The Installation ‘In the Garden of the (in)visible’ (curated by Roberta Altin and Giuseppe Grimaldi) collects everyday objects left by migrants at the borders during the journey of the ‘Balkan route’ and will be visible from 27 May to 7 June on the Ground Floor of the Central Building in Piazzale Europa, Right Wing. The exhibited materials were collected by the students of the DISU Department and the University of Primorska, Koper.

The students walked the borders between Croatia, Slovenia and Italy where they found and collected abandoned objects in the woods or on the edge of towns. These objects are left in border areas after a long and difficult journey on foot by people from various places in Asia and Africa. There are everyday objects for eating, sleeping, wrapping up warm and personal care, but also objects that portray the intimate and spiritual realm. 

These objects, which we ignore or treat as rubbish, project us into a fundamental political and moral issue of our times. 

The students have selected a small part of them to set up the exhibition, which aims to stimulate an encounter between those who cross borders and those who live there. And which poses a fundamental question: what (don't) we want to see?

The exhibition is supplemented by two events which provide more insight:

27/05/2024

Opening of ‘the Garden of the (In)visible’

Piazzale Europa 1.  - GROUND FLOOR of BUILDING. A - RIGHT WING external colonnade

(in case of bad weather Room ‘0’ Ambrosino, ground floor Right wing)

Followed by the seminar: Frontiers of Research and Research at the Frontier

17:00 – 18:30

The opening of the installation becomes an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of borders and their multiple configurations. In a cross-border collaboration with the University of Ljubljana, we will dialogue with a group of anthropology students and professors from various contexts of the African and South American continents to reason about the impact of contemporary borders in the possibility of doing research.

Programme

• 17:00 Institutional greetings:

prof. Ilaria Micheli, UniTS deputy Rector for international cooperation

prof. Roberta Altin, anthropologist, University of Trieste

• 17:15 Presentation of the installation ‘The Garden of the (In)visible’ by the students of the Archive of the Borderland
• 17:30 Seminar ‘Frontiers of Research and Research at the Frontier. Between Europe and Africa’

Prof. Uršula Lipovec Čebron, anthropologist, University of Ljubljana with visiting foreign delegation

06/06/2024

Trieste, a Border City?

Perspectives on reception from the screening of the mini documentary ‘Umar’ by Francesco Cibati

 17:00 – 18:30 Building A, Room “M”, ground floor, right wing (screening)

Followed by a discussion at the external colonnade of Piazzale Europa 1 - GROUND FLOOR Building. A - Left wing under the external colonnade.

The narrative about Trieste as a border city has spanned the centuries. Today the city finds itself implicated in a broader migratory process - forced migration from the global South - as a crossroads. What response is it giving to the people arriving? How is the city's population reacting?

17:00 presentation meeting with Student Council representatives, Prof. Roberta Altin and Giuseppe Grimaldi, organising committee

17:15 Umar screening with Francesco Cibati, director and volunteer of the Linea d'Ombra association.

17:30 “Trieste, a Border City? Perspectives on immigration”

with Lucio Prodam, Honorary Judge of the Juvenile Court of Trieste, Valentina Masotto, UNICEF and Tiziana Bongiorno, Vice President of the FVG Voluntary Guardianship Association

 The exhibition-installation is part of the cultural events of the T4EU (Transform for Europe) alliance for UniTS, funded by DiSU (Department of Humanities), in cooperation with University of Primorska, Koper and the Graduate institute for International and Development Studies.

The free guided tours of the Rectorate Art Gallery organised by FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano – the Italian Heritage Trust) are back.

The event is on Saturday 25th May with a choice of three morning time slots: 10:00 (https://bit.ly/FAIUnits_10_11), 11:00 (https://bit.ly/FAIUnits_11_12) and 12:00 (https://bit.ly/FAIUnits_12_13).

The tours will last approximately one hour.

Visitors will have the opportunity to admire contemporary works of art from the National Exhibition of Italian Painting, which was hosted by the university in 1953. They will also be able to admire the two foyers of the University and the ‘Cammarata’ Hall which houses the Academic Senate.

Sabrina Pricl, professor of Chemical Engineering and scientific director of the Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Nanotechnology at the University of Trieste, is the new Friuli Venezia Giulia delegate of WWF Italy. Professor Pricl will continue the work and dedication of the previous delegate, Maurizio Fermeglia, professor in Principles of Chemical Engineering at UniTS, who recently passed away.

In her new role, Prof. Pricl presents herself as a chemist with extensive experience in nanomedicine and nanotechnology: her work focuses on how nanoscale technologies can also be exploited to minimise the environmental impact of new materials as well as in the protection and restoration of natural ecosystems. 

“In WWF, I see a tremendous opportunity to use my expertise to introduce technological innovations to monitor and conserve biodiversity more effectively. 

Among the topics that are closest to my heart are climate resilience and the use of green technologies to mitigate the effects of climate change. I find it crucial to provide young people with environmental education on the importance of biodiversity and sustainable practices.”

This is the appeal that Sabrina Pricl wants to share with UniTS students:

‘Our university is a place of excellence and innovation, and I am convinced that you are a vital force for change. Your enthusiasm, creativity and commitment are essential to address the environmental challenges our planet is facing. As a WWF regional delegate, my goal is to promote environmental awareness and sustainability. I want to encourage you to be active players in protecting the environment. Change starts with each of us, and you have the power to make a difference. 

There are many ways in which you can contribute:

1. Participate in projects and initiatives: WWF organises numerous projects and awareness-raising campaigns. Participate and put your skills at the service of the environment. 

2. Educate and Raise Awareness: Share your knowledge with friends, relatives and colleagues. Raising awareness is a key step in creating lasting change. 

3. Adopt a Sustainable Lifestyle: Reduce the use of plastic, recycle, use environmentally friendly means of transport and try to reduce your environmental impact. 

4. Collaborate with Us: We are always looking for volunteers and collaborators. Your energy and commitment can have a significant impact.

Environmental protection is not only a responsibility, but also an opportunity. It is a chance to innovate, to find creative solutions to problems and to build a sustainable future. Your education and university background give you the tools to become a leader in this change. I invite you to contact me to find out how you can get involved in our initiatives and to share your ideas and proposals. Together, we can build a better, greener world.

Thank you for your attention and your continued efforts. I am confident that, with your help, we can do great things.’

delegatofriuliveneziagiulia@wwf.it 

21st May is World Day of Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, and never before have we been so aware that we inhabit the same planet, which is fragile and threatened by ecological, economic and political crises, wars and conflicts that force more and more people to move across borders and barriers in search of a sustainable life. 

The exhibition-installation The Garden of the (In)visible, which will be inaugurated in the Right Wing of the ground floor of UniTS Building A on Monday 27th May, aims to stimulate a reflection on borders and migrants starting from the objects abandoned at the border. 

The exhibition brings together everyday objects and clothes left behind at the borders between Croatia, Slovenia and Italy during the ‘Balkan route’. These objects, collected with students from UniTS Department of Humanities (DISU) and the University of Primorska, have been organised into a travelling anthropological installation. 

These objects, which we ignore or treat as rubbish, project us into a fundamental political and moral issue of our times.

This is the thought of anthropologist Marc Augè: ‘Our ideal should not be that of a world without borders, but of a world in which borders are recognised, respected and crossed, that is, a world in which respect for differences begins with respect for individuals, regardless of their origin. A border is not a wall that prohibits passage, but a threshold that invites passage’.

The exhibition-installation is part of the cultural events of the T4EU (Transform for Europe) alliance for UNITS, funded by DISU (Department of Humanities) in cooperation with University of Primorska in Koper and the Graduate institute for International and Development Studies.

Federico Rosei, full professor of Industrial Chemistry at the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Trieste, has received two important international awards.

Rosei has been appointed Materials Research Society (MRS) Fellow 2024 for ‘his leadership in the nanomaterials synthesis and characterization, in particular multifunctional materials and their integration in optoelectronic devices, and for his sustained international efforts in service, mentoring and outreach in the field.’

The UniTS lecturer was also presented with the 2024 Fellowship Awards by the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) ‘in recognition of his remarkable achievements in materials physics, particularly multiferroic materials and quantum dots, coupled with outstanding mentorship of trainees, and for international leadership which promotes the excellence of Canadian physics on a global scale’.

The thirteenth edition of Trieste Next, the Festival of Scientific Research, will take place from 27th to 29th September 2024 with a focus on ‘The Horizons of Intelligence. Knowledge between human beings and technologies.’ is once again counting on the ‘Volunteer Project’ to allow all UniTS students to  take part in the event as active participants. 

The experience of being a volunteer at Trieste Next is extremely engaging, allowing you to immerse yourself the event directly, to discover the stimulating system of scientific research in our area and to be inspired by working in contact with scientists and disseminating their projects, involving children and adults. 

Volunteers will support the activities of the exhibitors and the workshops planned in Piazza Unità d'Italia, collaborate in welcoming visitors and managing the rooms where the conferences and events are held, and act as social ambassadors to help tell the story of the event on digital communication channels.   

This role requires passion, communication and interpersonal skills, empathy, and a desire to have fun and learn!   

At the end of the experience, not only will each volunteer be issued with a certificate of participation, but UniTS will also award 1 ECTS/CFU to students for 25 hours of volunteering. To obtain the recognition of the credits you will have to present the certificate of participation, which will be issued at the end of the event, to the Didactic Secretariat of your Department. 

To apply, fill in the FORM by 8 p.m. on 30th June 2024. 

For students interested in working in a specific research group, we remind you that there is a specific field in the application form where you can indicate the name of your reference lecturer.

Come and be part of our team, we are waiting for you!

All info 

Knowledge Dissemination Office, University of Trieste: volontari@units.it; tel. 040558 6124 or 6143

Fetenech Meskele Ganebo, Dean of the School of Computer Science at Wolaita Sodo University - Ethiopia was a guest of UniTS for three months as part of a TWAS-SISSA-Lincei Research Cooperation Visits Programme grant. At UniTS, Ganebo worked with Sylvio Barbon Junior, a professor at the Department of Engineering and Architecture (DIA), harnessing the power of machine learning approaches to develop algorithms capable of predicting the spread of malaria.

According to the WHO World Malaria Report 2023, there are an estimated 249 million cases in 85 endemic countries in 2022, with 608,000 deaths. And Ethiopia, as WHO reports, is one of the three African countries that have suffered the most, along with Nigeria and Uganda.

In the high malaria transmission region of Wolaita, a densely populated rural area in southern Ethiopia, data on the spread of the disease is still collected manually. The first task for Ganebo and the Trieste team was therefore to digitise the available data.

‘The three months at UniTS were enough to achieve good results,’ said Ganebo, ‘The collaboration with Prof. Barbon Junior is promising. We have an ambitious plan to automate the collection of health data in the town of Wolaita Sodo and, at a later stage, throughout Ethiopia’. Automation would increase efficiency, accuracy and breadth of useful data, ensuring better patient care.

Once perfected, the algorithms will be used to study the combined effect of risk factors such as temperature, altitude, malaria vectors and population health status to provide health workers and policy makers with more effective predictive tools.

The technique will be used to create a regional surveillance protocol in Ethiopia to support health systems in managing mosquito control and resource allocation.

Ganebo is also the winner of the Spiga di Grano prize, awarded by the Cinzia Vitale non-profit association.

The TWAS-SISSA-Lincei research cooperation visit programme supports early-career researchers in UN-identified least developed countries on projects that contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

It offers training and collaboration opportunities at the scientific institutions of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia System of Scientific Innovation (Sis FVG) in Italy. It is supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAECI) and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).

Photo: Prof. Eric Medvet, Prof.ssa Fetenech Meskele Ganebo e Prof. Sylvio Barbon Junior 

The University of Trieste, with the collaboration of the Upper Adriatic Technological Research Hub, has presented the House of Clusters: an initiative that aims to create a place for business clusters to meet, promoting and facilitating collaboration between the public and private sectors.

It involves regional officials, cluster managers and representatives of university departments with the aim of developing synergies between research and enterprise.

Pierluigi Barbieri, Spoke 8 representative of the PNRR (Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan) iNEST project, framed the 'House of Clusters' in the context of the iNEST Lab Village project for the development of an Innovation Melting Pot in the spaces of Trieste's Urban Center.

UniTS's commitment takes concrete form with the launch of a call for ideas, announced by C-Lab head Salvatore Dore, which aims to select and fund innovative research projects by accompanying them in the delicate transition from the academic world to the business world.

The presentation was opened by Franco Scolari, director of the Upper Adriatic Technological Research Hub, who emphasised the need for an increasingly solid interconnection between research and business, hypothesising the transfer of part of the PNRR researchers to companies, a proposal that could find concrete expression in iNEST 2.

Ketty Segatti, Central Director for special functions at the Central Directorate for Work, Training, Education and Family of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, introduced the speeches of the representatives of the business clusters, who expressed the will and the need for a common reference point: the Life Sciences cluster manager Stefano De Monte, Michela Pivetta for the Metalmechanics Cluster, the CEO Francesco Contin of ICT Digitale DITEDI and the director of the Agrifood & Bioeconomy Foundation PierpaoloRovere, the director of the Furniture and Home Systems Cluster Carlo Piemonte. Closing the proceedings was Giorgio Adami, director of the Local Economic Development Service.

"Who are you calling a jackal?", this is the title of the first episode of the new podcast "gECO", the initiative developed within the Master's degree course in Ecology and Sustainability of Global Changes at the University of Trieste and produced entirely by the students, with the scientific supervision of the lecturers of the Department of Life Sciences and the course. A podcast created by young ecologists and designed to bring young people and adults closer to nature and discovering the environment that surrounds us. With guest Alessio Mortelliti, associate professor of Animal Ecology, the first episode is available free of charge on the Spotify online streaming platform and deals with the theme of the return of large carnivores to Italy and the often conflictual relationship between them and man.

gECO was born out of a desire, felt first and foremost by the students, to explore the themes of environmental, social and economic sustainability, while at the same time seeking to disseminate correct information to support actions that, starting with the individual, can be transformed into virtuous examples for society in general. This is why throughout the various episodes, gECO will also host thematic columns and present simple sustainability tips, offering listeners useful suggestions for reducing their own impact on the environment and acting consciously to guarantee a more sustainable future for new generations.

This initiative represents one of the integrative training activities that the Master's degree course in Ecology and Sustainability of Global Change offers its students, and is intended to promote the acquisition of soft skills and useful communicative abilities to further facilitate their entrance into the world of work.

gECO Podcast will be on a fortnightly basis and each episode will last approximately 30 minutes. All episodes will be available on SPOTIFY

INSTAGRAM

INFO REQUESTS

gECO: podcast written and produced by the students of Ecology and Sustainability of Global Change at the University of Trieste. Podcast speakers: Gaia Butini and Lorenzo Ferdinando Campaner. Editors: Federica Montenero, Giulia Cecco, Gaia Foltran, Davide Stocco, Irene Cecchia, Matilde Capitani, Guido Romagnoli, Maddalena D'Antiga, Allegra Polato, Martina Gasparut, Natalie Vargiu, Anna Vincenti, Gaia Butini, Paolo Meroi and Lorenzo Ferdinando Campaner. Sound supervision and post-production: Paolo Meroi.Theme song by Maddalena D'Antiga. Graphics and cover by Martina Gasparut. Lecturers on the scientific committee for content verification and support: Alessio Mortelliti, Chiara Manfrin, Giovanni Carrosio, Matteo Carzedda, Fabio Del Missier, Fabio Candotto Carniel and Francesco Petruzzellis.Academic project manager Giovanni Bacaro