique environment within the Italian higher education system, where clinical care, teaching and research have always coexisted. Each year, second- and third-year students take an active role in the care of patients referred by specialist services, under the supervision of clinical tutors, physiotherapists and university lecturers. Rather than merely observing clinical practice, they participate in the entire rehabilitation pathway: from medical history-taking and physiotherapy assessment to the definition of therapeutic goals, treatment planning and final reassessment, gradually developing greater professional autonomy.

Clinical activity is supported by a comprehensive educational ecosystem that combines peer learning, cooperative learning, clinical simulation, role-playing, multidisciplinary case discussions, journal clubs and advanced technologies, including a virtual anatomy table and motion analysis systems. This approach places particular emphasis on the development of clinical reasoning and decision-making skills, which are now essential competencies for physiotherapists.

“The fiftieth anniversary of the Degree Programme in Physiotherapy offers an opportunity to highlight a history built on expertise, innovation and vision,” says Luigi Murena, Director of the Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences at the University of Trieste. “The Palestra Didattica demonstrates how our University succeeded, well ahead of the models now recognised internationally, in developing an environment where teaching, research and clinical care are effectively integrated. It is a legacy that continues to educate highly qualified professionals capable of combining clinical expertise, critical thinking, technological innovation and person-centred care.”

Indeed, it is only in recent years that international scientific literature has begun to describe comparable models under the term Student-Led Physiotherapy Clinic, recognising their educational and clinical value. Many of the features that now define these experiences have been part of the University of Trieste’s Palestra Didattica since 1976: real patients, students actively involved in patient care, continuous supervision by experienced professionals, progressively increasing autonomy, collaborative learning and the integration of care, education and research.

Il professor Roberto Scarciglia, già ordinario di Diritto pubblico comparato, è stato nominato Professore Onorario dell'Università di Trieste.

Il prestigioso riconoscimento, conferito a docenti che si sono distinti per l'eccellenza dell'attività scientifica e accademica, assume un significato particolare per l'Ateneo: Scarciglia è infatti il primo docente del Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche e Sociali (DiSPeS) a esserne insignito.

La sua carriera all'Università di Trieste è iniziata nel 1996 come ricercatore ed è proseguita fino al ruolo di professore ordinario, ricoperto dal 2001 al 2021. Nel corso di oltre venticinque anni di attività ha contribuito in maniera significativa allo sviluppo del diritto pubblico comparato e alla crescita del Dipartimento, assumendo importanti responsabilità accademiche, tra cui quelle di Preside della Facoltà di Scienze Politiche, Direttore del Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche e, successivamente, del Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche e Sociali.

Studioso di riconosciuta autorevolezza nel panorama del diritto comparato, è Associate Member dell'International Academy of Comparative Law di Parigi e membro di numerose associazioni scientifiche nazionali e internazionali. Ha coordinato progetti di ricerca italiani ed europei, promosso collaborazioni accademiche con numerosi atenei stranieri e svolto attività di insegnamento e ricerca come visiting professor in prestigiose università europee, tra cui Cambridge, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Barcellona e Francoforte.

La sua attività scientifica, testimoniata da un'ampia produzione di monografie, volumi e saggi pubblicati anche da editori internazionali, ha contribuito allo sviluppo degli studi sul diritto pubblico comparato, sulla metodologia della comparazione giuridica, sul pluralismo giuridico e, negli ultimi anni, sulle implicazioni dell'intelligenza artificiale e delle nuove tecnologie per gli ordinamenti pubblici.

Professor Paolo Fornasiero, Full Professor of General and Inorganic Chemistry at the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Trieste and Vice Rector for Research, has been appointed Fellow of the Italian Academy of Engineering and Technology (ITATEC) in recognition of his outstanding scientific achievements and his contributions to research in materials chemistry, catalysis and sustainable technologies.

Established in 2022 on the initiative and with the support of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, ITATEC brings together leading experts in engineering, technology and applied sciences to promote scientific and technological excellence and strengthen the links between research, innovation and society.

The Academy fosters the exchange of knowledge among universities, research organisations and industry, develops evidence-based recommendations on strategic technological issues, provides independent scientific advice to public institutions and private stakeholders, and promotes the international visibility of Italian engineering and technological research.

At the European level, ITATEC serves as the Italian reference academy within the European Council of Academies of Applied Sciences, Technologies and Engineering (Euro-CASE), the network of national academies from 23 European countries that provides independent scientific and technological advice to European institutions and other international bodies.

Professor Fornasiero's appointment represents an important recognition of both his scientific leadership and the excellence of research carried out at the University of Trieste, reaffirming the University's commitment to advancing scientific knowledge, technological innovation and knowledge transfer at the national and international levels.