The Precious Papers exhibition promoted by the University Museum Services of the University of Trieste (SmaTS) will start on Thursday 13th November at Stazione Rogers at 18:00.  The initiative, carried out as part of the agreement between Stazione Rogers and the University of Trieste, will propose five weekly meetings until11th December to discover treasures from the libraries of the University Library Services and works of art from the collection of the University Museum Services.

The exhibition will start with a speech by Cristina Cocever and Elisa Zilli, librarians of the University of Trieste, who will present the book Keika Zuan, by Keika Hasegawa, an important Japanese artist of the nineteenth century, belonging to the Library of the Institute for the Promotion of Small Enterprises in Trieste.

The second event will be held by Maria Rosa Mezzi, a librarian at the University of Trieste, and Zeno Saracino, a historian and journalist, who will talk about the Library of the German Gymnasium in Trieste, using Michelangelo Rustia’s 1864 Schiarimenti sull’arte della ginnastica con un avviamento agli esercizi elementari (handbook on the physical education as an art starting from basic exercises).

The following week it will be the turn of Rossella Fabiani, art historian, who, together with Cristina Cocever, will illustrate the drawing book by Sant’Antonio Nuovo di Pietro Nobile kept by the Writers’ Archive of the University of Trieste.

Walter Gerbino, professor at the University of Trieste, will focus on the graphic and pictorial works of Gaetano Kanizsa in the collections of the University Museum Services.

At the end of the exhibition, Massimo De Grassi, a professor at the University of Trieste, and Serena Paganini, an art historian, will present the fund of the artist Dino Predonzani, donated by his heirs to the University of Trieste.

Free entry

PROGRAMME

Thursday 13 November, 6 p.m.

‘The library of the Institute for the Promotion of Small Enterprises and its treasures’

Cristina Cocever and Elisa Zilli  

Thursday 20 November, 6 p.m.

‘Ding physical education in 19th-century Trieste: between SGT and German Gymnasium’

Maria Rosa Mezzi, Zeno Saracino

Thursday 27 November, 6 p.m.

‘The drawing book by Sant’Antonio Nuovo di Pietro Nobile in the Fonda Savio Archive’

Rossella Fabiani, Cristina Cocever

Thursday 4 December, 6 p.m.

‘Gaetano Kanizsa and the practice of self-organisation’

Walter Gerbino

Thursday 11 December, 6 p.m.

‘The Predonzani donation to the University of Trieste’

Massimo Degrassi, Serena Paganini

The University of Trieste and illycaffè S.p.A. have signed a new framework agreement that strengthens and renews their long-standing collaboration for the four-year period 2025-2029. The agreement, signed by Rector Donata Vianelli and Alessandro Benedetti, Director of Research and Innovation at illycaffè, aims to promote joint activities in applied research, training, innovation and technology transfer.

‘The future of our University must be shaped by increasingly close relations with the local area, at both a strategic and operational level: the renewal of the agreement with illycaffè is an important step for us, strengthening and developing our long-standing collaboration with one of the most important companies in our region,’ commented Rector Vianelli.

The partnership, which has been active since 2004, is based on a shared vision: to integrate academic and industrial expertise to generate excellent results, with a concrete impact on the world of work and scientific progress.

The new agreement provides for the development of projects in strategic areas such as:

• Coffee sciences: sensory, chemical, biological and biochemical aspects
• Technologies and production processes: processing, packaging, sustainability
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning: quality modelling, decision-making systems
• Cybersecurity in the food supply chain
• Coffee economics and marketing
• Language support and document translation

The multidisciplinary nature of the agreement involves the participation of numerous departments of the University, in particular those of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Life Sciences, Engineering and Architecture, Economics, Business, Mathematics and Statistics. 

There will also be numerous opportunities for students and researchers, such as traineeships, doctoral scholarships and research grants funded by illycaffè, as well as visits and internships in the company's laboratories and the Padriciano Research Area. These experiences will offer not only high-level educational opportunities but also concrete professional prospects.

The activities will be coordinated by a Scientific Committee composed of university professors and researchers from illycaffè, with the task of defining strategic guidelines, monitoring projects and promoting joint initiatives.

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).’

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.

In 2022, the University of Trieste and the Italian league for the fight against cancer (LILT) signed a three-year memorandum of understanding to promote cancer prevention and healthy lifestyles among students, university staff and citizens.

The agreement, renewed by Rector Donata Vianelli and LILT President Francesco Schittulli, stems from a shared desire to develop joint initiatives in the fields of research, training, information and awareness-raising on health and cancer prevention issues, especially by promoting a culture of health care among young people.

In particular, the two institutions will collaborate to:

•   implement educational programmes and projects aimed at promoting primary, secondary and tertiary cancer prevention;

•   organise training events, conferences, information campaigns and educational materials;

•   encourage the active participation of the University community in awareness-raising initiatives and promote a culture of health among the younger generation;

•   support university master degrees, calls for proposals and research projects dedicated to prevention issues, with the patronage of LILT.

The coordination of activities will be entrusted to a Joint Committee composed of representatives from both institutions, which will periodically evaluate the results and prospects for collaboration.

The University will implement the initiatives mainly through the Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences.

With this agreement, the University of Trieste and LILT are strengthening their joint commitment to promoting cancer prevention as a cultural and social value, focusing on people's well-being and the dissemination of scientific and supportive awareness.

As part of the international Pink October and Blue November campaigns, two joint events are already underway at UniTS to raise awareness of women's and men's health issues, with particular reference to cancer prevention: on  Wednesday 29th October 2025, ‘Breast cancer and young people: understanding the risk and protecting the future’ and on Monday 10th November 2025, 'Movember UniTs: focusing on men's health'. More information will be available shortly on UniTS website (www.units.it). 

Sixty-five UniTS researchers appear in the latest annual survey, ‘World's 2% Top Scientists,’ compiled by Stanford University in collaboration with the publisher Elsevier. The ranking, which considers a total of approximately 9 million scholars included in the Scopus database in 2024, identifies the most cited scientific researchers in the world, including 22 scientific fields and 174 subfields according to the standard Science-Metrix classification.

Let's take a closer look at the ranking.

The list for the “single year 2024” includes 19 UniTS researchers in the top 100,000.

The overall value of the University is constantly growing compared to previous years: in 2023 there were 13 researchers, in 2024 there were 16.

The calculation that takes into account the entire duration of researchers' careers is slightly different. In this case, the long-career list includes 15 professors and researchers affiliated with the University of Trieste among the top 100,000, a number that rises to a total of 65 UniTS scholars among the top 500,000.

These are the UniTS names mentioned in the ranking for “single year 2024” (researchers among the top 100,000 in the world are in bold) and/or in the long-career list:

DF: Angelo Bassi, Federico Becca, Fabio Benatti, Pierre Thibault 

DEAMS: Giuseppe Borruso

DSV: Alberta Bergamo, Marco del Giudice, Lucia Muggia, Andrea Nardini, Monia Renzi, Alessandro Tossi, Mauro Tretiach, Aurelia Tubaro

Sixty-five UniTS researchers appear in the latest annual survey, ‘World's 2% Top Scientists,’ compiled by Stanford University in collaboration with the publisher Elsevier. The ranking, which considers a total of approximately 9 million scholars included in the Scopus database in 2024, identifies the most cited scientific researchers in the world, including 22 scientific fields and 174 subfields according to the standard Science-Metrix classification.

DIA: Fulvio Babich, Sylvio Barbon Junior, Chiara Bedon, Alois Bonifacio, Gabriele Bulian, Alberto Carini, Natalino Gattesco, Mario Grassi, Vanni Lughi, Alessandro Massi Pavan, Thomas Parisini, Gianni Pedrizzetti, Sabrina Pricl, Valter Sergo, Giorgio Sulligoi, Alberto Tessarolo

DSCF: Enzo Alessio, Massimiliano Pio Di Cagno, Paolo Fornasiero, Jan Kaspar, Silvia Marchesan, Michele Melchionna, Tiziano Montini, Federico Rosei

DSM: Rocco Barazzoni, Michele Bertolotto, Gianni Biolo, Paolo Boscolo Rizzo, Rossana Bussani, Milena Cadenaro, Luca Cegolon, Marco Confalonieri, Adamo Pio D'Adamo, Mario D'Oria, Stefano D'Errico, Stefano di Bella, Giacomo Emmi, Paolo Gasparini, Daniele Generali, Francesca Larese Filon, Paolo Manganotti, Marco Merlo, Giuseppe Ricci, Gianfranco Sinagra, Claudio Stacchi, Giancarlo Tirelli, Iris Zalaudek

MiGe: Giovanni Alessandrini, Luca Bortolussi, Alberto D'Onofrio, Stefano Parolai, Alex Rodríguez

Among the Emeritus, Honorary or UniTS-affiliated professors included in the ranking are Maurizio Prato, Igor Marchetti, Francesca Matteucci, Massimo Bovenzi, Gianni Sava and Fulvio Parmigiani.

 “Internationally competitive research activities can only be based on a strong focus on investment in research infrastructure. In this regard, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region which, in synergy with the strategic vision of the University of Trieste, has invested heavily in the modernisation and implementation of new scientific instruments, particularly in the fields of quantum physics, biomedicine, alternative fuels and decarbonisation," commented the Vice-Rector for Research, Paolo Fornasiero.

The complete ranking can be viewed here August 2025 data update for ‘Updated science-wide author databases of standardised citation indicators’ - Elsevier BV

History in the City, a series of university lectures open to the public organised by the Regional Institute for the History of the Resistance and Contemporary Age in Friuli Venezia Giulia (Irsrec FVG) in partnership with UniTS Department of Political and Social Sciences, returns from Wednesday 22th October at the Museo civico Sartorio in Largo Papa Giovanni XXIII No 1, Trieste.

The lectures will continue until 17th December.

All meetings will be held from 18:00 to 19:00 in Sala Costantinides, as well as live Zoom https://shorturl.at/ECSXD

The Organising Committee is composed of Giulia Caccamo, Patrick Karlsen, Gabriele Mastrolillo and Raoul Pupo.

The first event on the programme will feature Patrick Karlsen (University of Trieste – Irsrec FVG) on the theme ‘Who betrayed Luigi Frausin? The lie of “Slavic Delation” in Cold War Trieste’.

The 2025 edition, entitled ‘A Story of Lies. Fake news in the contemporary age’, investigates the role of lies, disinformation and propaganda in contemporary history. 
The common thread between the various events is fake news as tools of power, control and collective manipulation. The topics covered during the conferences will range from the political and military events of the twentieth century to the most recent dynamics of communication that affect the phenomenon of climate denialism. The meetings will seek to demonstrate how fake news has always shaped public opinion, legitimising regimes, nurturing stereotypes and justifying political choices.

The exhibition, organised by Irsrec and UniTS since 2013, has always been a great success for the public. The aim of the initiative, since its inception, has been to transfer part of its teaching activity off campus and, together with other prestigious scientific institutions in the city, to organise open, accessible and rigorous debates on different themes of contemporary history. Meetings with historians who combine rigor and clarity, designed to share up-to-date knowledge, feed public discussion and bring research, school and community closer together.

Programme

22th October, Patrick Karlsen (University of Trieste – Irsrec FVG): Who betrayed Luigi Frausin? The Lie of ‘Slavic Delation’ in Cold War Trieste

30th October, Mirco Carrattieri (Liberation Route Italy): ‘The order has already been executed’. The Resistance and False News

5th November, Giuseppe Ieraci (University of Trieste): Trilussa's chicken. Data manipulation and interpretation in politics

13th November, Raoul Pupo (University of Trieste – Irsrec FVG): The ‘Crippled Victory’

19th November, Gustavo Corni (University of Trento): The Reichstag fire in Berlin, 1933. An unresolved political mystery?

26th November, Silvia Inaudi (University of Trieste – Irsrec FVG): Did Mussolini do good things? The social policies of fascism between propaganda and reality

3rd December, Tullia Catalan (University of Trieste): The Protocols of the Elders of Zion and Their Contribution to the Spread of Antisemitism from the Twentieth Century to the Present

10th December, Antonella Salomoni (Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna): Katyn’ – A State Lie

17th December, Giovanni Carrosio (University of Trieste): Climate denial: history, controversies and logic of a socio-political phenomenon

Teachers will be issued with a certificate of participation at the end of each meeting.

The Institute is recognised by the Italian Ministry of Education and Merit as an accredited training agency.[1]

[1] The Regional Institute for the History of the Resistance and Contemporary Age in Friuli Venezia Giulia is part of the network of institutes associated with the Ferruccio Parri National Institute (formerly Insmli). It has obtained recognition as an accredited training agency by the Italian Ministry of Education and Merit, by Ministerial Decree of 25 May 2001, ref. 802 of 19 June 2001, renewed by Decree No 10962 of 8 June 2005. Accreditation is carried out in accordance with Directive 170/2016 with approval of 1 December 2016 of request No 872 and is included in the list of accredited bodies.

When it comes to cardiac arrest, every second counts, and it is the speed with which cardiopulmonary resuscitation is started that makes the real difference, not so much who performs it. This is what emerges from an important study presented at the ESC Acute CardioVascular Care 2025 congress.

The research is the result of the work of a team coordinated by Prof. Aneta Aleksova, cardiologist and lecturer at the Department of Medical Sciences of the University of Trieste and the local health authority (ASUGI). The study group is an integral part of the Department of Cardiology, headed by Prof. Gianfranco Sinagra, and included the contribution of Dr Alessandra Lucia Fluca, research assistant at the Department of Medicine of the University of Trieste, and Dr Andrea Perkan, interventional cardiologist at the Department of Cardiology.

The study analysed 21 years of data (from 2003 to 2024) on 3,315 patients who had suffered a ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a particularly serious form of heart attack in which a major coronary artery is completely blocked, preventing blood flow to part of the heart. Among these patients, 172 suffered out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) and 44 of them received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) from bystanders.

Urgent response is crucial 

The results are clear: every 5 minutes of delay in the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) increases the risk of death in hospital by 38%. Even a slight reduction in left ventricular ejection fraction (an indicator of heart function) or increased age is associated with a significant increase in mortality.

'We observed that, regardless of whether cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed by a professional rescuer or a bystander, the determining factor was the speed with which resuscitation was started,' explains Prof. Aleksova, emphasising the value of active prevention. ‘It is essential to raise awareness among the population and promote CPR and defibrillator training courses. Even imperfect intervention, if timely, can save a life. It is better to act immediately than to wait for help without doing anything.’

A positive trend, but still insufficient

The study shows a clear improvement over time: the percentage of CPR performed by bystanders rose from 26% in the period 2003-2007 to 69% in the four-year period 2020-2024. However, considering that about 80% of cardiac arrests occur at home, public involvement remains crucial.

Although the average ROSC times are longer for interventions by bystanders (20 minutes compared to 5 minutes in cases handled by healthcare professionals), the chances of long-term survival do not differ. This suggests that even intervention by ordinary people, provided it is timely, can have a life-saving impact comparable to that of professionals.

A call for public training

The survey also reports that those who receive CPR from bystanders are more frequently subjected to endotracheal intubation (91% versus 65%), indicating more intensive clinical management. But the key factor remains time. All other factors being equal, prompt intervention can mean the difference between life and death.

The study relaunches a simple but urgent message: training more people in basic life support (BLS) techniques is a public health priority. Because every minute counts. And anyone, with the right training, can make a difference.

Rector Donata Vianelli, together with a delegation comprising Professors Giorgio Sulligoi, Giovanni Longo, Alberto Bartoli, Guido Bortoluzzi and Erik Vesselli, visited HHLA PLT Italy, the southernmost strategic hub of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA).

HHLA PLT is one of Europe’s leading logistics and transport operators, headquartered in Hamburg.

The meeting highlighted the growing collaboration between the academic and port sectors, united by a common goal: to promote technology transfer, digital innovation and sustainable logistics.

The delegation explored the operations and infrastructure of the HHLA PLT terminal, while also discussing future development prospects linked to the Molo VIII project - a strategic site within the Port of Trieste and a key intermodal hub connecting maritime, rail and road networks across Europe.

“Building bridges between research and operations is essential to foster innovation and competitiveness in the port sector,” said Antonio Barbara, CEO of HHLA PLT Italy.

“UniTS is interested in partnerships that allow the development, together with major industrial players, of research projects and activities capable of making a concrete contribution to the growth of the region,” added Vianelli.