At their monthly assembly, the chancellors of Italian universities listened attentively to the speech by the President of the Italian National Student Union (CNSU) Alessia Conti. Conti represents two million students and expressed their concerns about the conflict in the Middle East.

Following the discussion, and in view of the numerous views communicated to the rectors, the CRUI (Conference of Italian University Rectors) wishes to reiterate how the entire university system is united in the demand, now received from many quarters, for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the release of the hostages seized in the inhuman attack of 7 October. The massacre of civilians in the Gaza Strip since that date and the simultaneous destruction of all infrastructures, not least the universities, have now exceeded all acceptable limits. With this in mind, together with President Mattarella, the universities reiterate the urgent need to “put a halt to the chain of actions and reactions and allow a process to begin that will put an end to the massacres and finally lead to stable peace.”

“It is essential to avoid fostering escalation with aprioristic deployments,” stressed Giovanna Iannantuoni, President of CRUI, “The situation in the Middle East is complex and must be analysed as such. Real courage entails not giving in to partisan logic and instead taking sides for peace.”

Article 11 of the Constitution states that: “Italy repudiates war as an instrument of offence against the freedom of other peoples and as a means of settling international disputes.”  Moreover, it is in the very nature of a university to be a free and peaceful place, where even the bitter confrontation between opposing theses is resolved through rational argument, never violence. It is therefore the task of universities to encourage openness, in-depth study, debate and the search for solutions for civil coexistence.

With this in mind, the CRUI and the university system commit themselves, as of now, to the following actions:

1.      To continue to pay close attention to all the ongoing international crises. As sustained by President Mattarella, “the value of human dignity, of the demand for freedom, of the condemnation of oppression, of the rejection of brutal violence does not depend on the territory, the borders between States, or international relations between political parties or movements.”

2.      To intensify the work of the joint CRUI-CNR-INFN-INAF commission that has just been set up with the task of proposing guidelines on the ethical and deontological principles for the use of the results of scientific research for non-military use.

3.      To encourage broad public debate and the interdisciplinary in-depth study of international crises and their historical, economic and cultural roots, a move that has already been made by universities in recent weeks.

4.      To continue scientific collaboration with foreign universities in all countries. Breaking off agreements with universities, in fact, signals the rejection of the importance of places for reflection, critical thinking and constructive confrontation. Science and culture guarantee free spaces for dialogue, even when opinions and visions differ.

5.      To promote the universities’ UNIMED membership (Mediterranean Universities Union), a consortium which Palestinian universities are members of. Equally, supporting TESI membership (Technical Education Support for Higher Education Students Initiative), promoted by An-Najah National University, which provides financial and material aid to students in the Gaza Strip.

6.      To call for the strengthening of the Scholars at Risk and Students at Risk initiatives to fund scholarships for teachers, students and female students from Palestinian universities destroyed by the conflict.

7.      To propose the establishment of ‘Educating for Peace’, a project that allows universities to establish scholarships for Palestinian students. To promote the activation of the ‘Erasmus for Palestine’ programme in European institutions.

On the 18th June 2024, the Academic Senate of the University of Trieste heard the Rector’s report.  A boycott motion, received on 11th June 2024, was included in the agenda and presented on the day of the meeting by 5 students. After extensive and thorough discussion, the Senate unanimously rejected the motion and deemed it appropriate to reiterate the University's position. 

First of all, the Senate points to a number of principles underpinning the University's actions which are relevant to the definition of specific peace initiatives. UniTS acts with respect for constitutional principles, with specific reference to Article 11 of the Constitution, which states that "Italy repudiates war as an instrument of offence against the freedom of other peoples and as a means of settling international disputes" and to Article 33 of the Constitution, which states that "art and science are free and the teaching of them is free", thus strongly affirming the value of freedom of research. These values are enshrined in its Statute and Code of Ethics. 

With these principles in mind, the Academic Senate embraces and takes on board the apprehension and distress of the entire university community with respect to all the wars taking place in the world, expressing its sorrow for the enormous suffering that the numerous conflicts in progress are causing to the civilian populations involved. 

The University is committed to supporting the diplomatic resolution of international disputes and cease-fires in all conflict situations. The University equally supports the Rector in his constant active participation in the CRUI (Conference of Italian University Rectors) debate on peace.

With specific reference to the tragic situation in the Gaza Strip, the Senate strongly and urgently calls, also in the light of the UN resolution of 25th March 2024, for "an immediate ceasefire [....] and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages," endorsing CRUI’s statement of 23rd May 2024 which was immediately published on the UniTS institutional website.

This statement reiterated "... how the entire university system is united in the demand, now received from many quarters, for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the release of the hostages seized during the inhuman attack of 7th October. The massacre of civilians in the Gaza Strip since that date and the simultaneous destruction of all infrastructures, not least the universities, have now exceeded all acceptable limits. 

With this in mind, together with President Mattarella, the universities reiterate how urgent it is to "put a halt to the chain of actions and reactions, and allow a process to begin that will put an end to the massacres and finally lead to a stable peace."

With regard to the role of university institutions in these contexts, the Academic Senate recalls and fully and wholeheartedly endorses the words of President Mattarella, pronounced in our Aula Magna on 12th April 2024 on the occasion of the conferral of an honorary degree: "Universities have always been (...) a place of free debate, criticism and even dissent of power. Debate, criticism and dissent link universities in all countries, above borders and above differences between states. If you sever this connection, this precious exchange of reflection, of collaboration, of experience, you do not help rights, you do not help freedom or peace, but you weaken the power of debate, criticism, dissent. You help power, the worst kind, which has always tried to keep the universities in its own country isolated, to prevent them from connecting with those beyond its borders.”

UniTS promotes the development of institutional relations and the creation of spaces for dialogue and debate, internally, nationally and with international universities and research centres, reaffirming the importance of respect for freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful demonstration, and repudiating incitement to hatred and the use of violence. UniTS does not adhere to any boycott initiatives because it is contrary to its mission of promoting dialogue and building bridges between different cultures. UniTS acts with the aim of opposing discrimination, of guaranteeing students the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to promote sustainable development through respect for human rights, gender equality, the promotion of a culture of peace, non-violence and the enhancement of cultural diversity.

UniTS condemns the brutal attack of 7th October 2023 and the violence committed by Hamas terrorists against the Israeli population, just as it strongly condemns the actions carried out by the Israeli government that led to the unacceptable massacre of civilians. 

UniTS pledges to promote and support peace at every level and to intensify its presence within the UNIMED consortium, to continue its support for the Scholars at Risk network and the Network of Italian Universities for Peace (RUniPace). In this way, UniTS demonstrates its continued willingness to welcome students and scholars, all the more so those arriving from war zones. 

UniTS undertakes to maintain and increase, if possible, scientific collaborations with universities in all foreign countries, with the aim of fostering debate, and, if necessary, dissent. Equally, UniTS will not be part of any initiatives connected to war-related activities when negotiating agreements. 

UniTS continues to collaborate and support all companies that are compatible with its code of ethics in order to offer our students the best employment opportunities. 

UniTS will continue to keep the list of research collaborations updated, already available here. 

Finally, the UniTS Academic Senate strongly stigmatises the behaviour of some of the demonstrators who committed violent actions against and made false statements about students, senators and governance itself.

The magical setting of the Pomis Bastion of the San Giusto Castle will be host to a Sunset Talk organised by the University of Trieste on Thursday 20th June.

The theme of the meeting is ‘Art and UniTS: a journey from 1953 to today’ with Bruno Callegher, Massimo Degrassi and Lorenzo Michelli. It is open to all and subject to availability of places.

The event is connected to the exhibition ‘1924-2024 - A Century in the History of the University of Trieste. Pictures and documents', also on display at the Pomis Bastion until 1st September. 

Massimo De Grassi, lecturer in History of Contemporary Art at UniTS, will recount the events relating to the first works of art donated to the University of Trieste, and will address the dynamics of the Exhibition of Contemporary Italian Painting set up in the University's Main Hall in December 1953, the founding nucleus of the Rectorate's Picture Gallery and the driving force behind the University's subsequent acquisition policies. These acquisitions have over the years led to significant numbers of visitors and highly esteemed artistic presences.

"There are many ways in which the relationship between the University of Trieste and artistic research developed during the construction of the monumental building designed in the 1930s by Raffaello Fagnoni and Umberto Nordio," explains Lorenzo Michelli. "Authors such as Marcello Mascherini, Ugo Carà and Mario Moschi were involved in the design of a structure that defined its identity and vocation through the artistic reinterpretation of myths and allegories. Another historic moment is that of '53, in which a significant group of artists of national stature donated works of high quality that represent what is in fact one of the most important public collections dedicated to the 20th century in Trieste". 

After the talk there will be an aperitif on the terrace.

INFO AND PROGRAMME

In the year of UniTS Centenary, the Art relationship project continues the university’s commitment to enhancing its artistic heritage and creating a closer bond with the Friuli Venezia Giulia territory. The project is organised by the University of Trieste in collaboration with the University Museum Services (SmaTS) and the Cultural Heritage of Friuli Venezia Giulia (ERPAC).

Following the success of the artist in residency programme Shine Bright Like a Diamond in 2023, which involved the Departments of the University of Trieste in an unprecedented collaboration between lecturers, artists and students, Art Relations focuses on the relationship between important artists and the University and the city of Trieste.

The project kicks off on 18th June with exhibitions of internationally renowned artists Serse Roma and Manuela Sedmach and will continue in the coming months with Antonio Sofianopulo and Elisa Vladilo.

The six graphite drawings that make up ‘Serse. The ambiguities of representation’ will be exhibited in the right and left wings of the central building of the University of Trieste, Piazzale Europa 1.

“The form is that of still life, of the object arrested in its natural process. The figure, on the other hand, is linked to the dynamic continuity of the living being. In Serses' work, all things, even an isolated object in the most stable of configurations, are brought to life by this dynamic continuity. And it is thanks to the technique he has adopted and defended over all these years; drawing,” said art critic Alessandro Del Puppo.

The exhibition ‘Manuela Sedmach. Al di sotto della sostanza cromatica, nell'intercapedine della pittura' (Underneath the substance of colour, inside painting’s cavity wall) will instead be on display at the UniTS Department of Humanities in Via del Lazzaretto Vecchio where some twenty of the painter's works will be on display.

“It was no accident, but rather a purposeful choice by Sedmach to distribute her works in the Library of the Archive of Writers and Regional Culture of the University of Trieste in order to relate them to a cultural heritage intimately perceived and experienced over the years. Alongside the development of shelves that preserve and protect the ‘written memories’, making them available to the 'gesture' of consultation, the 'pictorial-narration' offers itself to a visual reading characterised by development within the same space, sustained by a 'stabilised wind' that intersects the top and the bottom, from the centre to the borders of the canvas, now reinforcing itself on the left with a mass moving to the right, now stabilising in a depression, and then extending horizontally, revealing itself only to a careful gaze,' stresses art critic Andrea Del Guercio.

Serse Roma

Born in San Polo di Piave on 14 November 1952, Serse has lived and worked in Trieste since 1980.

Serse Roma focuses exclusively on graphite drawing on paper. Over the years, the artist, an adopted Triestine, has produced a considerable series of images that have earned him inclusion in the volume Vitamin D, New Perspectives in Drawing, published by Phaidon Press, London (2006), and a chapter in Lorand Hegyi's new essay ‘Drawing in the Age of Uncertainty’, Silvana editions (2021), as well as participation in major international exhibitions like Pastels du 16°au 21°siecle at the Fondation de L'Hermitage in Lausanne.  His work is characterised by a consistency and recognisability that make it unique in today's national panorama. In Serse’s case, drawing is not a merely a classical tool for sketching out the invisible scaffolding of a painting, nor does he use it, like many contemporary artists, as a precarious and fragile visual note. In Serses Rome, the work in its absolute completeness is due to drawing alone. Drawing represents 'no more than this'. It is an instrument subjected to a vertiginous analysis that probes its full potential. From Serse Roma's graphite has sprung one of the most intense re-readings of landscape in contemporary art: Seas, Cloud Skies, High Mountains, Snowy Woods, Reeds, Reflections of Water. In other words, the non-human, sublime dimension of Earth in its elementary condition of first and ultimate things. Almost as if it were possible to probe, through the concrete materiality of graphite, the mineral soul of the earth, whose transformations occur on a time scale other to our anthropological one. In recent years, Serse Roma has delved even deeper into what could be included, or at least brought back, to the graphite that has marked his career. The reference to the minerality of graphite is captured in his astonishing series Diamonds, whose perfect and unalterable form recalls the crystallographic origins of the primary forms of geometry and building. We thus return to Serses' reflection on his instrument, graphite, a material that by its very nature recalls the minerality (graphite and diamond are allotropic forms of carbon) behind a not-only-human geometry of the constructed.

Manuela Sedmach

Born in Trieste in 1953, she began exhibiting in the 1970s after attending the "E. Nordio" State Institute of Art in Trieste with teachers such as Ladislao de Gauss, Maria Campitelli, and Enzo Cogno. But her most heartfelt activity began in the 1980s with Officina in Trieste, Avida Dollars in Milan, Rasponi in Ravenna, Fuxia Art in Verona, Emporium in Ivrea and Arte3 in Trieste. In 1991, she was part of the Art exposition in Chicago where she featured in an exhibition of 5 Italian artists at Navy Pier. She also received the important Pollok - Krasner Foundation Grant, New York. In the 1990s, more precisely in 1992, she began her relationship with Galleria Continua, which was at that time based in a small but precious space near the Cathedral of San Gimignano.

Manuela’s relationship with Galleria Continua continues to this day with exhibitions, international fairs and exhibition relationships with other galleries such as Van Laere in Antwerp, Schroeder in Cologne, Dina Carola in Naples, G7 in Bologna, Jaqueline Arets in Knokke in Belgium. In 2003, a beautiful underwater installation 'Occhi bianchi' (White eyes) in the Ponterosso canal followed a personal exhibition at the Revoltella Museum in Trieste in Palazzo Gopcevich, kindling an important relationship with Galleria Torbandena in Trieste.

In 2009, she exhibited at Le Moulin-Boissy le Chatel (Paris) and 2005/2010 Beijing 798 Art Zone (both extensions of the Continua gallery), studio G7 in Bologna, 3G Artecontemporanea in Udine, Plurima and GAMUD – also in Udine. Her series ‘Passare al Bosco’ (A Walk in the Woods)  inspired by ‘The Rebel's Treaty’ by Ernst Junger, was developed from 2015-2017 in Tellaro (SP), in the oratory Santa Maria Telaà, in Galleria Continua, in ARCA-ITIS in Trieste, and Colonos in Villacaccia di Lestizza, before it arrived at its current title ‘Dubito ergo Cogito’,(I doubt therefore I think)  inspired by a docufilm by Werner Herzog in which he finds the characters that accompany him in his work: slowness, fatigue, doubt and many more. In 2020, she moved to Portugal in Braga where she continued her activity with an important collaboration with the Nuno Centeno gallery in Porto. The meeting with two particular artists Pedro Vaz and Filipe Cortez was especially important. In 2023 she put on the exhibition ‘Nunca pare de ver – N'arrête jamais de voir’ (Never stop seeing) with Galleria Continua. In recent years, Manuela Sedmach has brought the Portuguese atmosphere into her work.

On 15th June 2024 the voluntary organisation IRC, whose purpose is health and social assistance in times of peace and conflict, celebrates 160 years since its foundation.

Founded in Milan, the IRC is placed under the high patronage of the President of the Republic and is part of the International Red Cross Movement.

Its history is intertwined with that of Italy: in the good times, during major events, in the disasters that have affected our country but also, and above all, with the individual local realities.

Millions of volunteers, aid workers and operators have worked to alleviate the suffering of those in vulnerable situations: from battlefields to assisting refugees and exiles, to disseminating hygiene and health education standards, to initiatives in schools.

The Trieste IRC Committee, with its highly specialised personnel, has always been working alongside the population in responding to social, health and civil protection needs.

The University of Trieste confirms its markedly international and professional vocation and its attractiveness for students: the most dynamic and attractive university in the region, the University of Trieste guarantees its graduates a better salary and an employment performance above the national average, ensuring an excellent post-graduate transition.

This is the picture that emerges from the Almalaurea 2024 report, which examined about 300,000 graduates from 78 universities in 2023.

In detail, as regards work and salaries, the University of Trieste guarantees employment for more than 91.1% of master’s graduates (+1.1% compared to 2023) after five years of graduation (88.2% national figure) and 81.3% after one year (Italian average 75.7%).

77.2% of bachelor’s graduates find work twelve months after their degree, compared to 74.1% of the national average and 79% of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Finally, the University of Trieste ensures a salary higher than the local and Italian average with € 1,437 for bachelor’s graduates and, for master’s graduates, € 1,513 after one year and € 1,826 after five.

41.5% of university graduates come from outside the region, compared to the regional average of 34.1% and the national average of 24.8%, with an excellent 4.5% coming from abroad (regional average 3.6%). Particular mention should be made of the number of foreign bachelor’s students: with its 3.9%, the University of Trieste exceeds the Italian average (3.2%).

More than 12.2% of bachelor’s graduates (+2.2% compared to 2023) undertake study experiences abroad, compared to 9.3% of FVG and 7.3% of the Italian average. Moreover, the total number of graduates who took a mobility period abroad recognised by their degree course also confirms the internationalisation of the academic experience promoted by UniTS: with an average of 11.9% (the previous year it stood at 9.5%) the University of Trieste is more than two percentage points higher than the national average (9.8%).

 The knowledge and skills acquired in Trieste and abroad result in an excellent rating for the effectiveness of the qualification, particularly in terms of its applicability within the relevant sector: more than 66% of bachelor’s graduates define their qualifications as ‘effective’, compared with the FVG average of 62% and 61.7% in Italy. This trend is also confirmed by master’s graduates, reaching more than 73% after one year of their degree (national average 69.5%; regional 71.7%).

In addition to its international vocation, UniTS confirms the markedly professional nature of its degree courses: in particular, 76.6% (an increase of 2.2% compared to 2023) of two-year master’s graduates (63.6% national; 70.5% regional) and almost 60.2% of integrated master’s graduates (national 58%; 59.3%) have, in fact, been able to benefit from a wide range of curricular internships offered to students by the university.

As for the relationship with the teaching staff, study workload, available facilities: more than 87.7% of students are satisfied with their overall university experience in Trieste. 

Opening tomorrow in Zuglio (Udine) Luci Celesti Radici Terrestri + Stelutis Alpinis, FVG's first astronomy-themed science festival, which will continue until 19th October 2024. The scientific contribution will be made by the Physics Department of the University of Trieste and the INAF-Trieste Astronomical Observatory, while the artistic direction is by the Amalgama Collective. Among the organisers is the Municipality of Arta Terme.

The initiative, created to investigate the relationship of human beings with the starry sky, which spans from the myths of antiquity to the most recent discoveries, will propose lectures, astronomical observations, installations, performances and workshops combining scientific and cultural aspects and local history. The next four months will also feature the theatrical and musical performances of the Amalgama Collective and a series of activities involving local associations. The programme includes meetings with UniTS lecturers, visits to historical and natural sites, immersive experiences with virtual reality visors, orienteering activities with the stars, art installations and performances. Participants will also be involved in an experiential teaching workshop organised by the Amalgama Collective, starting with Gianni Rodari's work ‘Via Lattea Quaraquarinci’, which will lead them to create stories and nursery rhymes. The works will then be collected together with drawings and thoughts of the children to form the Almanac of the New Poetic Astrophysics School. A rich and varied programme of free events will offer multiple approaches to the astronomical theme.

The University of Trieste, with the Department of Physics, is the lead partner in the project ‘Stelutis Alpinis. Let's discover the Cosmos from the Mountains of Carnia’, financed by the University through the Public and Social Commitment - Third Mission call, a new initiative of the University created to support with ad hoc funding projects that have an impact and a relationship with the community, in this case the regional one. The initiative complements Luci Celesti/Radici Terrestri, a festival funded by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region in which the University participates as a partner and which has Alexandro Saro as its scientific director.

For more information

Programme:

Saturday 8th June, 21:00, Zuglio, Polse di Côugnes 

‘Is there life in the galaxy?’ lecture by Prof. Giovanni Vladilo. Followed by astronomical observation.

Sunday 9th June, 21:00, Rivalpo 

‘Close Encounters with the Second Kind’ performance with artistic incursions, by the Amalgama Collective, Daniele D'Agaro and Marzio Tomada. The evening is held at Rivalpo, which celebrates the traditional Festa della Madonna on the morning of the same day.

Tuesday 25th June, 21:00, Valle, Social Centre 

‘Three walks in the woods of stars’ lecture by Fabrizio Fiore, director INAF Trieste, artistic interventions by the Amalgama Collective.

Wednesday 26 June, 17:00, Zuglio

Municipal Archaeological Museum guided tour of the museum and the Roman forum.

Thursday 27th June to Saturday 29th June

Rivalpo, Zuglio Archaeological Museum, 14:00: opening of the festival's art installations.

Friday 28th June, 17:30, Zuglio 

Archaeological Museum guided tour of the museum and the Roman forum.

Thursday 29th June

17:30. Rivalpo ‘Close Encounters with the Second Kind’ performance with artistic incursions by the Amalgama Collective.

21:00. Zuglio, Polse di Côugnes Astronomical observation at the observatory.

Saturday 13 July, 11:00, Rivalpo 

'Food and wine walk' at the fair. Visit to exhibitor stands and tastings.

Saturday 10 August, 21:00, Zuglio, Polse di Côugnes 

‘Star Maps Carved on a Protohistoric Stone: The First Astronomer?’ lecture by Prof. Paolo Molaro. Followed by astronomical observation.

Saturday 14 September, 21:00, Zuglio, Polse di Côugnes

‘The variable sky: Exploring the frontiers of contemporary astrophysics’ lecture by Prof. Francesco Longo. Followed by astronomical observation.

Saturday 19 October, 21:00, Zuglio, Polse di Côugnes

‘Journey to the dark side of the universe: from Einstein to Euclid’ lecture by Prof. Stefano Borgani, UniTS. Followed by astronomical observation

From Monday 14th to Friday 18th October: educational week for pupils and teachers of the schools of the Istituto Comprensivo Linussio - Matiz

The book ‘Prehistoric Caves of Friuli Venezia Giulia’ maps, describes and places in a precise but explanatory scientific context the caverns from which artefacts and animal remains exhibited in the museums of our territory originate.

Readers of the free downloadable publication, will also find some easily accessible itineraries for total immersion in one of the most fascinating and mysterious treasures of our natural heritage.

The book is the final act of a collaboration between the Central Directorate for Environmental Protection, Energy and Sustainable Development, the Geological Service and the Interdepartmental Centre for Science and Technology Applied to Cultural Heritage SCICC of UniTS for the implementation of the Regional Cave Database (CSR) with data on caves of archaeological interest related to the CRIGA (Computerised Annotated Database of Archaeological Caves) project, developed in the past for the Karst caves by UniTS. In the realisation of the project and the drafting of the publication, coordinated by UniTS, it was essential to collaborate with the Scientific and Archaeological Museums of Trieste and Udine, the Speleological Groups and Associations, as well as scholars from different scientific fields, who made it possible to extend the database to the entire region.

The University of Trieste is opening enrolment for the next academic year fromMonday 3rd June: students can find all the information on the UniTS website https://portale.units.it/en/study/courses-and-programmes. 

A wide-ranging and multidisciplinary course catalogue will be made available to all future students, including 43 bachelor’s and integrated master’s degrees, as well as 37 master's degrees in the three main areas of technology and science, life and health sciences, social sciences and humanities.

NEW COURSES

The University of Trieste's educational offerings are extremely dynamic, with 8 new degree courses having been activated in the last three years. 

The first level course in Dietetics (awaiting official accreditation) will be new for the 2024/25 academic year, and will be running at the Pordenone Campus. 

The course qualifies students as dieticians, a profession which aims to promote proper nutrition in the various stages of life and in both preventive and clinical settings, including catering, research and teaching. There are 30 places available and the student must pass the National Health Professions Test. 

The University of Trieste is organising a free preparation course on 17th and 18th July for the admission tests to healthcare courses (Medicine and Surgery, Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics and Healthcare Professions). Prospective students can enrol so long as places are available (460 places in total) by filling in the form on this page no later than 15th July 2024: https://portale.units.it/en/studiare/orientarsi/preparazione-test-area-medico-sanitaria. 

On 1st July, the Master's degree courses in Engineering for the Energy Transition and in European Policies for digital, ecological and social transitions will be officially introduced, two absolute firsts respectively at international and national level.

NO TAX AREA RAISED TO 30,000 EURO, SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THOSE ELIGIBLE AND MERIT-BASED GRANTS

For the academic year 2024-2025, UniTS has further increased the no-tax area (accessible to all students with an Equivalent Financial Situation Index – ISEE – specific for universities up to € 30,000), and has maintained its comprehensive system of total and partial exemptions, fee reductions and merit-based grants.

The total tax and fee exemption for the winners of ARDIS scholarships (Regional Agency for the Right to University Education) remains in force. In recent years these scholarships have been awarded to 100% of eligible candidates.

Merit-based grants have also been confirmed, which account for half of the total contributions for partial exemptions and fee reductions. This reflects both the excellent results achieved by UniTS students and the University's commitment to rewarding deserving pupils.

TOP EMPLOYMENT RATE AMONG GRADUATES

The employment rate of UniTS bachelor’s graduates twelve months after graduation was 81.6%, compared to the national average of 75.4% and 80.2% in Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Finally, 90% of master's graduates are employed five years after graduation (88.7% national figure) and 83% one year after graduation, surpassing the Italian average of 77.1%.

This is the clearest picture emerging from the Almalaurea 2023 report. 

GUIDED TOURS OF THE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS AND ORIENTATION TALKS

During the summer, the Unit for Prospective Student Support and School Liaison are organising guided tours of the Campus in Piazzale Europa by course tutors. Booking is compulsory at https://portale.units.it/en/studiare/orientarsi/vieni-a-conoscerci.

Students can also meet UniTS guidance professionals and student tutors in person at their front office, open Monday to Friday from 9:30 to 12:30 and, additionally, on Mondays from 15:00 to 17:00. They are also available remotely in a virtual classroom on the days and times indicated in the compulsory booking form, available at https://www.units.it/aula-virtuale.

Lastly, two free sessions of Summer Training Modules (Moduli Formativi Estivi) have been scheduled (in July and September). This is the orientation initiative dedicated to third- and fourth-year high-school students who want to get to knowthe University of Trieste better and learn more about their favourite topics, test their interests and get a taste of the university world. All information on programmes and timetables can be found at https://www.units.it/moduli-formativi. Enrolment is still open!

Brochure on UniTs course catalogue

For more information please contact the Unit for Prospective Student Support and School Liaison, tel. +39 040 3473787, mail: orientamento@units.it

Inclusive and accessible tourism to meet the needs of people with disabilities and elderly people with limitations due to age and health problems: this is the aim of the new project ‘DATIS: Digital Frontiers for Inclusive Tourism’, involving the Department of Political and Social Sciences (DiSPeS) at UniTS.

The kick-off meeting of the two-year project, financed with over one million euros from the Italy-Slovenia Interreg Programme 2021-2027, was held on 28th May in Ljubljana, at the Beletrina publishing house.

The actions planned aim to improve digital accessibility and social inclusion in tourism in the cross-border region through an innovative, multidisciplinary and participatory approach, including the definition of guidelines and shared strategies.

Other matters planned include organising training workshops for tour operators, setting up a web portal on the accessibility of tourist services and implementing two pilot actions at the museums of San Michele sul Carso and the industrial heritage of Aidussina to test innovative solutions for users with different types of disabilities.

The project is led by Beletrina, a leading Slovenian organisation in the field of publishing and digital innovation, and sees as partners, in addition to DiSPeS, the regional agency PromoTurismoFVG, the consortium of social cooperatives Il Mosaico, the Tourist board of Nova Gorica and the Vipava Valley, and the Union of the Blind and Partially Blind of Slovenia. They are joined by the Municipality of Sagrado and Aidussina.

The DiSPeS, under the scientific direction of Prof. Moreno Zago, professor of Tourism Analysis and Planning and of Cross-border Relations and Local Development, will contribute to the administration of quantitative and qualitative questionnaires on travel experiences, the identification of best practices, and the analysis of the potential of the tourism sector.

He will also be responsible for the development of guidelines and a multilingual handbook on digital accessibility for tourist and institutional operators and for communication and dissemination activities of the results.

The project aims to reach a wide catchment area and to raise awareness among institutions and operators on the importance of digital accessibility and social inclusion.