The European Space Agency (ESA) has presented the largest and most detailed image ever produced of the centre of the Milky Way, the so-called Galactic Bulge: an extremely bright region densely populated with stars. This extraordinary “photograph” opens up new possibilities for scientists, who will be able to confirm the possible existence of exoplanets in this region and measure their mass through the tiny variations in starlight over time.

The Euclid Space Telescope acquired this enormous image in around 26 hours. It is a mosaic made up of nine pointings of its visible-light camera, each covering a portion of the sky larger than the full Moon.

In this image, Euclid captured more than 60 million stars, together with nebulae and star clusters. This extremely populated region of our galaxy is an ideal environment for the search for exoplanets through microlensing.

The news from Euclid is extraordinary: mapping the Galactic Bulge with such precision opens up unique prospects,” commented Gabriele Cescutti, UniTS Professor of Stellar Astrophysics. “Although this specific observing campaign was designed to exploit microlensing and search for exoplanets, such a density of stellar data is also extremely valuable for our research lines at UniTS. In our Department of Physics, we have been working for years on chemical evolution and ‘galactic archaeology’. We use spectroscopic and chemical data from stars to reconstruct, through theoretical models, the early history, formation timescales and origin of the elements in the bulge and nucleus of the Milky Way. High-resolution mosaics, such as the one produced by Euclid, are fundamental to understanding the precise distribution and nature of these stellar populations.

The University of Trieste is responsible for the operations of the two scientific instruments at the heart of the Euclid mission: VIS (Visible Instrument) and NISP (Near Infrared Spectrometer Photometer). In detail, UniTS researchers hold responsibility and coordination roles in several Key Projects dedicated to the scientific exploitation of Data Release 1 (DR1), expected around mid-2027, which concerns the study of cosmology through the statistical properties of the distribution and evolution of galaxies. UniTS also contributes to the production of cosmological numerical simulations based on High Performance Computing methodologies.

Image credits: European Space Agency - ESA.

The Audace Sailing Team of the University of Trieste has once again established itself as one of the leading teams at the SuMoth Challenge, the international competition held in Malcesine, on Lake Garda, bringing together university teams engaged in the design, construction and sailing of high-performance, low-environmental-impact foiling boats.

The UniTS team completed the event with outstanding results: first place in the S1 Design category, ahead of UNICA Sailing Team from the University of Cagliari and Impetus from the Technical University of Munich; third place in the S2 Manufacturing category, behind Politecnico di Milano and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology; and first place in the S3 Regatta category, with a lead of more than 20 points over the runner-up.

On the water, Audace Sailing Team successfully combined sailing expertise with the work carried out over months of preparation. After a cautious start, the crew gradually strengthened its position, securing seven first-place finishes in 17 races. The contribution of the two helmsmen proved decisive: Centuori in the regattas and Mutti in the speed tests, both able to make the most of the boat’s characteristics in stronger winds as well as in lighter conditions, when the boat was among the first to lift out of the water.

The result confirms the value of a project that brings together university education, technological innovation, sustainability and nautical culture, showcasing in an international setting the skills developed within the University and Trieste’s sailing tradition.

The SuMoth Challenge 2026 therefore ends with a highly positive outcome for the team, which is already looking ahead to the next edition with the aim of continuing to develop increasingly efficient, sustainable and competitive solutions.

The University of Trieste, the Department of Medical Sciences, and the School of Specialization in Forensic Medicine express their deep sorrow at the passing of Dr. Fulvio Costantinides, former Researcher in Forensic Medicine.

A graduate in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Trieste, Dr. Costantinides was among the first members of the Trieste School to obtain a Specialization Diploma in Forensic Medicine (1981). From the very beginning of his career, he dedicated himself to crime scene investigations and post-mortem examinations, including external inspections and autopsies. He carried out these activities on behalf of the Judicial Authorities with great commitment and enthusiasm throughout his professional life.

A knowledgeable and empathetic educator, he was a forensic pathologist distinguished by a rigorous methodological approach and exceptional analytical, synthetic, and intuitive abilities. His colleagues remember him as a highly skilled and meticulous forensic physician when dealing with expert assessments and medico-legal cases. In this field, discussion and debate were always welcomed, conducted openly and honestly, while maintaining the strictest adherence to procedural rules.

Always present, approachable, and willing to contribute, he taught Forensic Pathology to at least two generations of forensic medicine specialists, leaving a lasting impact on his students and colleagues alike.

From 13 to 16 June, Trieste will celebrate the literary genius of James Joyce with the 17th edition of #BloomsdayTrieste, this year focusing on the second chapter of Ulysses, Nestor, and on the great dilemmas of identity and history.

The University of Trieste, through the Department of Humanities, remains one of the key pillars of the event, curating not only its solid scientific framework but also its creative dimension, thanks to the contributions of professors Laura Pelaschiar and Paolo Quazzolo.

Through exegetical insights in historic cafés, guided tours and an evocative theatrical adaptation that will bring University professors, graduates and PhD students onto the stage of the Rossetti Theatre, UniTS turns one of the great works of twentieth-century literature into a living heritage shared with the whole community.

Events promoted by the University of Trieste in the PROGRAMME of this edition:

• SATURDAY 13 JUNE

11:00 | Antico Caffè San Marco
Via Cesare Battisti 18
Nestor in Half an Hour

The now traditional and much-anticipated flash-format event dedicated to individual chapters of Ulysses focuses this year on Nestor. The meeting is designed to reveal the structure, symbols and meanings of the second chapter of Joyce’s masterpiece in an agile and accessible format. This exegetical journey will be led by Laura Pelaschiar, professor at the University of Trieste and curator of the Joyce Museum, in the historic setting of Caffè San Marco.

20:00 | Teatro Politeama Rossetti
Largo Giorgio Gaber 1
Circe & Nestor – Theatrical adaptation

A central event in the evening programme, the performance offers an ambitious dramaturgical reworking that brings together the chapters Circe and Nestor. The text adaptation and direction are jointly by Laura Pelaschiar and Paolo Quazzolo, professors at the University of Trieste. The production stands out for its strong academic synergy: in addition to its scientific and directorial guidance, the staging brings to the Rossetti stage a group of PhD students and graduates from the University of Trieste — Elisa Mariuz, Valeria Piraino, Federica Rufolo and Tommaso Piccolo — turning literary research into stage action.

• SUNDAY 14 JUNE

11:00 | Spazio Forum – Museo LETS
Piazza Hortis 4
Joyce Museum Tour

A themed guided tour inside the rooms of the Joyce Museum to explore the dense network of relationships, influences and real-life traces that connected the Irish writer to the city of Trieste. The itinerary through documents and archive materials will be led by Laura Pelaschiar, University of Trieste, who will illustrate the decisive impact of Joyce’s Trieste years on the genesis of Ulysses.

12:00 | Spazio Forum – Museo LETS
Piazza Hortis 4
JJ Walking Tour

Immediately after the museum visit, a walking itinerary will begin through the symbolic places of James Joyce’s Trieste. The city landmarks, buildings and streets frequented by the author will become the setting for an itinerant narrative. The cultural walk will be led by Laura Pelaschiar, with the contribution and participation of Professor Paolo Quazzolo, University of Trieste, offering the public a rigorous yet accessible field-based analysis.

20:00 | Teatro Politeama Rossetti
Largo Giorgio Gaber 1
Circe & Nestor – Theatrical adaptation | Repeat performance

To close the days dedicated to the Joycean celebrations, the evening repeat performance of the theatrical adaptation will be staged. It will offer the public a further opportunity to attend the performance born from the scientific and artistic collaboration of professors, researchers and students of the University of Trieste.

The University of Trieste mourns the passing of Antonio Bava, former Full Professor of Physiology.

A graduate of the University of Catania, Professor Bava devoted his scientific career to the study of the neurophysiological mechanisms of language, its functional foundations, and the principal brain regions involved in its processing. His research also contributed significantly to the understanding of cerebellar functions and their relationships with other structures of the central nervous system, as well as to the fields of clinical neurophysiology and neuropathology.

A scholar of recognized distinction, he organized the first National Congress of the Italian Society of Primatology, of which he also served as President for several years. At the University of Trieste, he carried out an extensive teaching activity in health sciences and psychology degree programs, passing on his passion for Physiology to generations of students.

His colleagues remember him for his broad intellectual interests, scientific rigor, and intellectual generosity; his students for his infectious enthusiasm and his extraordinary ability to teach and communicate knowledge.

The first edition of the Raman Spectroscopy Summer School: Principles and Applications (RAMSS 2026) has successfully concluded. The event was hosted in the Chapel Hall of the former Military Hospital in Trieste, home to the University of Trieste’s Luciano Fonda Honors College.

All 20 available places were filled by PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and professionals from across Italy, confirming the strong interest of the scientific community in this analytical technique.

Raman spectroscopy is an analytical method that allows scientists to determine the composition of a material and understand how its molecules are organized without damaging or altering the sample. The technique works by illuminating the selected sample with a laser beam. Most of the light is reflected unchanged, but a small fraction interacts with the material’s molecules and undergoes slight energy shifts. By analyzing these variations, researchers obtain a sort of molecular “fingerprint” that enables them to identify the chemical composition of the sample.

The Summer School combined lectures, hands-on sessions using real instrumentation, and a workshop dedicated to spectroscopic data analysis. The teaching staff brought together eight specialists. Representing the University of Trieste were Alois Bonifacio, Stefano Fornasaro, Vanni Lughi, and Valter Sergo. They were joined by Ivano Alessandri (University of Brescia), Stefano Legnaioli (CNR-ICCOM, Pisa), Barbara Rossi (Elettra – Sincrotrone Trieste), and Giorgia Sciutto (University of Bologna). Their expertise covered a wide range of fields, including biomedicine, materials science, catalysis, and cultural heritage conservation.

The school received the patronage of the Italian Chemical Society (SCI) through its Divisions of Analytical Chemistry and Chemistry for Technologies, which provided four scholarships covering the registration fees for four outstanding participants.

The event was organized by the local committee of the University of Trieste, composed of Alois Bonifacio, Gianpiero Adami (co-directors of the school), and Stefano Fornasaro.

The University of Trieste reaffirms its commitment to promoting innovation and youth entrepreneurship through initiatives that foster dialogue between research, education, and business development. In this context, the Innovators Community Lab (ICL) hosted the event “Self-Employment Program for Central and Northern Italy: Turn Your Idea into a Fundable Project” at the former Military Hospital premises.

The event, organized in collaboration with BIC Incubatori FVG, Invitalia, and the Self-Employment Program for Central and Northern Italy, was aimed at students, graduates, PhD candidates, researchers, young professionals, startups, and project teams interested in developing innovative entrepreneurial initiatives and exploring the support opportunities available to transform them into reality.

During the meeting, participants were introduced to the incentives and support measures offered under the Self-Employment Program for Central and Northern Italy. Particularly appreciated was the opportunity to engage directly with Invitalia experts through dedicated one-on-one meetings, allowing attendees to discuss their project ideas in depth and receive practical guidance on how to make them eligible for funding.

“The project design phase with a view to establishing a company represents a critical decision-making moment, especially for young aspiring entrepreneurs,” emphasized Prof. Erik Vesselli, Delegate for Technology Transfer and Relations with Research Institutions. “The support programs and initiatives offered by Invitalia through the Self-Employment Program for Central and Northern Italy align particularly well with a specialized training pathway such as ICL, opening up constructive opportunities for collaboration.”

The event is part of the broader effort led by the University of Trieste through the Innovators Community Lab to enhance skills and innovative ideas, fostering strategic connections with institutional partners and stakeholders within the innovation ecosystem.

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.