From 25th to 30th November Vitiligo Week, an initiative promoted by SIDeMaST to raise awareness and support people affected by this disease, will be held throughout Italy. During the week more than a thousand free consultations will be available in 40 dermatological centres in Italy, including the Dermatology Clinic and STD Centres of the University of Trieste and local healthcare provider ASUGI. 

In Trieste the consultations will be held on 26th and 28th November from 9:00 to 11:00 in the outpatient clinics of the Dermatology Clinic and STD Centres of the Ospedale Maggiore, Palazzina Infettivi, 4th floor. 

To book a free visit during Vitiligo Week, please contact the freephone number 800226466, open Monday to Saturday, from 9:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 18:00.

Professor Iris Zalaudek, Professor of Cutaneous and Venereal Diseases at UniTS and Director of the Dermatological Clinic and STD Centres, emphasises the importance of the initiative: ‘Vitiligo is a chronic, non-infectious skin disease characterised by white patches often located on visible areas such as the face or hands. The very visibility of the disease often causes feelings of stigmatisation, shame, depression, anxiety or social withdrawal in sufferers. As a university centre, we are very pleased to join this initiative, promoted by SIDeMaST and APIAFCO, to ensure that people affected by vitiligo in our region have access to a free, simple and quick dermatological consultation with the aim of informing them about the various consolidated treatment options and the new treatments recently approved in Italy’. 

The initiative, sponsored by the Patients’ Association APIAFCO (Italian Psoriatic Patients Association Friends of the Corazza Foundation) and supported by Sintesi Education with the contribution of Incyte, was created with the aim of offering concrete support to patients and combating misinformation on vitiligo. ‘Vitiligo is a chronic autoimmune disease, often associated with other disorders such as thyroid dysfunction, diabetes mellitus and alopecia areata. It is essential that patients meet with a dermatologist to understand their condition and discuss how best to manage it, especially now that research has opened up new therapeutic possibilities,' says Giuseppe Argenziano, President of SIDeMaST. 

About 330,000 people in Italy live with vitiligo. 

APIAFCO has long been committed to the fight against stigma and misinformation: 'Vitiligo forces sufferers to constantly challenge their ability to accept themselves. It often induces insecurity, closure, anxiety and depression. Talking to a specialist is essential to support patients in a conscious management of their condition and, above all, to fight misinformation,' explains Valeria Corazza, President of APIAFCO. 

Once again this year, the University of Trieste will participate in World Diabetes Day, which is celebrated on 14th November, by lighting its façade blue. The theme chosen for 2024 is ‘Diabetes and Wellbeing’, which emphasises the importance of a holistic approach to health that is not limited to glycaemic control, but also includes improving patients' physical and mental wellbeing. 

World Diabetes Day was established in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in response to the rising number of diabetes cases worldwide. The choice of 14th November is not random: it is the anniversary of the birth of Fredrick Grant Banting, the Canadian physiologist who, together with his colleague Charles Best, discovered insulin in 1921, revolutionising the treatment of the disease. 

Diabetes is one of the major health emergencies of the 21st century. According to IDF estimates, in 2021, more than 530 million people between the ages of 20 and 79 years were living with diabetes globally, a figure that could rise to 783 million by 2045 if preventative action and awareness are not taken. In Europe, the number of people with diabetes exceeds 62 million, and is also growing among children and adolescents due to poor dietary habits and lack of physical activity. 

In Italy, according to ISTAT data, more than 4 million people are affected by diabetes, equal to about 6% of the population. Type 2 diabetes, often associated with risk factors such as obesity and a sedentary lifestyle, accounts for 90 per cent of cases, while type 1 diabetes, of autoimmune origin, is less frequent but constantly increasing among young people. 

By lighting up its historic main building in blue, UniTS wants to remind people of the importance of collective action in the fight against diabetes and reaffirm its commitment to scientific research and public awareness.

UniTS has never registered such a high number of students for its bachelor's degrees: 3,920 students have started the 2024-2025 academic year.

Numbers that testify to a growth of 15% compared to last year and 40% compared to pre-pandemic (2019-2020).

And it is still possible to enrol in History and Philosophy, Humanities and Foreign Languages, and Literature by 11th November, in Political and Administrative Sciences by 30th November.

The University confirms its ‘pink’ status with 60% of women among those enrolled in the bachelor's degree programmes. In detail, the courses with the largest increase in the female proportion are the degrees in Physics, Chemistry, Statistics and Computer Science for Business, Finance and Insurance, Political and Administrative Sciences, Humanities and Education.

Female students are in the majority in all degree courses in the departments of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences; Life Sciences; Legal, Language, Interpreting and Translation studies; Political and Social Sciences; Humanities (with the exception of the course in History and Philosophy) and the Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences (with the exception of the course in Occupational and Environmental Health and Safety).

The attractiveness of the university has also been confirmed. Since 2019-2020 there has been a steady and significant upward trend, confirmed by the 700 enrolled students from abroad this year.

Taking a look at the numbers of Italian enrolled students, students from Friuli Venezia Giulia constitute a fundamental part of the university community with Trieste the province naturally most represented, with 25% of enrolled students, followed by Udine, Gorizia and Pordenone. Arrivals from other regions (40% of the total) confirm that the most numerous representations come from Veneto, Lombardy, Sicily, Puglia and Emilia Romagna.

These are the degree courses with the most significant increase in enrolments compared to last year: in first place is the Speech Therapy course (+87%), followed by Electronic Engineering and Computer Science (+49%), International Economics and Financial Markets (+40%) and Business Administration and Management (+35%). The latter two courses grow by 80% and 154% respectively compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Also significant is the growth for Psychiatric Rehabilitation (+28%), Humanities (+23%), Civil and Environmental Engineering (+26%), Psychology (+22%) and Physics (+21%).

The courses consolidating a big leap in enrolments compared to academic year 2019-2020 are Chemistry (+104%), History and Philosophy (+59%), Nursing (+57%), Psychology (+44%) and Science and Technology for the Environment and Nature (+43%).

The integrated master’s degree courses, all of which have a competitive admission, saw all available places filled.

For master's degree courses, there is still time: enrolments will close with various deadlines between December 2024 and March 2025.

The University of Trieste joins the project Promemoria_Auschwitz for 2025, promoted by the association Deina APS.

The project offers 48 university students enrolled at the University a training course and a coach trip to the former Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, with the aim of stimulating reflection on the construction of memories and the history of the 20th century from a European perspective. Students from the Universities of Bergamo, Milan Statale, Milan Bicocca, Turin, the Milan Polytechnic, and the Normale University of Pisa are also taking part in the project and the trip.

The project is divided into two distinct phases: the first part is historical training, curated in collaboration with the University of Trieste, which involves attending a series of seminars entitled Building Memory (17th December 2024, 9th and 20th January, 3rd and 17th February 2025); the second part consists of the trip, curated by the Deina association, which will take place from 26th February to 3rd March 2025.

Interested students will be selected based on a letter of motivation (max 2000 characters) that will be assessed by a committee composed of members of Deina APS and UniTS.

To apply, you must fill in the APPLICATION FORM (which includes the letter) by 1st December 2024.

The participation fee is 175 euros to be paid according to the terms that will be communicated at the time of registration. The fee is non-refundable.

Information: https://www.deina.it/promemoria-auschwitz

Contact: info@deina.it

A new start-up from the University of Trieste was presented on 25th October at the University of Verona on the first Demo Day of the iNEST Consortium (Ecosystem of Innovation of the Interconnected Northeast), together with other recently established entrepreneurial projects: namely Nemo.AI. ‘Nemo.AI uses artificial intelligence to make fishing practices more efficient and sustainable’ says Silvio Baratto, Master's graduate in Data Science & Scientific Computing and co-founder of the start-up.

Developed thanks to an iNEST initiative for the generation and development of start-ups and spin-offs from research centres, funded by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan for EUR 4 million, Nemo.AI has had the opportunity to meet with an audience of investors and industry experts in order to receive support in view of its market launch.

Nemo.AI in depth: AI for fishing

To contribute to innovation in the fishing industry, Nemo.AI aims to develop software based on artificial intelligence through predictive analysis and intelligent sensing. ‘The software will predict the abundance, location and market value of fish species,’ Baratto explains. In this way, the start-up will help improve operational efficiency, regulatory adherence and the health of marine ecosystems.

Collaboration with local fishermen is crucial to the project, as the cofounder says: ‘The integration of broad and varied data - biological, climatic, economic - from local fishermen, combined with the use of state-of-the-art AI techniques, will help reduce overfishing and unwanted catches, promoting a balance between human activities and marine health.’

iNEST's Acceleration Programme promotes new start-ups 

Nemo.AI was selected from over 100 ideas collected from leading universities and research institutes in the Triveneto area. The projects have been developed since last April thanks to the iNEST Acceleration Programme, a structured path aimed at transforming entrepreneurial ideas into sustainable business realities. Having completed this programme, the start-up now enters the fundraising phase, with the aim of launching its innovative service on the market.

Laurel wreath for Elisa Ligas, the first graduate with a Master’s degree in Geophysics and Geodata, awarded with top honors, 110 cum laude and a special mention!

This is an English-taught degree program, closely aligned with industry, and supported by three of our departments: Mathematics, Computer Science and Geosciences; Physics; Engineering and Architecture.

Ligas presented a thesis on applications in the fields of natural resources and natural hazards, using innovative methods for subsurface studies with applications in energy and environmental fields.

Her academic path provided Elisa with training in both scientific and industrial settings, including international experiences such as the Arctic Geophysics School at the University Centre in Svalbard.

Now she is set to begin a PhD in Earth Sciences, Fluid Mechanics, Mathematics, and Applications.

The ‘Maker Faire Rome 2024 - The European Edition’, the twelfth edition of the annual fair open to the public dedicated to innovation, technology and creativity, will take place at the Gazometro Ostiense (Rome) from 25th to 27th October. It brings together innovators, makers, researchers and enthusiasts from all over Europe. In addition to the exhibition of projects and inventions, it offers workshops, lectures and laboratories to acquire technical skills and stimulate collaboration. It attracts students, start-ups, companies and government agencies, families, entrepreneurs and investors, promoting the exchange of ideas and the evolution of technologies.

The University of Trieste is present with a stand curated by the CLab Think Tank - the University's hub supporting the creation of innovative entrepreneurial projects - and two initiatives featuring students from the University: Enactus UniTS and UniTS Racing Team.

Enactus UniTS is exhibiting Hemp-Up, a business idea based on sustainable fashion, with clothes made from hemp. The initiative aims to reduce the environmental impact of the textile industry by using environmentally friendly materials and promoting ethical production. The team will present the project with an interactive workshop that aims to engage participants in their approach to the circular economy and social entrepreneurship.

After winning the SKF ‘Sustainability at 360 degrees’ award for the sustainable approach adopted at every stage of the project, from the choice of natural materials to the optimisation of the vehicle's life cycle, the UniTS Racing Team will present, by means of models, the solutions that led to the realisation of their innovative electric prototype with a flax fibre body, and that were instrumental in achieving this recognition.

Trieste, 23rd October 2024 – Today the University of Trieste awarded degrees to its first 26 graduates in Dentistry and Prosthodontics with concurrent professional certification.

The new graduates discussed their theses in the ‘Rita Levi Montalcini’ Hall of the Cattinara Hospital in front of Rector Roberto Di Lenarda, who awarded them the title.

The vocational degree was established by the Italian Ministry of Universities and Research as of the academic year 2023-2024 and UniTS is among the very first universities in Italy to have implemented the degree, serving as an example for other universities in the future.

‘The transition to this vocational degree is testimony to the excellence of the University of Trieste, which is part of the small group of Italian universities able to implement the new degree right away,’ stressed Rector Roberto Di Lenarda. ‘By the academic year 2027-2028 everyone will be expected to offer the level of training that we have been offering for years. I would also like to emphasise how the clinical activity of the professionals in training (both undergrads and postgrads) provides an extraordinary support to the provision of dental care, in a collaboration between the University and the Regional Health Service.’

Friuli Venezia Giulia, and in particular the area covered by ASUGI (local health authority), represents the area with the widest range of high-quality dental services in Italy.

The Region's public dentistry programme was inaugurated in 2017. It was conceived and coordinated by Roberto Di Lenarda, President of the College of University Lecturers of Odontostomatological Disciplines and Director of ASUGI's Maxillofacial Surgery and Odontostomatology Clinic since 2000.

Since then, in the Trieste area alone, it has provided 500,000 services at the Maxillo facial Surgery and Odontostomatology Clinic in the Ospedale Maggiore (ASUGI) and 60,000 in the Paediatric Odontostomatology Department, directed by Milana Cadenaro, the current coordinator of the Bachelor’s Degree in Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics.

Trieste, 23rd October 2024 - The programme for the 2024-2025 academic year of the project 'The Lincean Academy for new teaching methodology in schools', in which the University of Trieste plays a leading role, has been presented.

The Trieste Hub of the initiative's national network, with the collaboration of the Foundation 'The Lincean Academy for Schools', the Regional School Office of Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, has been engaged for six years in organising refresher and advanced training activities for school teachers in the four disciplines covered by the project: Italian, mathematics, digital and science.

‘Primary and secondary school teachers from all over Italy take part in the project every year,’ explains University of Trieste lecturer Roberta Bulla, coordinator of the Trieste Hub. ‘From 2021 to date we have had a total of 1,000 teachers enrolled.’

‘At a complex time for the Italian university and school system such as the one we are currently experiencing, the role of support for the training of school teachers played by UniTS within the framework of the Lincean project is of strategic importance," says Rector Roberto Di Lenarda. "I would like to thank the Region for the support that it once again guarantees our university and all of our teachers involved, who add these activities to their ordinary ones with great passion and commitment.’

‘The presence of the Lincean Hub in Trieste represents a great opportunity for the education system in Friuli Venezia Giulia. Teachers who train and update their knowledge improve not only their own preparation, but also the school within which they teach and the system as a whole. If, as confirmed by the data from the Invalsi 2024 tests, school education in FVG is of high quality and the drop-out rate is among the lowest in Italy, we certainly owe this to projects like this one, which the regional administration will continue to support, as an investment for the younger generations, in the years to come,’ adds Alessia Rosolen, Regional Councillor for Employment, Training, Education, Research, University and Family.

‘In an ever-changing society, continuous teacher training is of fundamental importance to ensure the quality of education. It represents an opportunity for effective professional development and growth of the teaching profession. With a view to promoting continuous training, the FVG Regional School Office has signed an agreement with the FVG Region and the Universities of Trieste and Udine in which it commits itself to disseminating the training activities organised by the two university centres as part of the project ‘The Lincean Academy for new teaching methodology in schools’ and to cooperating in identifying tutor teachers among the local educational institutions to support teaching and workshop activities,’ concludes Daniela Beltrame, Head of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Regional School Office.

The project stems from a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Lincean Academy, the Ministry of Education and Merit, and the Ministry of Universities and Research, with the aim of supporting and encouraging the improvement of the national education and training system through numerous initiatives aimed at promoting a renewal of teaching-learning processes in the scientific and humanistic disciplines.

The programmes proposed for the 2024/2025 academic year are highly structured.

"History in the City" starts again with “Resistances and Liberations in Europe”

First meeting on Monday, October 28 at 6 p.m. in Baciocchi Hall with lecturer Tullia Catalan on the theme of Jewish Resistance

The Resistance and the fight against Nazi-Fascism in different parts of Europe will be the theme of the new edition of "Storia in città/History in the City", a series of meetings organized by the "Istituto Regionale per la Storia della Resistenza e dell'Età Contemporanea nel Friuli Venezia Giulia (Irsrec FVG)" together with the Department of Political and Social Sciences of the University of Trieste. The initiative, curated by Raoul Pupo, Gabriele Mastrolillo and Patrick Karslen, will be divided into 7 meetings to be held from Monday, October 28 to Monday, December 16 in Baciocchi Lecture Hall (headquarters of the Department of Humanities, Androna Baciocchi), always starting at 6 p.m.

"History in the City ” this year ties in with 2025, the year in which the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Italy and Europe from Nazi-fascism will fall. The organizers intend to commemorate it with an initiative with a scientific and, at the same time, popular character. The formula of the review thus follows the previous editions, proposing themes from university teaching, particularly from the Contemporary History course active at the Department of Political and Social Sciences. The struggle against Nazi-fascism will be recounted, in this context, as a plural and transnational phenomenon that affected, albeit with different intensities and in specific forms depending on the case, much of Europe occupied by German and to a lesser extent Italian troops (the Balkan context). In this edition university professors and historians from different Italian universities will examine the events of the main struggles for liberation from Nazi-fascism in Europe, following their development in different geographical areas. In the final panel discussion the focus will be on the phenomenon as a whole, while keeping in mind its transnational dimension.

Audios of the lectures and any materials provided by the speakers will be available for free listening and downloading at the following link: https://shorturl.at/k2QJI

For further information: irsrec@irsrecfvg.eu; tel. 040 44004; www.irsrecfvg.eu