Human Rights Day is observed annually around the world on 10th December and commemorates the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, proclaimed in Paris in 1948. This landmark document enshrines the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being - regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

This year's theme, ‘Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now’, is a call to acknowledge the importance and relevance of human rights in our everyday lives. 

We have an opportunity to change perceptions by speaking up against hate speech, correcting misinformation and countering disinformation. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres has said, ‘Human rights are the foundation for peaceful, just, and inclusive societies.’

The new Innovator Community Lab (ICL) of the University of Trieste has been officially presented, a training course dedicated to innovation and young entrepreneurship that continues and renews the role of the CLab.

The ICL project will have a strong international vocation and will see the introduction of significant structural innovations: the lab, which will still be aimed at UniTS students wishing to develop an entrepreneurial project based on an original idea, will award participants with training credits that will form part of the student’s university career.

At the end of the one-year course, the new programme will award five scholarships worth 5,000 euros each for the best students and participation in short training stays. Starting this year, two winners will travel as visiting students to a major innovation centre.

The call for applications for the new Innovator Community Lab 2025, presented at the meeting, will select 30 UniTS students to start entrepreneurial training. The deadline for applications is 20th January 2025, all information is available on the Innovator Community Lab portal.

The announcement of the new ICLab was made during the annual event that concludes the CLab’s activities: the evening had opened with a round table entitled ‘The revolution of failure: the engine of innovation’. Moderated by Cristiano Degano, Regional President of the Order of Journalists, the discussion was attended by experts and business leaders such as Elisabeth Weingraber, business consultant; Gerd Pircher, CEO of HSBC Italy; Alberto Conta, Head of Administration of illycaffè; Susanna Martucci, CEO of Alisea Società Benefit; and Serena Zacchigna, Professor of Molecular Biology at UniTS and ICGEB Cardiovascular Biology Group Leader. The speakers offered young entrepreneurs insights on how to turn failure into an opportunity for growth and success.

The event also featured students from the course who, at the end of a year of training and coaching, transformed business ideas into structured projects ready for the market. The finalists presented the projects they had developed in a wide range of fields using frontier technologies in strategic sectors or with fast-growing markets: from artificial intelligence to renewable energies, from sustainable home heating to the enhancement of Made in Italy, to the development of platforms for customising fantasy games.

The winners of this edition were Leonardo Zamparini, a Physics student, and Valentina Coggiola, a Marketing & Management student, with the BrusaDoor project, and three Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics students - Ivan Buttignon, Tommaso Moro and Enrico Savorgnan – with the LiteAI project.

BrusaDoor proposes the development of an infrared radiant door for home heating, with an innovative design and intelligent management that optimises space and ensures thermal comfort, effectively integrating heating and interior design.

LiteAI, on the other hand, aims to provide tools that can improve children’s educational experience, offering fully customised, inclusive learning paths focused on the development of soft skills through playful-pedagogical activities.

Finally, during the meeting, the new Innovator Community Lab 2025 call for proposals was presented, which will continue its objective of training young entrepreneurs and supporting the growth of innovation. The University of Trieste thus confirms its role as promoter of young entrepreneurship, enhancing the talent and creativity of its students.

‘Congratulations to the winners and to all the participants in the training course,’ concluded Rodolfo Taccani, Deputy Rector for Technology Transfer. ‘All the students involved have demonstrated creativity, determination and a high level of entrepreneurial spirit. We are proud as a university to contribute to the training of a generation of innovators that our entrepreneurial system sorely needs.’

A dynamic sector, ready to face the challenges of innovation and diversification. This is the conclusion of the report of the FVG Metalworking Observatory, in which the DEAMS Department of UniTS has participated, providing cases and evidence of this phenomenon.

Area Science Park, the University of Udine and Intesa Sanpaolo were also scientific partners in the project.

These are the three main themes that emerged from the report:

International Vocation

The engineering sector represents 46% of the regional manufacturing industry, with an electromechanical specialisation (94% of the engineering sector). In the November 2024 snapshot, the sector ‘held up’ better than predicted in the June flash report, with 5,114 companies (-0.3% compared to November 2023, instead of -0.7%), while the rest of manufacturing performed in line with forecasts. The province of Udine, which accounts for 45% of the regional companies, is the area that has recorded the largest decline since 2021 (-2.3%). The province of Pordenone remained stable with 32% of the companies. The tendency towards internationalisation remains strong (41% of companies); exports are more widespread among medium and large companies, which are often innovative and certified.

Diversification and Economic Performance

Intesa Sanpaolo's internal survey of its commercial network shows that FVG companies are increasing the geographical diversification of their sales and supply markets, above the Italian average. In 2023, turnover growth at current prices was 22.5%, with an improvement in margins (+2 points compared to 2019), driven by foreign operations (growth of 25.9%) and participation in the construction supply chain.

Business Diversification Strategies

In a rapidly changing market, FVG companies are exploring new strategies: some are focusing on geographical or sectoral diversification to grow or to avoid crises, while others are strengthening their presence in existing markets. However, diversification requires transversal skills and the ability to adapt to the rules of new markets not possessed by all companies.

Once again this year UniTS has taken ‘a hop, skip and a jump for research’!

A blue wave of 300 runners took part in the Telethon 24x1 Hour Relay Race, now tradition, with representatives from the entire academic community. The race was held in Udine over the weekend of 30th November and 1st December.

The runners, grouped in teams, each ran a one-hour stretch on the route established by organisers in the historic centre of Udine.

From Piazzale Europa to Piazza I Maggio in Udine, the UniTS running team mobilised all members of the University of Trieste to participate in the initiative dedicated to charitable causes and raising awareness of the importance of research of rare genetic diseases.

Vice-Rector Valter Sergo ran part of the race and took the lead at the opening of the event, along with Director General Luciana Rozzini and four heads of department (Massimo Degrassi - DiSU, Ivan Donati - DSV, Stefano Parolai - MIGe and Donata Vianelli - DEAMS) and a large number of professors, technical and administrative staff and students, some even braving the cold night-time temperatures.

By taking part in this initiative, the University community reaffirmed its commitment to research and its support for public initiatives which have a profound impact on society.

Once again in this edition of the Telethon, the UniTS community were the most numerous, colourful and festive representation of Trieste.

Five UniTS PhD graduates were awarded € 3,000 each in the inaugural edition of the PHD Innovation Award, the prize designed to celebrate the merit, innovation and creativity of young scientists in the year of the University of Trieste’s 100th Anniversary.

The winners are:

Francesco Armillotta, PhD Course in Physics, with a thesis entitled ‘Mono and Bi-metallic Tetra Pyridyl Porphyrin Monolayers from Uhv to Near - Ambient Conditions’, supervisor Erik Vesselli;

Beatrice Bartolomei, PhD Course in Nanotechnology, with a thesis on ‘Carbon Nanodots: from Purification Strategies to Multifunctional Materials’, supervisor Maurizio Prato and coordinator Alberto Morgante;

Luca Grisetti, PhD Course in Molecular Biomedicine, with a thesis entitled ‘The role of Aurora Kinase A in the Development of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and in the Regulation of Programmed Death - Ligand 1’, supervisors Claudio Tiribelli and Devis Pascut, coordinator Germana Meroni;

Silvia Mauri, PhD Course in Nanontechnology, with a thesis on ‘Operando Soft X - Ray Absorption Spectroscopy Applications for the Investigation of Surface Reactivity of Heterogeneous Catalysts for Methanol Valorization’, supervisor Piero Torelli, coordinator Alberto Mogante;

and

Paola Tesolin, PhD Course in Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, with a thesis on ‘Phenotypic High Throughput Screening Highlights Promising Molecules for the Treatment of SLC7A8 Dependent Age - Related Hearing LO’, speakers Paolo Gasparini and Giorgia Girotto, coordinator Paolo Gasparini.

The response from the call for applications for the first PHD Innovation Award was exceptional. Out of 220 eligible applicants, as many as 95 students applied (56% women), demonstrating their self-belief in the excellence of their work. 

The awards ceremony was opened with greetings from the Rector Roberto Di Lenarda, the Director of the UniTS Doctoral School Alessandro Baraldi, and speeches from the three external judges of the award: Maurizio Manzin, Professor at the University of Trento, with a speech on ‘Innovation and technoscience in the post-thinking era’, Silvia Gross, Professor at the University of Padova, with ‘Chemistry between past, present and future: a versatile tool for the green transition' and Anna Cereseto, Professor at the University of Trento, on ‘The genome editing revolution in the life sciences: from advanced therapies to the new agrifood’.

‘In recent years, UniTS has shown a firm commitment to strengthening higher education. Since 2019/2020, we have significantly increased the number of scholarships funded directly by the University, reaching almost 200 places in the latest call for applications for the 13 PhD courses,’ emphasised Prof. Baraldi. ’Not only have we increased the number of places available, but we have also seen an increase in course popularity. This year, for the 40th round of PhD grants, applications exceeded 1,000, marking an increase of 21% over the previous year and 53% over two years ago.’

In the photo: Prof. Alessandro Baraldi with the three winners present at the award ceremony

Over 4,000 Italian teams responded to the invitation made by Red Bull Basement, the international event that brings together a new generation of innovators ready to conceive, develop and launch their ideas with the acceleration of AI.

Innovators and emerging entrepreneurs from all over Italy presented new-generation ideas and solutions and, after examining all the entries, the national jury selected the winning idea: it is ‘BatterIT’ presented by Andrea Berti, a PhD student in Nanotechnology at UniTS, and Andrea Miotto, currently employed at Ferrari in the Marketing and Finance sector.

They will therefore represent Italy at the Red Bull Basement World Final in Tokyo from 2nd to 5th December 2024.

Despite the high quality of the finalist entries, which made the choice truly challenging, the jury was unanimous in awarding victory to BatterIT, an innovative hybrid motor that combines a sodium battery and a combustion engine.

Unlike lithium batteries, sodium batteries are made from abundant and low-cost materials such as salt and are fully recyclable, non-flammable and non-toxic to humans while maintaining their efficiency over a longer lifetime. Based on these advantages, BatterIT paves the way for greener, safer and more durable solutions in the electrified transport sector.

‘Our idea is unique because it focuses on an under-explored area that nevertheless presents great opportunities: the application of sodium batteries in the transport sector,’ the winners explain. ’Although this technology is rooted in decades of development and has significant potential, research in the automotive sector is still limited and few companies are actively working on its real possibilities.

‘BatterIT has the potential to transform the world of transport by directly addressing one of the most pressing needs in the automotive market: the demand for safer and more sustainable hybrid solutions. Sodium batteries, with their reliability, affordability, environmental safety and recyclability, offer an attractive alternative to traditional lithium technologies. By reducing dependence on scarce, expensive and polluting materials, they not only

make green energy more accessible but also achieve a significant reduction in CO₂ emissions during the production and extraction processes.

This makes our solution a game-changer in the world of sustainable mobility, able to accelerate the transition to cleaner and more inclusive energy systems,' they conclude.

The University of Trieste, with Prof. Claudia Cherubini, is the only Italian university invited to take part in the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) ‘Governance Day - Inclusive, equitable, and responsible land governance for awareness raising, legal and policy frameworks, partnership building and resource mobilisation.’ of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from 2nd to 13th December 2024 on the theme ‘Our Earth. Our Future'.

The UN Convention to Combat Desertification is the global reference for soil protection and one of the three major UN conventions together with those on climate and biodiversity. In this context, the COP is the annual summit of countries that have ratified the Convention, as well as the main decision-making body of the UNCCD.

Specifically, the UNCCD COP16 will be an important opportunity to strengthen global commitment and accelerate action to make land and communities more resilient to drought. Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the UNCCD, COP16 will also be the largest UN conference ever held and the first UNCCD COP to take place in the Middle East and North Africa region, which is intimately familiar with the impacts of desertification, land degradation and drought.

Claudia Cherubini is Associate Professor at the University of Trieste, Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Queensland (Australia) and Adjunct Professor at the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS). With a degree and PhD in Civil Hydraulic Engineering and a fluent knowledge of four foreign languages, she has collaborated on research projects at the Geowissenschaftliches Zentrum der Universität Göttingen, the US Geological Survey and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. She has held tenured positions at several universities in France, the UK and Australia. During her career, she has received numerous awards, including the Division Outstanding Young Scientists Award at the European Geosciences Union (EGU) and the XXIII edition of the Marisa Bellisario Prize in the category ‘Young Researchers and Innovation Talents.’ She has served as referee of the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) (France) and has been referee of the US Department of Defense for several years.

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which falls on 25th November, the Equal Opportunities Committee (CUG) of the University of Trieste is promoting a Focus Week to involve the university community and citizenship, with the aim of investigating the phenomenon from different perspectives and offering tools to know, train and inform.

According to the data of the Department of Public Security of the Ministry of the Interior in the first half of 2024, out of the total number of murders, 65% of the victims are men, but focusing the analysis on murders occurring in the family/relational sphere, the figure is reversed, since 65% of the victims are women; of these, 85% are at the hands of their partner or ex-partner.

The invitation to all women is not to underestimate any sign of psychological, economic or physical violence of which they are victims and to ask for help to get out of the condition of isolation and subjection in which they find themselves.

The young and very young are unfortunately involved in this phenomenon: the age of those who commit violence is low and a dramatic example of this is the case of group sexual violence, in which, in 2023, 65% of the alleged perpetrators were under 35 years of age: of these, about 25% were minors (14-17 years old), while a further 50% were in the still young 18-24 age bracket.

The Know, Train and Inform to Eliminate Violence Against Women Focus Week therefore intends to address young people such as university students at an early stage. Professors and lecturers from the University of Trieste's departments will explore themes such as violence against women, stereotypes, and inequalities during seminars. Once again this year, they will host the Seat Taken (Posto Occupato) initiative in UniTS classrooms, reaffirming the University's commitment to this cause.

‘Seat Taken’ symbolizes the remembrance of women who were victims of violence. Through the symbolic occupation of seats in lecture halls, it honours the memory of women who, before being killed by a husband, ex-partner, or lover, once occupied a seat in theatres, on trams, in schools, universities, and throughout society.

The Equal Opportunities Committee of the University of Trieste also promotes, in cooperation with other bodies and institutions in the area, a calendar of awareness-raising initiatives aimed at citizens, including

Stopping violence against women. Slovenia and Italy: comparing experiences

25th November 2024 at 11:00, Androna Baciocchi, Room B.

Speakers: 

Anna Campanile, VoceDonna Anti-Violence Centre, Pordenone, 

Delfina Di Stefano, Trieste Police Headquarters, 

Natalina Folla, University of Trieste, 

Jasna Podreka, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Patrizia Romito, University of Trieste

What ‘genre’ of violence?

27th November 2024 at 10:00, Bachelet Room, Building A, Piazzale Europa Campus.

Informative meeting for the student body organised in collaboration with the Student Council of the University of Trieste. 

Speakers:

Imma Tromba, President of the GOAP Anti-Violence Centre of Trieste

Francesca Pidone, counsellor at the University of Trieste. 

Introduced and coordinated by Maria Dolores Ferrara, President of the Equal Opportunities Committee of the University of Trieste

For information on how to participate in the scheduled activities, please write to presidenza.comitato.garanzia@units.it 

The University of Trieste, in order to express its solidarity with women victims of violence and to testify its commitment to raising awareness among young people and citizens on these issues, will illuminate the façade of Building A in red on Monday 25th November.

FULL PROGRAMME OF INITIATIVES

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.