This shimmering view of interstellar gas and dust was captured by the European Space Agency’s Euclid space telescope. The nebula is part of a so-called dark cloud, named LDN 1641. It sits at about 1300 light-years from Earth, within a sprawling complex of dusty gas clouds where stars are being formed, in the constellation of Orion.

In visible light this region of the sky appears mostly dark, with few stars dotting what seems to be a primarily empty background. But, by imaging the cloud with the infrared eyes of its NISP instrument, Euclid reveals a multitude of stars shining through a tapestry of dust and gas.
This is because dust grains block visible light from stars behind them very efficiently but are much less effective at dimming near-infrared light.

The nebula is teeming with very young stars. Some of the objects embedded in the dusty surroundings spew out material – a sign of stars being formed. The outflows appear as magenta-coloured spots and coils when zooming into the image.
In the upper left, obstruction by dust diminishes and the view opens toward the more distant Universe with many galaxies lurking beyond the stars of our own galaxy.
Euclid observed this region of the sky in September 2023 to fine-tune its pointing ability. For the guiding tests, the operations team required a field of view where only a few stars would be detectable in visible light; this portion of LDN 1641 proved to be the most suitable area of the sky accessible to Euclid at the time.

The tests were successful and helped ensure that Euclid could point reliably and very precisely in the desired direction. This ability is key to delivering extremely sharp astronomical images of large patches of sky, at a fast pace. The data for this image, which is about 0.64 square degrees in size - or more than three times the area of the full Moon on the sky - were collected in just under five hours of observations.

Euclid is surveying the sky to create the most extensive 3D map of the extragalactic Universe ever made. Its main objective is to enable scientists to pin down the mysterious nature of dark matter and dark energy.
Yet the mission will also deliver a trove of observations of interesting regions in our galaxy, like this one, as well as countless detailed images of other galaxies, offering new avenues of investigation in many different fields of astronomy.

The Euclid Consortium involves several UniTS professors from the Department of Physics (Stefano Borgani, Matteo Costanzi, Marisa Girardi, Anna Gregorio, Pierluigi Monaco, Alexandro Saro), as well as postdocs and PhD students (Lucie Baumont, Yousry Elkhashab, Roberto Ingrao, Marius Lepinzan) with responsibilities ranging from coordinating the Instrument Operation Team to participating in the Euclid Consortium Publication Group - Science, as well as significant involvement in the Science Working Groups on Galaxy Clustering and Clusters of Galaxies and in the Science Ground Segment. These activities, carried out in close collaboration with researchers from INAF-Trieste Astronomical Observatory and SISSA, make Trieste one of the focal points of the Euclid Consortium. 

The mid-term meeting of the European BluEcho project, dedicated to the study of noise pollution in the marine environment, was held in Trieste. Co-funded by the European Union through the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership and coordinated by UniTS, BluEcho addresses issues ranging from numerical noise modelling to the impact on marine fauna, as well as economic models for defining mitigation strategies.

In addition to Italy, the international consortium involves partners from Sweden, Norway and Germany.

Summary of mid-term results 

A year and a half after its launch, the project has achieved significant results in the three main areas of research: numerical modelling, biological impacts and socio-economic analysis. 

In the field of numerical modelling of underwater noise, new source models based on CFD simulations have been developed and tested, with particular attention to the noise generated by cavitating propellers and marine turbines.

Acoustic modelling has so far focused on single sources, wind turbines or marine propellers, allowing for detailed analysis of the interaction between the various components and noise generation mechanisms. The next step will be to extend the analysis to the propagation of multiple sources, in order to more realistically represent the acoustic impact of entire offshore wind farms and shipping traffic.

In parallel, in the field of acoustic propagation modelling, comparative studies on different solvers have been launched and the first reference case studies have been defined, based on accurate collection of environmental and ‘source’ data (bathymetry, seabed characteristics, source types, etc.).

One of the main cases analysed concerns sound propagation in the Gulf of Trieste, chosen as a representative site for the validation of numerical models.

In addition, a measurement campaign was organised in the Bracciano lake, involving ISPRA, CNR and Hydra Ricerche. The data collected will be used to calibrate the acoustic maps and metrics used.

In the area dedicated to biological impacts, a review of the state of the art has been completed and a monitoring campaign has been carried out by the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) at two sites of particular interest: a floating wind farm (Hywind Tampen) and an area subject to intense shipping traffic (LoVe Ocean observatory).

Through the combined use of hydrophones and echosounders, it was possible to correlate environmental noise levels with the abundance and behaviour of different marine species, providing preliminary indications of the influence of anthropogenic noise on local ecosystems.

In the research area dedicated to economic modelling, a review of the most relevant methodologies for the assessment of ecosystem services and mitigation measures has been completed.

An international questionnaire and interviews with maritime stakeholders are being prepared to assess the costs, benefits and preferences associated with noise reduction policies.

Finally, with regard to data management, the infrastructure for standardisation, quality control and sharing of acoustic datasets via the OPUS platform has been implemented.

A joint group of researchers from the University of Padua and the University of Trieste has observed surprising behaviours in jellyfish of the Aurelia species, commonly known

as the four-leaf clover jellyfish. The results of the study, published in the prestigious journal Behavioural and Brain Sciences, raise fascinating questions about the origin of curiosity and the possibility that forms of cognition can emerge even in the absence of a centralised brain.

‘Our results are particularly interesting,’ explains Cinzia Chiandetti, professor of cognitive neuroscience at the Department of Life Sciences of the University of Trieste, ‘because these animals are considered ‘brainless’: their nervous system is organised radially, without a command centre, and equipped only with rudimentary sensory organs. Finding signs of memory and attraction to novelty in them is an important key to understanding the evolution of nervous systems and cognition itself.’

Specifically, the researchers observed the behaviour of young jellyfish placed individually in a rectangular tank. In the first phase, each animal was presented with an object, which elicited an immediate reaction: the jellyfish left the empty part of the tank and headed towards the novelty. In the second phase, after a one-minute interval, a second object was placed alongside the first, and on that occasion, the jellyfish showed a clear preference for the latter. This behaviour, which experts call ‘neophilia’, indicates that jellyfish have a memory of the first object and are attracted to the new one.

‘Not only did the jellyfish show neophilia,’ comments Christian Agrillo, professor of comparative psychology at the University of Padua, ‘but they also showed that they could retain certain information in their memory for at least one minute. We generally think that in the sea they approach us passively, carried by the current. Our study also opens up the possibility that in some cases they do so because of the same attraction to novelty documented here. You could say that perhaps they are curious to get to know us!’

The study invites us to rethink traditional models that link cognition to the presence of centralised brains, suggesting that even ‘diffuse’ nervous systems, such as that of jellyfish, can support complex behaviours. This discovery once again pushes the boundaries of what we think is possible in the animal world.

Leggi lo studio

UniTS, which coordinates the activities of Spoke 8 of the iNEST (Interconnected North-East) Innovation Ecosystem, is organising, as part of the Ecomondo 2025 fair in Rimini, on 5th November (from 10:30), a workshop focused on the project and public-private collaborations towards digital twins in the (northern) Adriatic Sea.

"This project is dedicated to the development of sustainable technologies and solutions for the marine environment, mobility by sea and inland waterways and the digital transformation of companies in the sector.’ – explains prof. Pierluigi Barbieri, iNEST Coordinator for the University of Trieste – ‘The strategic objective of the project is developing data acquisition models and systems, software, and user interfaces, necessary for the creation of the Digital Twin of the Upper Adriatic, an advanced digital model of the marine-coastal system that will make it possible to improve monitoring, planning and management of maritime resources and activities, in line with the European mission Restore our Ocean and Waters".

Between 2023 and 2024, the University of Trieste applied to several calls under Spoke 8 to finance 24 industrial research and development projects, funding €5,559,535.95 (granted from the NextGenerationEU funds of the Recovery and Resilience Facility). Forty-four companies (30 from Triveneto and 14 from Mezzogiorno) and 9 research institutions have benefited from this co-financing, for projects with a total value of €7,790,800.90. Six companies are classified by turnover and number of employees as ‘large enterprises’. The universities and research institutions involved in these calls are 9, all from Southern Italy.

Spoke 8 activities are divided into five thematic areas: Hydrosphere biology – new systems for biomonitoring and restoration of marine habitats; Chemical and physical risks and impacts on the hydrosphere – innovative technologies for contaminant control and water management; Sustainable mobility by sea and inland waters – prototypes and charging systems for electric navigation; Integrated maritime and territorial land-sea planning – smart solutions for climate change adaptation; Digital Twin of the Northern Adriatic – digital models and infrastructures for the simulation of meteorological and environmental scenarios.

"With these projects – concludes prof. Pierluigi Barbieri – we are networking companies and research centres to promote innovation, sustainability and industrial competitiveness, contributing to the development of the Blue Economy in the North-East and in the whole country. The workshop will include a discussion, mediated by the Alto Adriatico Technological Pole, with the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency, and with institutons and companies on the Adriatic coast - Marche and Puglia in particular - in the think tank ‘The Blue Way’, to develop mutual knowledge and outline innovation projects guided by territorial research and development".

THE PROGRAMME:

Workshop ‘iNEST Innovation Ecosystem and public-private collaborations towards digital twins in the (northern) Adriatic Sea’

10:30 Introduction:

Pierluigi Barbieri, iNEST Coordinator, University of Trieste: ‘The iNEST Ecosystem and Research-driven innovation in the Blue Economy: where we are today’

Diego Santaliana, Alto Adriatico Technological Hub – ‘Building relations between research organisations and businesses at the Innovation Melting Pot-Urban Center in Trieste and grounding strategic projects’

Maria Cristina Pedicchio, President of APRE, KIC OneWater proposal ‘Making the Oceans Mission in the Adriatic macro-region concrete’

Salvatore Dore, Technology transfer and partnerships, University of Trieste ‘Technological transfer at the University of Trieste and responses to the challenges of the business system’

10:50 Contributions from Spoke 8 of the iNEST Innovation Ecosystem:

Stefano Querin OGS – Luca Manzoni UniTS – iNEST Spoke 8 Research Topic 5: ‘The contributions of research organisations and companies to the creation of digital twins in the Northern Adriatic’

Ludovico Centis iNEST Spoke 8 Research Topic 4: ‘Integration of information and planning in changing coastal systems’

11:10 Flash presentations: Results of the Waterfall Calls and the CC2 Proof of Concept call (Alessandra Citterio-DBA Group, Giuseppe Borruso-GEP Lab UniTS, BaC winners).

11:30 Giulia Carboni - Programme Coordination Manager for Sustainable Blue Economy at CINEA - European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency - ‘EU Key perspectives in sustainable innovation’

11:45 Roundtable ’The Blue Way Think Tank. Climate, infrastructure, environment: shared energy and projects in the Adriatic area’: Barbieri (UniTS), Santaliana (PoloAA), Querin (OGS), Alberto Monachesi (Typicality in Blue); Q&A.

12:30 Closing of the workshop

Project ‘iNEST Interconnected Nord-Est Innovation Ecosystem’, ECS_00000043, is part of the research programme for the innovation ecosystem from the resources of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), M4C2 – Investment 1.5 Creation and strengthening of ‘Innovation Ecosystems for Sustainability’, funded by the European Union, NextGenerationEU – CUP J43C22000320006.

Four UniTS lecturers will be among the protagonists of Focus Live 2025, an event scheduled to take place in Milan from 7th to 9th November, promoted by the magazine ‘Focus Live’, which brings science to the general public in an accessible and entertaining way.

Vanessa Nicolin, Katia Rupel and Alex Buoite Stella, from the Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, and Mattia Zulianello, from the Department of Political and Social Sciences, will be among the speakers at the three days of events, meetings, workshops, shows and interactive experiences at the Leonardo da Vinci National Museum of Science and Technology.

This year's programme offers a journey through different scientific disciplines, where passion – this year's theme – will be the common thread linking science, sport, art and music. Topics covered will include Samantha Cristoforetti's passion for space, revolutionary gene therapies, artificial intelligence, the chemistry of chocolate, the atlas of emotions, 90 years of Schrödinger's cat and prehistoric reptiles brought back to life. 

Researchers from the University of Trieste will be the speakers at two talks in which they will reveal what could happen if the superpowers of comics became scientific reality and explain what populism is through games and challenges.

UniTS Talks at Focus Live (free admission, booking required on the official website)

7th November at 12:30

ANATOMY OF SUPERPOWERS

What would happen if the superpowers of comics and films became scientific reality? How would super strength or the ability to fly really work? Starting from curiosity and mixing fantasy and science, we will analyse superpowers through the lens of human anatomy and physiology. From super speed to regeneration, which mechanisms of the human body could be ‘enhanced’ to bring us closer to these incredible imaginary powers? A surprising journey where science meets imagination, to understand the limits – and potential – of our organism.

With Vanessa Nicolin (Human Anatomy), Katia Rupel (Oral Diseases) and Alex Buoite Stella (Physiology).

8th November, 13:00

POPULISM BETWEEN MYTH AND REALITY

Populism is often described as the absolute evil of politics or, conversely, as the only true voice of the people. But how true are these statements? Populism seems an elusive phenomenon, difficult to define precisely, yet it has typical characteristics that make it recognisable. In this interactive talk, we will test the most widespread beliefs about the phenomenon, separating facts from simplistic narratives. Not only will we debunk the myths, but we will also clearly explain what populism really is, what its distinctive elements are and how it manifests itself in different political and social contexts. Through games and challenges, the audience will discover how populist actors build their success, what strategies they use and what real effects they have on politics.

With Mattia Zulianello (Political Science).

From 3rd to 8th November, Vitiligo Week will be held throughout Italy, an initiative promoted by SIDeMaST to raise awareness and support people affected by this condition. During the week, over a thousand free consultations will be available in 40 dermatology centres in Italy, including the Dermatology Clinic and STD Centres of the University of Trieste and ASUGI.

In Trieste, consultations will be held on 7th November from 15:00 to 17:30 in the Dermatology Clinic and STD Centre of the Maggiore Hospital, Infectious Diseases Building, 4th floor. 

To book a free consultation during Vitiligo Week, please call the toll-free number 800226466, available Monday to Saturday, from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 18:00.

Professor Iris Zalaudek, full professor of Skin and Venereal Diseases at UniTS and head of the Dermatology Clinic and STD Centre, emphasises the importance of the initiative: ‘Vitiligo is a chronic, non-infectious skin disease characterised by white patches often located on visible areas such as the face or hands. It is precisely the visibility of the disease that often causes feelings of stigmatisation, shame, depression, anxiety or social withdrawal in those affected. For this reason, we at the Dermatology Clinic in Trieste are participating by offering free medical consultations during Vitiligo Week, sponsored by the Italian society of dermatology and sexually transmitted diseases (SIDeMaST).’

From 1st November, the University of Trieste will launch three new specialisation schools, offering training for future allergists and clinical immunologists, pathologists and vascular surgeons.

Thanks to this further expansion of the University course catalogue, the Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences (DSM) at UniTS is offering 32 medical specialisation schools this year, the highest number ever. The Department will welcome up to 254 new specialty trainees, thanks to grants funded by the Ministry of University and Research and the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region.

The three new postgraduate courses reflect the University’s strong growth trend, as has been seen in the creation of schools of haematology, microbiology and virology (for non-physicians) over the last two years. The University’s investment in these schools aims to expand the areas of specialisation in sectors crucial to citizens' health and respond to the needs of the healthcare system.

Medical specialisation schools are postgraduate training courses for graduates in Medicine and Surgery. Courses last four or five years (depending on the area of specialisation) and are accessed through a national competition. The specialisations offered, to name but a few, range from general surgery to neurology, from urology to gynaecology, from orthopaedics to internal medicine and palliative care. There are also active and highly attractive courses for training cardiologists, dermatologists, gastroenterologists and pulmonologists.

In addition to the medical schools, the Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences also offers courses in healthcare and dentistry. Within the field of healthcare, three schools (Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical Genetics, and Microbiology and Virology) offer courses that run parallel to those offered within the field of medicine, but these healthcare specialisation schools are reserved for graduates with master's degrees in biology and pharmacology. The University also offers all three dental schools provided for by Italian law, reserved for graduates in Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics, who can specialise in oral surgery, paediatric dentistry and orthodontics. 

The regulations governing specialisation schools in the health and dentistry fields are currently undergoing a review, which for the first time provides for a limited number of scholarships for enrolled students, while maintaining admission selections at university level. The implementing decrees are currently being finalised and will soon allow the courses to start and UniTS will be able to welcome an additional 34 specialisation students. 

The same review phase also affects Neuropsychology, the University of Trieste’s 39th school.  This school is the only one to sit outside medicine and is also the only one affiliated with the Department of Life Sciences. The School of Neuropsychology expects to welcome six specialisation students. 

‘The training of specialists,’ says Luigi Murena, Head of the Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences at UniTS, ‘is essential for the sustainability of the healthcare system and for responding to the health needs of citizens. Our department is committed to supporting the expansion of the course catalogue, which has reached a record number of 38 schools, to ensuring high-quality training and to fulfilling significant organisational and administrative responsibilities. Specialisation schools allow us to train young professionals in the health field who will be at the forefront of the transformations and great opportunities offered by the application of new technologies and the results of research in clinical practice.’ 

The new Specialisation Schools in detail

Allergology and Clinical Immunology (director Prof. Giacomo Emmi)    
The Specialisation School in Allergology and Clinical Immunology is a brand-new addition to Trieste and the entire region. The four-year course offers comprehensive training in paediatric and adult immuno-allergology, integrating clinical activities in internal medicine, allergology, immunology and rheumatology with solid laboratory training. The School responds to a healthcare need given the shortage of specialists and aims to produce professionals with up-to-date and cross-disciplinary skills. The goal is to effectively address the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges associated with allergies, immunodeficiencies, autoimmune and rare diseases, while promoting excellence in training and within the healthcare network.

Vascular Surgery (director Prof. Sandro Lepidi)         
The School of Specialisation in Vascular Surgery is reopening in Trieste after 17 years, offering a unique training opportunity in the region. The course is dedicated to young doctors who wish to specialise in the treatment of vascular diseases, both arterial and venous, from a diagnostic, pharmacological and surgical point of view. The training covers both traditional surgery and the use of sophisticated minimally invasive endovascular techniques. Specialty trainees will have access to state-of-the-art facilities, such as the University's new Simulation Centre and the ‘hybrid’ operating theatre for vascular surgery, where high-precision procedures can take place. Trainees in this school will also benefit from training and research conducted in collaboration with national and international centres of excellence.

Pathological Anatomy (director Prof. Fabrizio Zanconati)    
The School of Specialisation in Pathological Anatomy is returning to Trieste after being run jointly with the University of Udine since 2008, reviving a tradition that dates back to the early 1970s. The aim is to capitalise on recent technological innovations, in particular ‘digital pathology’ with computer-assisted analysis of specimens and molecular pathological diagnostics applied to oncology. These technologies will improve the selection of patients eligible for personalised therapies. Specialty trainees will be able to carry out their training and thesis activities in the fields of oncology, cytodiagnostics and screening. The School will collaborate with regional centres of excellence and participate in international networks, such as the European Advanced Master in Molecular Pathology.

A Palestinian student, Ameer Alzerei, winner of the IUPALS – Italian Universities for Palestinian Students scholarship funded by UniTS, is on his way to Trieste.

Roberta Altin, the Rector’s Delegate for Development Cooperation, speaking from Milan airport where she welcomed the student who had departed from Amman (Jordan), commented: “With this initiative, the University of Trieste wishes to show its support for students and for the Palestinian population who in recent months have been facing extreme and unacceptable hardships. Both schools and universities have been destroyed, and as an Italian university network we are working to uphold the right to education for young Palestinian women and men.”

The IUPALS programme is an initiative conceived and promoted by CRUI – the Conference of Italian University Rectors. It will award 97 scholarships across 35 Italian universities to students from the Palestinian Territories so they can benefit from an international education by accessing academic programmes in Italy.

Most of the students are arriving in Italy over these hours and are making their way to the various university campuses that have offered their support.

The project—developed in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Ministry of Universities and Research, and the Consulate General of Italy in Jerusalem—has also relied on crucial collaboration from the Guardia di Finanza, the Civil Protection and the European Civil Protection Mechanism, the Consulate General of Italy in Jerusalem, the Embassy of Italy in Jordan, the Crisis Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Terra Sancta Schools, and the Giovanni Paolo II Foundation.

The possibility of opening a corridor for students and scholars from Gaza has been a hard‑won achievement, since until now leaving the Gaza Strip had been permitted only for medical reasons or family reunification. The arrival of this first student was coordinated by the Development Cooperation Staff Unit in synergy with the Delegate for Mobility and International Relations, Prof. Elisabetta De Giorgi.

‘The European Convention on Human Rights in the dialogue between supranational and national courts’ was the theme at the heart of the inaugural conference of the Master's Degree in Law at the University of Trieste for the academic year 2025-2026. 

The event, which took place in the Main Hall of Building A in Piazzale Europa, was organised by the Department of Legal, Language, Interpreting and Translation Sciences (IUSLIT) in collaboration with the Advanced School of Magistracy (SSM) and was attended by guests of the highest academic and professional standing.

Welcoming addresses were given by the Rector, Donata Vianelli, and the Master's Degree Programme Coordinator, Nicola Muffato. Rector Vianelli highlighted the programme's excellent placement results, which ranked second in Italy in terms of graduate employment rates, according to recent reports in the national press based on AlmaLaurea data.

Gloria Carlesso, Judge of the Court of Trieste and SSM contact point for training, opened the seminar by recalling two important anniversaries: 25 years since the proclamation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (Nice, 2000) and 75 years since the signing of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in Rome in 1950. Carlesso emphasised the need to reflect on the weight of words such as freedom and dignity, planted as ‘seeds’ in the post-war period, and illustrated the coexistence of three systems for safeguarding fundamental rights: the Italian Constitution (Italian Constitutional Court), the ECHR (Strasbourg Court) and the Charter of the European Union (Court of Justice).

Next, the Head of the IUSLIT Department, Gian Paolo Dolso, highlighted the complex and interdisciplinary nature of legal phenomena. Dolso highlighted the importance of the supranational level, which intersects with the national level, citing Article 117(1) of the Italian Constitution (amended in 2001), which binds legislative power to international obligations, including the ECHR.

The heart of the conference then focused on the speeches of three distinguished guests.

Raffaele Sabato, Judge for Italy at the European Court of Human Rights, gave a presentation on ‘The origin, interpretation and effectiveness of ECHR rules’. Sabato retraced the establishment of the Council of Europe after the Second World War, with the aim of subjecting respect for fundamental human values to international supervision. The Judge then analysed the mechanisms for applying the Convention, in particular the principle of subsidiarity, which requires the exhaustion of domestic appeals before appealing to Strasbourg. He discussed the doctrine of the ‘living instrument’ (which evolves according to European consensus), the doctrine of ‘autonomous concepts’ (to avoid ‘label fraud’ by states) and the importance of precedent (typical of Anglo-Saxon law) in the application of the ECHR. Finally, he provided data on the Court's pending cases, noting that Italy, despite being in seventh place among the Court's major ‘clients’ as of September 2025, has recurring violations in the area of property protection (Article 1, Protocol 1) and non-execution of final judgments, as in cases of municipal bankruptcy.

Pietro Franzina, full professor of international law at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, discussed ‘Human rights in the process of European integration, between the European Convention on Human Rights and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union’. Franzina reconstructed the historical evolution of integration, which began without explicit references to fundamental rights in the original treaties. He highlighted how the Court of Justice was the first to intervene, developing fundamental rights as general principles of Community law based on ‘common constitutional traditions’. The professor clarified that the Charter of Nice (2000), although it now has the same legal value as the Treaties, applies to Member States only when they implement Union law. Franzina touched on the issue of the failure to complete the EU's ongoing programme of accession to the ECHR and concluded with the concrete example of the Directive on SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation), which aims to combat intimidating legal actions against journalists and activists, defending freedom of expression.

Finally, Nicola Lupo, full professor of constitutional law at LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome, analysed ‘The European Convention on Human Rights and the Italian Constitution’. Lupo urged that the role of the legislator, whose work is made extremely complex by the international and supranational regulatory framework, should not be undermined. He warned against viewing the dialogue between the courts as a struggle, arguing that relations are predominantly collaborative, even in cases of known conflict (such as the Taricco case). The professor lamented Italy's failure to ratify Protocol No 16 of the ECHR, which would allow higher national courts to refer questions to the Strasbourg Court for a preliminary ruling, calling it a ‘missed opportunity’. In closing, Lupo described the Italian Constitution as a ‘triangular constitution’, constantly evolving and supplemented by interpretation in accordance with EU law and the ECHR.

A collaboration agreement has been signed between the UniTS Department of Engineering and Architecture and the Municipality of Trieste to promote and enhance the city's contemporary architectural heritage, including the suburbs.

Thanks to access to the rich documentation of the Municipality's Technical Archive, the University, combining research and teaching, will promote in particular the work of Luciano Celli, one of the city's leading designers.

The results of the collaboration will be disseminated through cultural events, seminars and conferences, with the aim of highlighting the role of quality architecture in the sustainable development and identity of the city and its region.

'The relationship between UniTS and the Municipality is fundamental for the research and enhancement of the local architectural heritage. The newly launched project will focus on the figure of Luciano Celli. We will study and analyse part of his archive through digital redesign and illustrate and disseminate it to citizens so that we can rediscover together the golden years of Trieste's urban and architectural transformation,’ explained Adriano Venudo, scientific director of the agreement.

‘The Academy must be at the service of the region, creating mutual benefit and exchange. The project is not only an example of the multidisciplinary nature of our Department, but also testifies to the importance of rediscovering the past in order to design the future. This is particularly true for architecture, which is always a reflection of the level of awareness of society,’ said Paolo Gallina, Director of the Department of Engineering and Architecture at UniTS.

‘Administrators are well aware of the formal plan of architecture. We perform our role as architects by looking to the future but with a “rear-view mirror”, thus protecting documents and using them as a source of inspiration,’ added Thomas Bisiani, who works alongside Venudo as the project's scientific director.

The details of the collaboration were presented together with Michele Babuder, Councillor for Local Policies of the Municipality of Trieste, and Eddi Dalla Betta, Director of the Local Planning Service.