The GO!2025 Urban Center exhibition has been officially presented at Gorizia Town Hall, bringing together the outcomes of studies, research, and projects developed over the past two academic years within RRR Lab (Integrated Architectural and Built Environment Design Laboratory at UniTS). The focus of this work has been the European Capitals of Culture, with a particular case study on Gorizia – Nova Gorica 2025.

The exhibition will be open to visitors from 31st March to 9 May 2025 in the Atrium Hall of the Conference Centre, at the University Hub in Gorizia, Via Alviano 18. The official inauguration will take place on 8th April at 17:00, followed by the presentation of the book Il corpo della città. Telo Mesta during a roundtable discussion. The event will feature representatives of various local institutions, faculty members from the University of Trieste, and other invited discussants, focusing on themes of architectural and urban regeneration.

The initiative has involved around fifty students and ten faculty members and researchers from UniTS.

The exhibition traces two years of design activities covering a range of themes, locations, scales, and disciplinary fields. These have been explored through seminars, workshops, study days, and architectural, urban, and landscape projects for the two cities, which together form a unique cross-border urban system. As Gorizia and Nova Gorica have prepared for the milestone event of becoming the European Capital of Culture 2025, the focus now shifts to what comes next. The exhibition reflects on the before and after of this transformation, highlighting the role of time in urban and architectural design.

Time, processuality, phased reasoning, and dynamics of transformation—understood as evolutionary biodynamics—have been central themes in the projects showcased. The exhibition presents the ephemeral as a driver of present-day transformation and the trace as a framework for future reflection. These ideas shaped both the 2023–24 laboratory, ‘Gorizia / Nova-Gorica Felix’, and the 2024–25 laboratory, ‘L’éphémère est éternel’.

GO!2025 Urban Center Exhibition

Curated by: Thomas Bisiani, Michela Lupieri, Adriano Venudo 
Scientific Committee: Thomas Bisiani, Alessio Bortot, Luigi Di Dato, Michela Lupieri, Giulia Piccinin, Sonia Prestamburgo, Adriano Venudo 
Studies and projects by: Collettivo Colgo and Collettivo VAGO

To book an appointment and for information, contact tbisiani@units.it or avenudo@units.it 

On Saturday, 29th March 2025, one of the most fascinating astronomical events will take place: a partial solar eclipse. The phenomenon will be visible from Italy and can be observed in real time thanks to a special live broadcast organised by the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF).

From 11:15, viewers can tune in to the YouTube and Facebook channels of EduINAF for a special episode of Il Cielo in Salotto, produced in collaboration with the Valle d’Aosta Astronomical Observatory and the Italian union of amateur astronomers (Unione Astrofili Italiani). The eclipse will be captured by telescopes from various INAF locations and partner institutions across Italy, including Trieste, Rome, Genoa, and Saint-Barthélemy (Aosta).

The live event will be hosted by Federica Duras, who will guide the audience through the phenomenon with the help of expert guests. Among them will be Mauro Messerotti, a professor at UniTS and solar physicist at INAF Trieste, and Ilaria Ermolli, a researcher at INAF Rome. Viewers will have the opportunity to interact with them in real time via the live chat on social media platforms.

For many years, the Department of Physics at the University of Trieste and INAF – Trieste Astronomical Observatory have maintained a strong and well-established scientific collaboration, aimed at fostering cutting-edge research and education in the field of astronomy.

This event represents an important opportunity for science outreach and shared observation, with the goal of bringing the wider public closer to understanding our solar system and, in particular, our star – the Sun.

Watch the live stream: https://youtu.be/s3Zn7n8M7lo
Learn more about the event: https://edu.inaf.it/news/eventi/diretta-eclissi-sole-marzo-2025
How to observe the eclipse safely: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x711s7XQleo

On 27th March, the world celebrates the 63rd edition of World Theatre Day, an initiative established in 1961 at the proposal of Finnish playwright Arvi Kivimaa during the 9th Congress of the International Theatre Institute (ITI).

The first World Theatre Day took place on 27th March 1962 in Paris, marking the opening of the Theatre of Nations season. Since then, it has been celebrated in over a hundred countries through ITI’s National Centres.

Each year, the occasion is highlighted by a message on theatre and peace delivered to the international community by a prominent figure from the performing arts.

Notable past contributors include Italian artists Luchino Visconti (1973) and Dario Fo (2013), as well as, more recently, Egyptian actress Samiha Ayoub (2023) and Norwegian playwright Jon Fosse (2024), whose message, Art is Peace, reflected on the deep connection between theatre, artistic expression, and the universal value of peace.

This year, the message has been entrusted to Greek actor, playwright, director, and pedagogue Theodoros Terzopoulos, who explores theatre’s ability to ‘hear the cry for help that our times are sending out in a world of impoverished citizens, locked in cells of virtual reality, entrenched in their suffocating privacy.’

On this occasion, rather than asking whether theatre, a form of art that has accompanied humanity for over three millennia, can resolve major global issues, we reflect on whether the stage and storytelling can still inspire society to critically engage with its weaknesses and mistakes.

‘Theatre’s ability to impact communities has been repeatedly proven throughout history, as evidenced by the suspicion with which those in power have often regarded it,’ says Paolo Quazzolo, Associate Professor of Theatre History at the University of Trieste.

‘Its ‘live’ nature, the magnetism of actors performing directly before an audience, the profound emotions evoked by the stage – these have often led to censorship attempts, though always in vain.
Theatre’s power has never waned, even in a society that, after centuries of gradual transformation, has undergone a rapid technological revolution. Cinema, television, digital media, and now the internet have all been strong competitors, yet theatre has survived, retaining its unique persuasive force.

In 2020, during the pandemic, theatres were among the first institutions to close. Organisers sought alternative solutions, often moving performances online, leading to fears that audiences might not return to physical theatres once the emergency ended. However, this was not the case—spectators eagerly returned, reaffirming the cultural, social, and political strength of theatre, which it will always continue to hold.’

Once again, the Aula Magna of the University of Trieste hosted the selections for the 18th edition of the Coppa Aurea, a team math competition that pits high school students from across Italy against each other.

Over 200 participants, representing 24 schools from Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto, from the provinces of Trieste, Gorizia, Udine, Pordenone, Treviso, Venice, and Padua, competed in the event organized by the Department of Mathematics, Computer Science, and Geosciences at UniTS.

The Leonardo da Vinci high school from Treviso raised the cup in Piazzale Europa with the team "I 7 del Leone"; the second place was claimed by the Galilei high school, which, after seven years, brought a school from Friuli Venezia Giulia back onto the podium with the team "I Piani Complessi."

The third place went to the Ippolito Nievo high school from Padua with the team "Gente poco seria," while just outside the podium, the fourth place was sweet for the ISIS Malignani of Udine, which secured the last qualifying spot for the national finals scheduled for May in Cesenatico.

The preliminaries were held simultaneously at 37 locations across Italy, with a total of 4788 students tackling 21 questions.

The "Coppa Aurea" is an initiative aimed at engaging students with mathematics in a fun and playful way. The required team-based approach encourages participants to organize tasks rationally and, most importantly, fosters collaboration and respect for others.

The Trieste trophy will be up for grabs again in the next edition and will be awarded definitively to the institution that wins three times. Currently, the Ippolito Nievo high school from Padua leads with two victories, followed by the da Vinci high school from Treviso and the Levi high school from Montebelluna, each with one win.

The last days to visit the exhibition "1924-2024. A century of history of the University of Trieste. Images and documents." The exhibition, dedicated to the Centenary of the Trieste University and hosted in the magnificent spaces of the Bastione Fiorito at the San Giusto Castle, will close on Sunday, November 10.

The installation, created by the University of Trieste with the support of the University's Museum System (smaTs) and in co-organization with the Municipality of Trieste and with the contribution of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region, has been a great success so far, registering almost 15,000 visitors.

The creation of the exhibition, one of the main events of the program celebrating the hundred years since the foundation of the University, represents the perfect expression of the synergy between local institutions that UniTS strongly pursued during this year dedicated to telling its history and sharing a vision for the future.

It was also an opportunity for the University to meet the citizens in a symbolic location of the city, such as the San Giusto Castle, which is a shared heritage.

The exhibition route also allowed the University of Trieste to experiment with a fruitful dialogue with the city's, regional, and even broader cultural world, unveiling its documentary, historical, architectural, and artistic heritage.

For those who haven't visited yet, the exhibition is divided into four distinct parts, balancing historical sources and aesthetic references.

The historical section, curated by Tullia Catalan and Lorenzo Ielen, traces the history of the hundred years of the Trieste University through a selection of images, documents, and videos from the University’s Historical Archive and numerous public and private archives, both local and regional. This section tells the journey that led the University to international openness, especially in the fields of research and technical-scientific disciplines.

The architectural section, curated by Paolo Nicoloso and Marko Pogacnik, focuses on the design of the central building of the University in 1938, a structure with strong symbolic references. Illustrated through technical drawings from the time and some images, this section presents the complexity and richness of the solutions developed by the designers.

The audiovisual section, curated by Massimiliano Spanu and Daniele Terzoli, highlights the rediscovered film Pagine d’Università, made in 1956 by Anna Gruber, an actress, director, screenwriter, and internationally renowned Triestine writer. The film was found in the A. Hortis Civic Library - Diplomatic and Archival Collections. Other films displayed in the exhibition are from the Istituto Luce Historical Archive and the La Cineteca del Friuli - Cinema Archive of Friuli Venezia Giulia. Archival research was carried out in collaboration with the La Cappella Underground research center.

The artistic section, curated by Massimo Degrassi and Lorenzo Michelli, includes a selection of works—now preserved in the Rectorate's Pinacoteca—presented in 1953 at the National Exhibition of Contemporary Italian Painting held at the University of Trieste. The final part of the exhibition presents a selection of works donated to the University by thirty-five artists and collectors on the occasion of this Centenary.

The exhibition is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Admission is included in the ticket for the San Giusto Castle (full price 6 euros; reduced 4 euros).

On the occasion of the finissage on Sunday, November 10, there will be a free guided tour at 11:00 AM.

Generating social, cultural, and economic development, also through the fight against inequalities and the enhancement of cultural heritage.

This is the goal reaffirmed by APEnet, the Association involving 57 Italian universities and research institutions, aimed at promoting and developing public engagement and the social impact of actions resulting from research activities, during the "Destinazione Public Engagement #6" event, hosted this year by the University of Trieste.

The meeting, which saw the participation of 130 representatives from the associated institutions, provided a broad discussion on the strategies through which the scientific and academic communities can contribute to the inclusive development of the country.

Giulia Carluccio, President of APEnet and Vice-Rector of the University of Turin, emphasized how "Destinazione Public Engagement represents a path where universities and research institutions are increasingly committed to the sustainable and inclusive development of the country through listening, valuing knowledge, and collaborating with communities."

Caterina Falbo, Delegate for the Third Mission of the University of Trieste, highlighted the example of the University of Trieste, which has long been involved in promoting Public Engagement activities that strengthen dialogue with the local community and promote community well-being. “In the San Giovanni Park, which was the site of the Basaglian revolution – explains Falbo – we promote collaborations with some social cooperatives to support the work inclusion of people in vulnerable areas and carry out initiatives for scientific and cultural dissemination. UniTS also works in synergy with other institutions and organizations to strengthen research on energy transition and green hydrogen production.”

During the two-day event, the guests outlined proposals, highlighted opportunities, and suggested possible pathways for the growth and recognition of Public Engagement, balancing public and social commitment with the enhancement of knowledge.

The recognition of Public Engagement activities in academic careers emerged as one of the key tools to value the commitment of professors, researchers, technical-administrative staff, and students in projects with high social impact. The goal is also strategic in the discussions with the Ministry and the National Agency for the Evaluation of the University and Research System (ANVUR).

The Director of ANVUR, Daniele Livon, who spoke at the event, defined the relationship between the Agency and APEnet as one of fruitful collaboration and dialogue, especially during the evaluation of knowledge valorization, in which Public Engagement has proven to play a fundamental role.

With speeches by Laura Nota, President of the Italian Society of Orientation and professor at the University of Padua, and Lelio Iapadre, Partner of the Forum for Inequalities and Diversity, who presented the OCSE ITA.CON project, the focus was placed on the urgency of returning to universities their role as promoters of collaborations to achieve social and environmental justice objectives.

Reflections on the importance of the Faro Convention as a tool for cultural democracy were also present, thanks to the participation of Francesc Pla Castelltort (Culture and Cultural Heritage Unit of the Council of Europe), and on the role of Museums, which, in the speeches by Irene Baldriga (Sapienza University of Rome) and Paola Rodari (SISSA MediaLab), were described as mediators and places for shared cultural narratives, spaces for authentic dialogue between society and science, and safe spaces to address complex issues.

In conclusion, Pier Andrea Serra, Vice President of the Association and Pro-Rector of the University of Sassari, presented the APEnet Barometer data, which monitors the state of Public Engagement in Italian universities and research institutions.

STUDIO DUE – GONGO 2025 has been officially launched. This inter-university teaching project involves students and lecturers from the University of Trieste (UniTS), the Polytechnic University of Milan, Federico II University of Naples, and the University of Salerno.

On Saturday 15th March 2025, the Conference Centre at the UniTS Gorizia campus in Via Alviano will welcome over 200 students and around fifteen lecturers and teaching assistants for a study day dedicated to architectural design and the urban transformation of the cross-border areas of Gorizia and Nova Gorica. The event, open to the general public, forms part of the calendar of initiatives organised by the University in celebration of GO! 2025 – Nova Gorica and Gorizia European Capital of Culture.

Launched in 2023 by UniTS Architecture lecturers Thomas Bisiani and Adriano Venudo, Elvio Manganaro from the Polytechnic University of Milan, and Alberto Calderoni from Federico II University of Naples, the project has since grown to include additional ‘Composizione 2’ studios at the Polytechnic University of Milan, led by Giacomo Ortalli, Aleksa Korolija and Luca Cardani, as well as the University of Salerno with Felice De Silva.

Prof. Adriano Venudo explained the aim of the project: ‘Gorizia, together with Nova Gorica and the border, has unique characteristics that make it stand out. This seminar and exchange will allow us to gain an external perspective. We will also produce a publication to collect the outcomes.’

‘This is a project that connects urban planning with the university world, something we believe in strongly. Our university courses are an extraordinary asset, and we are committed to promoting them to the fullest,’ said Chiara Gatta, Deputy Mayor of Gorizia.

Patrizia Artico, Municipal Councillor for GO! 2025, added: ‘Our border, with its history and unique features, is of great urban interest. The fact that prestigious universities have chosen to study it confirms this.’

After working on the historic centre of Naples in the first year of the project, the students will now turn their attention to the Transalpina Station in Nova Gorica and the cross-border urban areas between Italy and Slovenia.

During the day, Prof. Paolo Nicoloso from the University of Trieste will give a lecture entitled ‘Gorizia: 1900–1950’, followed by architect Nejc Koradin’s talk on ‘Nova Gorica: The Birth of a City’. Participants will then take part in an exploratory walk to discover the sites under study.

Programme STUDIO DUE - GONGO 2025

UniTS x GO! 2025

A new phase of the outreach project ‘Mare Sopra – What is the Future of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Coasts?’ will begin on Friday, 7th March. The project, conceived and coordinated by the University of Trieste, is funded by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region.

The initiative aims to raise awareness of rising sea levels and their impact on coastal systems. As part of this effort, a series of outreach activities will involve students and citizens in measurement operations.

On Friday, for example, students from the ‘Galileo Galilei’ High School in Trieste will take part in observations and field measurements at the small harbour of Grignano. Throughout the spring, other groups of students and citizens will carry out sea level rise measurements in Muggia, Lignano, and Grado.

The project follows a citizen science model, where students, citizens, association representatives, and non-experts actively participate in research after receiving appropriate training.

‘In the coming decades,’ explains Stefano Furlani, Associate Professor of Geomorphology at the University of Trieste, ‘sea levels will rise dramatically, altering the geography of our coasts and damaging regional shoreline structures. Since 1880, the sea level has already risen by more than 20cm, and it is projected to reach 30cm by 2050.’

There have already been warnings of what this situation could bring. The most recent was the severe storm surge in November 2023, which struck the eastern shoreline of the Gulf of Trieste, from Muggia to Lignano, causing significant damage to coastal infrastructure.

‘With Mare Sopra,’ Furlani continues, ‘our goal is to raise awareness of sea level rise caused by climate change. We are organising expert-led discussions, documentary screenings, hands-on experiences with students and citizens, and the creation of a virtual tour—an engaging and accessible tool that allows users to explore places and environments in a highly realistic and detailed way, almost as if they were physically there.’

At the end of these activities, key coastal locations will be marked with two lines: a yellow line indicating where the sea will reach in 2050 and a red line showing its level in 2100.

The project is highly interdisciplinary, involving geomorphologists, sociologists, and biologists from three UniTS departments (Mathematics, Computer Science, and Geosciences; Political and Social Sciences; Life Sciences), as well as members of the public, schools, and associations.

‘Mare Sopra’ is the first outreach project funded by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region in 2024. It benefits from the collaboration of the Miramare Marine Protected Area, the Municipality of Muggia, the Marevivo Association – FVG Section, the Marco Polo School Cluster of Grado, the ‘Galileo Galilei’ High School of Trieste, and other local institutions.

International Women's Day is an important occasion to take stock of the situation regarding women's conditions, assess progress, and renew efforts on gender issues, equal opportunities, and anti-discrimination initiatives.

‘The data published in recent weeks by ISTAT (https://www.istat.it/tag/donna/) paint a mixed picture of the situation in Italy,’ says Dolores Ferrara, President of the CUG (Equal Opportunities and Staff Welfare Committee) at UniTS. ‘While female employment is increasing, it is growing at a slower rate than male employment. A significant gender gap persists in terms of wages and women's participation in the country’s economic and social life. We need new solutions that place these issues at the centre of the conversation, ensuring that women’s presence is actively promoted in both academic and professional settings.’

The University of Trieste and its CUG are committed to this goal, implementing support measures and anti-discrimination tools. They recognize that a deep understanding of the most insidious and exclusionary forms of discrimination is essential to fostering a true culture of equal opportunities.

With this in mind, and to assess the state of gender equality in scientific research, the CUG has organised a conference titled ‘In Search of Equality: Women in Science’, which will take place on 1st April at 10:00 in the Bachelet Hall, Piazzale Europa Campus.

The Psychology Festival returns to Friuli Venezia Giulia: the fifth edition of the event, organized by Psicoattività APS with the partnership of the University of Trieste, will take place from March 7 to April 11, 2025. The festival will feature a traveling program, with six free-entry meetings across the region.

The 2025 edition, titled “Intelligences. From Natural Intelligence to Artificial Intelligence”, will explore, through expert presentations, new research and application areas in psychology that are central to current reflections, particularly those related to the study of the human mind and intelligence.

Topics will include natural intelligence and artificial intelligence; creative thinking and the relationship between creativity and science, and between music and AI; the latest developments in robotics and the ethical implications of its use; as well as an in-depth look at modern artificial intelligence tools, including the widely used Chat-GPT, to better understand their risks and opportunities. The festival will also conclude with a look at animal intelligence.

This year, the festival's scientific direction is entrusted to Claudio Tonzar, Professor of Developmental and Educational Psychology at the University of Urbino and President of Psicoattività, with the support of Tiziano Agostini, Professor of General Psychology at the University of Trieste.

The festival's traveling format is confirmed, with stops in Gradisca d’Isonzo, Tavagnacco, Palmanova, Cormons, and, in particular, the UniTS campuses in Trieste and Gorizia.

Notable international guests will participate, including Dario Floreano, full professor and director of the Intelligent Systems Laboratory at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL, Switzerland), a pioneer in evolutionary robotics, aerial robotics, and soft robotics, who will speak on Friday, March 28, at the Aula Magna (Building A) of the University of Trieste.

At the end of this event, the ceremony for the Third Prize for Innovative Research in Psychology will take place, awarded by Psicoattività APS to psychologists and researchers under 36. The competition aims to reward published research, master's theses, or doctoral dissertations to promote the psychological culture in Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Credits will be awarded to students of the University of Trieste's Psychology Degree Program attending the events (further details on the festival website).

SCHEDULE

Friday, March 7, 6:00 PM, Gradisca d’Isonzo, Sala Bergamas (via Bergamas, 3) – “Teaching to Think: Is Artificial Intelligence an Enemy or an Ally?” with Alessandro Antonietti, Professor of General Psychology and Dean of the Faculty of Psychology at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Milan).

Friday, March 14, 6:00 PM, Gorizia, Aula Magna of the Department of Political and Social Sciences (via d’Alviano, 18) – “Creativity and Science: A Brief Journey into the Study of Creative Thinking” with Sergio Agnoli, Associate Professor of General Psychology and Director of the Creativity Dynamics Laboratory at the Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste.

Friday, March 21, 6:00 PM, Tavagnacco, Teatro Immersivo “P. Maurensig” (Via Mazzini 1, loc. Feletto Umberto) – “Music and Artificial Intelligence: New Tools for Tomorrow’s Music” with Walter Coppola, Psychologist and Lecturer at the University of Trieste, in collaboration with Davide Coppola, Composer, Conductor, Pianist.

Friday, March 28, 6:00 PM, Trieste, Aula Magna, University of Trieste (Building A, Rectorate - Piazza Europa Unita, 1) – “Intelligences: The Role of Psychology in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Ethics” with Dario Floreano, Full Professor and Director of the Intelligent Systems Laboratory, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Switzerland); and Giuseppe Riva, Full Professor of Communication Psychology at the Università Cattolica di Milano and Director of the Humane Technology Lab.

Following at 7:30 PM: Ceremony for the Third Prize for Innovative Research in Psychology and presentation of the winning research.

Friday, April 4, 6:00 PM, Palmanova, Teatro Gustavo Modena (via Dante, 16) – “Human Cognitive Abilities and Generative Artificial Intelligence: Limits and Opportunities” with Giuseppe Sartori, Emeritus Professor of Forensic Neuropsychology and Forensic Neurosciences at the University of Padua.

Friday, April 11, 6:00 PM, Cormons, Teatro Comunale (via Nazario Sauro, 17) – “Animal Intelligences: Genius and Ingenuity in the Natural World” with Cinzia Chiandetti, Associate Professor of Psychobiology and Physiological Psychology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste.

The festival is supported by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region and made possible thanks to the collaboration of the municipalities of Gorizia, Cormons, Gradisca d’Isonzo, Palmanova, and Tavagnacco, with the partnership of the University of Trieste and the SASS of Nova Gorica.