Promoting a culture of prevention and health education from childhood, bringing academic expertise also into the settings of sport and outdoor life: this is the aim of “Health at Sea from an Early Age”, the new project developed as part of the Public and Social Engagement – Third Mission activities promoted by the Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences (DSMCS) of the University of Trieste.

The initiative will take place in Trieste within the framework of the 13th Zone of the Italian Sailing Federation, from Monday 15 June to Friday 4 September, with weekly sessions aimed at the sailing schools that have joined the project. The meetings, lasting around one hour, have been proposed to local sailing clubs and associations in order to reach children and young people aged 6 to 13 who are approaching the world of sailing.

The programme will focus on some of the main conditions that may arise during activities at sea, from sunburn and dehydration to minor injuries and other common situations in outdoor sports and recreational contexts. The aim is to provide simple, accurate and age-appropriate knowledge, encouraging informed behaviour and basic skills useful for preventing and initially managing minor health issues.

The scientific rigour of the project is ensured by a multidisciplinary board bringing together different clinical and academic areas of expertise, coordinated by the DSMCS, directed by Professor Luigi Murena. The working group involves specialists in paediatrics, anaesthesiology, dermatology, dentistry, orthopaedics and sports medicine, including Egidio Barbi, Erik Roman-Pognuz, Laura Trapani, Gianluca Tornese, Umberto Lucangelo, Adamo Pio D’Adamo, Nicola Di Meo, Milena Cadenaro, Alex Buoite Stella, Alessandro Amaddeo, Iris Zalaudek, Leandro Ferreira and Daniele Tognetto. The board worked on defining the educational content, adapting it to the age of the young sailors and to the situations that may occur during activities in marine environments.

The collaboration with the Immaginario Scientifico will further strengthen the project’s outreach dimension. The science centre will contribute to the development of content designed for a young audience, with a lively, educational and pedagogically engaging approach.

The University of Trieste at IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC) 2026 in Glasgow, the world’s leading conference in the field of telecommunications. Representing the University was Fulvio Babich, professor at the Department of Engineering and Architecture, who served as Leading Co-Chair of the Communication Theory Symposium, one of the conference’s most significant scientific tracks.

The conference brought together researchers, industry experts, and representatives of the world’s leading technology companies to discuss the future of digital communications, with a particular focus on the development of 6G networks, artificial intelligence, and the sustainability of telecommunications infrastructures.

Reporting from Glasgow, Prof. Babich noted that the international debate is currently focused on the need for a new generation of mobile networks capable of addressing the profound changes brought about by artificial intelligence.

“The prevailing consensus within both the scientific and industrial communities is that the evolution toward 6G is now appropriate, if not urgent, in light of the extremely rapid development of artificial intelligence,” he explained. “Current forecasts indicate that a first version of the standard could become available between 2029 and 2030.”

One of the most widely discussed topics at the conference was the growth in data traffic generated by new AI-based applications. Autonomous systems, intelligent agents, augmented reality, and wearable devices are profoundly reshaping network requirements, calling for new architectures capable of delivering greater capacity and efficiency.

Among the most promising innovations presented in Glasgow was the Token Communication paradigm, which is expected to complement traditional bit-based transmission models “Token Communication represents a highly significant paradigm shift,” observed Prof. Babich. “The goal is no longer to transmit large quantities of data, but rather to efficiently transfer the semantic content of information. This approach can reduce network traffic, improve energy efficiency, and contribute to the environmental sustainability of future digital infrastructures.”

Considerable attention was also devoted to integrated terrestrial–air–space networks, regarded as one of the key components of the future 6G ecosystem. Alongside the growing deployment of low-Earth-orbit satellite constellations, the scientific community is increasingly interested in High-Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS), which can provide connectivity over wide areas while offering lower energy consumption and reduced latency.

“Stratospheric platforms could play an increasingly important role in future communication architectures,” Babich emphasized. “Compared with traditional satellite systems, they offer significant advantages in terms of regional coverage, energy efficiency, and the ability to maintain and upgrade infrastructure.”

Prof. Babich’s participation in IEEE ICC 2026 highlights the contribution of the University of Trieste to international telecommunications research and confirms the University’s role in advancing the technologies that will shape the networks of the future.

Photo caption: Chedlia Ben Naila (Optical Networks and Systems Co-Chair, Polytechnic University of Catalonia), Fulvio Babich, Nam Tran (Wireless Communications Co-Chair, University of Dublin), and Muhammad Ali Imran (Executive Co-Chair, University of Glasgow).

A small green space on campus has been transformed into an open-air laboratory where students and staff can observe firsthand how nature adapts to the challenges posed by climate change.

This is the idea behind the T4EU Student Garden at the University of Trieste, developed within the framework of Work Package 6, “Green Campus Life, Inclusion and Wellbeing”, of the Transform4Europe (T4EU) European University Alliance. The initiative envisages the creation of a Student Garden at each partner university through a collaborative process aimed at raising awareness of ecological sustainability and environmental transformation across the academic community.

At UniTS, the project has taken shape in a previously unused green area located next to Building H3, on the side facing the University Botanical Garden. The site has been redesigned and redeveloped as a biodiversity hotspot, featuring predominantly native Mediterranean plant species selected for their ability to withstand increasingly frequent heatwaves and prolonged periods of drought.

At the heart of the initiative lies the concept of assisted plant migration—an approach already adopted in several European cities to support the resilience and sustainability of urban green spaces in the face of rapidly changing climatic conditions. The students involved took part in the design of the garden, the selection of plant species, and the planting activities. During the initial establishment phase, they will also contribute directly to the care of the garden through a scheduled irrigation programme.

The project was made possible through the collaboration between T4EU, the Department of Life Sciences (DSV), and several central administrative offices of the University, with the active involvement of DSV students. The design and implementation of the initiative were coordinated and supervised by Dr Andrea Moro, Curator of the University Botanical Garden, Professor Andrea Nardini, Full Professor of Plant Physiology, and Dr Martina Tomasella, Assistant Professor in Plant Physiology.

The University of Trieste hosted the project meeting of the Interreg Italy–Croatia project MareSkill, bringing together project partners to plan the final activities ahead of the project’s completion in September 2026.

Activities continued with a study visit organized within the framework of the MareSkill and DIH Innovamare projects. The event involved project partners, students, early-career researchers and professionals working in the blue economy sector from both Italy and Croatia.

The study visit focused on innovation, sustainability and skills development for the blue economy in the Adriatic area. Both projects represent important examples of cross-border cooperation: DIH Innovamare supports the digital and technological transformation of the maritime sector through the involvement of companies, research centres and public institutions, while MareSkill promotes the development of new professional skills in the fields of boating, logistics and the wider blue economy, with particular attention to the challenges posed by the green and digital transitions.

The initiative also provided an important opportunity to strengthen collaboration between the University and the regional economic ecosystem. Organized with the contribution of the University of Trieste and Unioncamere del Veneto, in cooperation with Mare Tech FVG, the study visit enabled participants to gain first-hand insight into some of the most significant maritime and industrial realities of the region.

The programme included visits to the Port of Monfalcone, a strategic hub for logistics and maritime traffic in the Northern Adriatic, and to the production facilities of Groupe Beneteau Italia, an internationally recognized leader in the recreational boating industry. The visits offered participants a valuable opportunity to explore innovation processes shaping the sector and to foster dialogue between academia, research institutions and industry.

Representatives of the Municipality of Monfalcone also took part in the event, presenting local development strategies and growth opportunities linked to the blue economy, while highlighting the area's role as a hub for innovation and competitiveness within the Adriatic maritime sector.

The initiative confirmed the University of Trieste’s role as a key player in research, education and innovation in the maritime field. Through its participation in European projects and its collaboration with companies, institutions and regional stakeholders, the University contributes to the development of advanced skills and the creation of networks that support sustainable growth and competitiveness across the Adriatic region.

Photo: Participants in the project meeting and study visit organized within the Interreg Italy–Croatia projects MareSkill and DIH Innovamare, hosted by the University of Trieste in collaboration with institutional and industrial partners from the region.

The enlargement of the European Union to the Western Balkans, the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), the growing strategic importance of the Arctic, and the Euro–Adriatic–Ionian geopolitical arena of consular diplomacy are among the key themes of the 2026 edition of GeoAdriatico (www.geoadriatico.it), the international geopolitics symposium taking place in Trieste from 11 to 14 June.

Organized by the Cinzia Vitale Initiative for Culture (www.vitaleinitiative.it) in partnership with the University of Trieste, GeoAdriatico will also explore topics related to cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, the G20 as a platform for cooperation on transport, port infrastructure and maritime affairs, as well as issues concerning the protection of the planet.

“GeoAdriatico embodies the international and multidisciplinary vocation of the University of Trieste. The major challenges of our time cannot be addressed within the boundaries of a single discipline. They require the integrated contribution of the social, economic, legal, technological and environmental sciences. In this context, our University provides a network of internationally recognized expertise, helping to make Trieste a privileged laboratory for dialogue among diplomacy, scientific research and economic development. It is precisely through collaboration among fields of knowledge, institutions and scientific communities that the most effective responses to the global challenges of the present and the future can emerge,” said Mauro Tretiach, Deputy Rector of the University of Trieste.

“In a global scenario marked by conflicts currently involving more than ninety countries around the world,” stated Roberto Vitale, President of GeoAdriatico and of the Vitale Initiative, which conceived the international symposium, “international diplomacy is more essential than ever in building peace. This active commitment to dialogue and cooperation represents the beating heart and primary mission of the symposium, reinforcing Trieste’s central position within the new global geopolitical landscape.”

GeoAdriatico enjoys the patronage, among others, of the Italian Senate, the Chamber of Deputies, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Ministry of University and Research, the Ministry of Defence, the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, and the collaboration of the European Commission Representation in Italy.

Among the speakers confirmed for the 2026 edition of GeoAdriatico are Ambassador Francesco Maria Talò, Special Envoy for IMEC at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Admiral Pierpaolo Ribuffo, Head of the Department for Maritime Policies at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers; Ambassador Giorgio Marrapodi, Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations; Marco Alberti, Italian Ambassador to Albania; Marcelo Knobel, Executive Director of TWAS (The Academy of Sciences for the Developing World); Paolo Trichilo, Italian Ambassador to Croatia; Andrea Romanino, Director of SISSA (International School for Advanced Studies); and Luca Gori, Italian Ambassador to Serbia.

The opening ceremony of GeoAdriatico, scheduled for Thursday, 11 June at 9:30 a.m. in the representative hall of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia and reserved for invited guests, will also feature contributions from Marco Consalvo, President of the Port Authority of the Eastern Adriatic Sea; Vincenzo Garofolo, Commissioner of the Port Authority of the Central Adriatic Sea; Carmelo Barbarello, IMEC Coordinator at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Francesco Benevolo, President of the Port Authority of the Central Northern Adriatic Sea; Massimo Campailla, Professor of Maritime and Transport Law at the University of Trieste; Paola Del Negro, Director General of the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS); and Dario Giacomin, Vice President for Underwater Product Development at Fincantieri.

Among the more than 70 participants representing over 10 countries are Stefano Pilotto, Professor of International Relations at MIB Trieste School of Management; Antonio Paoletti, President of the Venezia Giulia Chamber of Commerce; Roberto Musneci, President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Romania; Alessandro Lombardi, Head of CEI (Central European Initiative) Projects; Giuseppe Mancini, Vice President for Intelligence and International Security at Leonardo; Antonio Gurrieri, CEO of Alpe Adria; Nicola Polato, Head of North-East Italy at SIMEST; Pasquale Silvestro, Vice President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Romania; Gabriele Bellon, General Director of BCC Venezia Giulia; Daniel Burcea, Director of Banca Transilvania’s Italian branch; Paul Vatamanu, CEO of Vatamanu Coperture; Francesco Caputo, HR Director of Prysmian Romania; Gianluca Meomartini, Vice President of Sales at Bitdefender; Claudio Taboga, General Manager of Vard Shipyards Romania (Fincantieri); and Maria Teresa Tombini, Senior Advisor for Group International Public Affairs at Assicurazioni Generali. They will participate in the panel on economics, science diplomacy and cybersecurity taking place on Thursday, 11 June, at 2:30 p.m. in the main hall of the Venezia Giulia Chamber of Commerce.

GeoAdriatico, which benefits from the media partnership of the ANSA news agency, will also feature Brigadier General Carlo Di Somma, President of the Joint Armed Forces Steering Committee for the Arctic, Sub-Arctic and Antarctic Environment at the Ministry of Defence; Fausto Ferraccioli, Director of the Geophysics Section of OGS; Luigi Matarazzo, General Director of Fincantieri’s Merchant Ships Division; Fabrizio Orengo, Director of the Italian Navy Hydrographic Institute; Giuliana Panieri, Director of the Institute of Polar Sciences of the National Research Council (CNR); and Stefano Polli, columnist for ANSA.

On Friday, 12 June, at 9:30 a.m. in the representative hall of MIB Trieste School of Management, a session dedicated to the enlargement of the European Union to the Western Balkans will take place. Following opening remarks by Maria Tripodi, Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, speakers will include Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata, Chair of the Senate Committee on European Union Policies; Franco Dal Mas, Secretary General of the Central European Initiative; Anila Bitri Lani, Ambassador of Albania to Italy; Mauro D’Ubaldi, Deputy Secretary General of Defence; Andreina Marsella, Italian Ambassador to Montenegro; Elisabetta Dovier, Programme Manager at the Central European Initiative; Senator Tatjana Rojc, member of the Senate Committee on EU Policies; Francesco Deana, Professor of European Union Law at the University of Udine; and Andrea Tracogna, Dean of MIB Trieste School of Management and Professor of Business Administration at the University of Trieste.

On Friday, 12 June, at 4:00 p.m., in the Desiata Red Hall of the Venezia Giulia Chamber of Commerce, a partner of GeoAdriatico, discussions will focus on Space in the Age of Invisible Conflicts. Speakers will include Anna Gregorio Michelazzi, astrophysicist at the University of Trieste; Beatrice Manassero, from the Space and Scientific Cooperation Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Fabrizio Rovatti, Project Manager at Area Science Park; Carlo Baccigalupi, Professor of Cosmology at SISSA; Federico Battera, Professor of African History and Institutions at the University of Trieste; Massimo Comparini, Director of Leonardo’s Space Division; Valter Bonvicini, Director of the Trieste Section of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN); Guido Bortoluzzi, Professor of Strategy and Organization at MIB Trieste School of Management; and Andrea Vacchi, Professor of Physics at the University of Udine.

GeoAdriatico 2026 will also host a panel dedicated to students of the Sustainable Blue Growth Master’s Programme, directed by Mounir Ghribi. The students themselves will serve as speakers on Saturday, 13 June, at 9:30 a.m. in the Red Hall of the Port Authority of the Eastern Adriatic Sea, addressing topics related to the sea as an essential element for the future of societies. They will be joined by Steve Taylor, Coordinator of the North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley project, and Rodolfo Taccani, Professor of Energy Systems at the University of Trieste.

Finally, on Saturday, 13 June, at 10:00 a.m., in the representative hall of the General Secretariat of the Central European Initiative (CEI), a discussion will focus on the new Euro–Adriatic–Ionian geopolitical framework, with the participation of Marco Ferruzzi Balbi, Consul of the Republic of Poland; Massimiliano Fabian, Consul of the Republic of Cameroon; Agnese Ghersi, Consul of the Republic of France; Adina Lovin, Consul General of Romania; Sabrina Strolego, Consul of the Republic of Austria; and Lucia Montesanti, Professor of Sociology of Political Phenomena at the Magna Graecia University.

MiGE hosted the international conference “STACK in Trieste 2026”, dedicated to the use of open-source digital tools to improve teaching in STEM courses and support scientific cooperation with African universities.

The initiative is part of a pathway launched in 2022, when the University of Trieste became the first university in Italy to install STACK, a software for teaching and automatic assessment in scientific disciplines. Since then, UniTS has developed its own question bank for foundation courses, which is now used by around 1,000 students every year.

STACK — System for Teaching and Assessment using a Computer algebra Kernel — allows students to practise independently through interactive exercises that are parametrically generated and automatically assessed. The system provides targeted feedback and guided solutions, enabling lecturers to introduce forms of continuous assessment even in large classes.

This aspect is particularly relevant in foundation STEM courses and in rapidly growing university contexts. In some African universities, for example, the increase in the student population has led to very large classes, with student-to-lecturer ratios that are difficult to manage using traditional tools.

“Demographic growth in Africa, together with other factors, has led to extremely large university STEM classes, in some cases with more than 1,000 students per lecturer. University resources have not grown proportionally, despite the fact that STEM education is increasingly central to the world of work and to development. At the same time, in the Italian context, continuous assessment in STEM is almost absent, as it requires considerable resources from lecturers. The open-source software STACK helps address both of these challenges, simultaneously and through a joint effort,” said Professor Lewanski of MiGE.

The conference brought together 46 participants from 12 countries. Delegations from Kenya, Rwanda and Somalia took part in the event, with 12 African lecturers representing Masinde Muliro University for Science and Technology, Maseno University, INES Ruhengeri and Somali National University.

The opening session featured contributions from Roberta Altin, Rector’s Delegate for Cooperation and Development; Silvia Pallaver, representing the UniTS Teaching and Learning Center and the DEH Alma project; and Federica Gori, from the International Project Design and Recruitment Office. Guests also included Marcelo Knobel, Director of UNESCO – The World Academy of Science; Christopher Sangwin, Professor at the University of Edinburgh and creator of STACK; and David Stern, Director of IDEMS International.

The development of STACK at UniTS, research into its impact on teaching, and support for the African STACK Community have been funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, Erasmus+ KA171 projects, PNRR doctoral scholarships for public administration, UniTS development cooperation projects, and the DEH Alma project.

Giovanni Comelli, Full Professor of Experimental Physics of Matter and Applications at University of Trieste, is the new Chairman of the Board of Directors of Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., the non-profit company of national interest that manages one of the world’s most advanced research infrastructures based on the use of synchrotron light and free-electron lasers for the characterization and development of new materials, biomaterials, pharmaceuticals, and chemical and biochemical processes.

A deep expert on Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., Prof. Comelli is the author of more than 250 scientific publications and is actively involved in numerous national and European research programs and scientific infrastructures. He served on Elettra’s Board of Directors from 2005 to 2014, also holding the position of Vice Chairman from 2006 to 2014, and was again appointed board member from 2023 to 2026. Throughout his career, he has also held numerous positions of scientific and organizational responsibility at both national and international levels, including Director of the Department of Physics at the University of Trieste and member of scientific evaluation and advisory bodies promoted by Italian and European institutions.

From classroom design to boats on the water: UniTS took part in the opening of the Venice Boat Show 2026 with a delegation from the Department of Engineering and Architecture, composed of its director Giorgio Sulligoi, Vittorio Bucci, recently appointed coordinator of the degree programme in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, and Serena Bertagna, together with PhD candidates and students from the Master’s degree programme in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.

The University’s presence highlighted the connection between engineering education, yacht and naval design, and dialogue with the maritime industry. This is a field in which UniTS has deep historical roots and which continues to develop today through teaching, applied research and projects involving students directly.

One of the key moments of the day was the presentation of the new boat by the Audace Sailing Team, recently unveiled and ready to compete in the SuMoth Challenge 2026. The project demonstrates the value of the experience developed within the team, which offers students a true hands-on training laboratory: a pathway in which theoretical knowledge, design and experimentation come together across all stages of work, from hull design and structural verification to construction and participation in university competitions.

The day also included the award ceremony of the MUVE Yacht Projects 2026 – Academy Lab, an initiative promoted as part of the Venice Boat Show and dedicated to the relationship between universities, young designers, companies and maritime culture. Students from the UniTS degree programme in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering also took part in the project, developing design proposals for contemporary yacht and boat design.

During the award ceremony, Professor Vittorio Bucci spoke about the transformations affecting the nautical sector and the skills required of future naval engineers. Ships and yachts are complex systems that integrate physics, materials, shipowners’ requirements, comfort and advanced technologies. For this reason, university education starts from solid engineering foundations and guides students towards increasingly integrated design, also through dialogue with the productive sector.

As Professor Sulligoi pointed out: “Perhaps not everyone knows that our Faculty of Engineering was founded precisely with the degree programme in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. Today, as then, and increasingly so, it is an engineering field that opens up to and embraces territories and stakeholders, and is honoured to present itself, and to see its students awarded, also in Venice, today described by authoritative speakers as ‘the oldest city of the future’.”

Participation in the Boat Show was also an opportunity for direct training for students and PhD candidates, who were able to explore topics related to technological innovation, yacht and naval design, and the development of the maritime sector through direct contact with industrial, design and institutional stakeholders in the field.

The second edition of the “Administrative Moot Court: A Training Ground for Justice” has come to an end. The initiative offers UniTS Law students a fully immersive experience in applied administrative law. The aim of the project — which, starting from the next academic year, will become an independent program separate from the Administrative Law chair — is to provide students with the key skills needed for drafting procedural documents, preparing future professionals for the challenges of real courtrooms.

“The project has grown stronger thanks also to the interinstitutional collaboration between UniTS and the leading figures of the administrative judiciary. I would especially like to thank the President of the Regional Administrative Court of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Counsel Avv. Carlo Modica de Mohac di Grisì, Judge Dr. Manuela Sinigoi, and the Secretary General of the Court, Dr. Paola Barzanti,” emphasized Edoardo N. Fragale, lecturer in Administrative Law and creator of the laboratory.

This year once again, the initiative recorded significant participation: 60 students attended the seminar led by Manuela Sinigoi, focused on the functioning of the Court and the analysis of specific cases. Participants then had the opportunity to observe firsthand the discussion of real appeals during the public hearing held last May 6 at the headquarters of the Regional Administrative Court. The laboratory concluded in the University’s Bachelet classroom, where 27 participants competed in an actual moot competition (a simulated trial), taking on the roles of judges and legal counsels for the different parties.

This high-level educational experience aims to bridge the gap between university textbooks and the workings of the judicial system.

The 2027 National University Championships (CNU) will take place in Friuli Venezia Giulia thanks to the joint project submitted by the University Sports Centers (CUS) of Trieste and Udine. The event was awarded by the Federal Council of FederCUSI – the Italian University Sports Federation – following an evaluation process in which the bid from the CUS organizations of our region competed against that of CUS Turin. The project promoted by the CUS of Trieste and Udine was developed in collaboration with the regional CONI committee and the Universities of Trieste and Udine, and received strong support from the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region.

The first steps toward 2027

The Championships will take place between late spring and early summer next year. The main hub of the event will be the Bella Italia Efa Village in Lignano Sabbiadoro (Udine), one of the most important sports accommodation facilities in northeastern Italy. It was selected by the two CUS organizations due to its proven experience in hosting events involving thousands of participants, including student-athletes, technical staff, and accompanying personnel. The various sports disciplines included in the program will take place in facilities located in Lignano Sabbiadoro, Trieste, Udine, and other locations across the region, selected according to the specific needs of each sport. In this regard, the contribution of local authorities, associations, and representatives of the regional sports movement will be essential in supporting the event.

The Championships will feature an especially wide range of optional sports in addition to the mandatory disciplines. The goal is to enhance the unique characteristics of the territory and the region’s sporting vocation by introducing, for the first time within the framework of the CNU, competitions dedicated to Paralympic disciplines as well. The organizers aim to create inclusive National University Championships open to all Italian university students.

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“The awarding of the 2027 National University Championships to Friuli Venezia Giulia,” stated the President of the Region, Massimiliano Fedriga, “is a highly significant achievement and a source of pride for the entire region. Hosting an event of this scale, centered at the Bella Italia Efa Village in Lignano Sabbiadoro, confirms the quality of our facilities and the territory’s ability to work together as a system. I would like to thank the University Sports Centers of the Universities of Trieste and Udine and CONI Friuli Venezia Giulia for the work carried out with commitment, passion, expertise, and vision. The Championships will represent a major opportunity to promote the entire Friuli Venezia Giulia region and the values of sport, inclusion, and youth participation.”

“This is a historic result for our territory and for the regional university sports movement,” explained Michele Pipan, President of CUS Trieste. “The 2027 National University Championships will be a great celebration of sport, but also an opportunity to showcase the quality of our universities, our Region, and a sports system capable of working together as a team.”

“Trieste and Udine are joining forces for an event of national importance,” emphasized Gian Luca Bianchi, President of CUS Udine, “thanks to a broad institutional and technical network that made it possible to build a solid proposal from an organizational, sporting, and logistical perspective. The collaboration between the CUS organizations, universities, and institutions is the key to a project that aims to leave a lasting legacy for university sports and for the entire regional territory.”

“The National University Championships represent far more than a sporting competition: they are unique and unrepeatable opportunities to connect students, universities, territories, and institutions through sharing, inclusion, and collective growth,” stated Donata Vianelli, Rector of the University of Trieste. “The University of Trieste believed from the very beginning in the value of a joint bid developed together with Udine, because dialogue and collaboration between different realities are an integral part of our identity. This event will be an extraordinary opportunity to promote Friuli Venezia Giulia both within and beyond the academic world.”

“Together we win. The awarding of next year’s National University Championships to the university sports centers of Trieste and Udine — and therefore to the Friuli Venezia Giulia territory — proves it,” stressed Angelo Montanari, Rector of the University of Udine. “Sport and university study must become an increasingly close combination for our students, because together they improve performance in both areas and promote a healthier and more conscious lifestyle. Thanks to the high standards demonstrated by students from the region’s universities in both academics and sports, Friuli Venezia Giulia can aspire to become a national benchmark, starting with the 2027 Championships.”

“Friuli Venezia Giulia proves once again that it is truly a home of sport,” stated Andrea Marcon, President of CONI FVG. “Hosting an event of this scale by combining the organizational capabilities of our two most important universities is clear recognition of the quality of our territory and a demonstration of the attention and care that regional sports dedicate to major sporting events. Congratulations to the CUS organizations of Trieste and Udine for securing this event. Once again, Friuli Venezia Giulia — characterized by wonderful local differences capable of coming together as a team — expresses an extraordinary, winning, and explosive strength.”