From the Roman ports of Aquileia and Tergeste to shipbuilding in Monfalcone, from ‘multicultural’ Trieste to the memories of the two World Wars in Gorizia, up to the history of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region: seven talks to span two millennia of transformations, frontiers and coexistence in the Venezia Giulia area.

These and related themes are at the centre of ‘Ports, Peoples and Societies in a Borderland’, a public seminar series promoted by the Department of Humanities (DiSU) at the University of Trieste and supported by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region. Opening on Wednesday 21st January, the series explores the history of Venezia Giulia through migrations, identities and memories.

The initiative is itinerant and will consist of six public talks, covering four cities in Friuli Venezia Giulia - Trieste, Gorizia, Grado and Ronchi dei Legionari – with the aim of engaging a broad audience in some key aspects of the long-term history of Venezia Giulia in our region. 

‘The six talks,’ explains Tullia Catalan, Professor of Contemporary History at the University of Trieste and project lead, ‘will bring together historians and specialists from different disciplines to discuss themes such as the port systems of the area from Roman origins to the present, the social, national and linguistic borders typical of a borderland, the memories of the two World Wars, and the economic transformations and migratory flows past and present.’

These are themes in which the University of Trieste is also engaged internationally through Transform4Europe, the European alliance of universities that UniTS helped found and which highlights the role of universities in borderlands.

Institutions in the region have actively contributed to the organisation of the talks. ‘Trieste, Grado, Ronchi and Gorizia offered to host and promote the events,’ notes Catalan, ‘a sign of the strong relationships that the University of Trieste has built over the years with the cultural institutions of the Venezia Giulia area.’

The concluding talk, dedicated to the creation and development of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, will take place in Trieste on 17th April 2026 and will be organised in collaboration with the Department of Humanities and Cultural Heritage at the University of Udine.

Programme

21st January at 16:30, Civico Museo Sartorio, Sala Costantinides (Largo Papa Giovanni XXIII, 1), Trieste
Discovering the ancient world: the Roman ports and peoples of Aquileia and Tergeste
with Fulvia Mainardis (UniTS), Emanuela Murgia (UniTS), Monica Chiabà (UniTS) and Tullia Catalan (UniTS)

The speakers will retrace the Roman origins of the two ports and their commercial role through the archaeological evidence of Trieste and Aquileia. They will discuss life in the two ports, maritime trade and the various peoples who passed through the region, bringing new languages, cultures and knowledge.

25th February at 16:30, Civico Museo Sartorio, Sala Costantinides (Largo Papa Giovanni XXIII, 1), Trieste
The rich and the poor in Trieste from the Middle Ages to the contemporary era
with Miriam Davide (UniTS), Andrea Scartabellati (independent researcher), Antonio Trampus (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice) and Tullia Catalan (UniTS)

Local society and its population will be examined across different periods through the lenses of social justice, philanthropy and charity, with attention to everyday life and the needs of a multi-ethnic and multi-religious population. The focus will also include key institutions such as the Istituto Generale dei Poveri, tracing its transformations from the Habsburg to the Fascist period and its current role within contemporary welfare.

4th March at 16:30, Consorzio Culturale del Monfalconese, Conference Room (Piazza Unità d’Italia, 24), Ronchi dei Legionari
Shipbuilding and the city: the Monfalcone shipyard from the nineteenth century to today
with Massimo Degrassi (UniTS), Giuseppe Grimaldi (UniTS), Giulio Mellinato (University of Milano-Bicocca) and Tullia Catalan (UniTS)

This talk retraces the relationship between the shipyard and the city from the Habsburg period to the present. Through labour history, the evolution of urban space linked to the shipyard and the history of migration, the speakers will trace the transformation of Monfalcone into a key contemporary site of global labour dynamics.

5th March at 16:30, Sala del Consiglio Comunale di Grado (Municipio, Piazza Biagio Marin, 4), Grado
Grado between Austria and Italy: the making of a seaside tourist resort
with Massimo Degrassi (UniTS), Luciano Cicogna (Municipality of Grado), Paride Camuffo (independent researcher) and Tullia Catalan (UniTS)

Grado’s attraction as a tourist destination dates back to the nineteenth century, when it became a seaside health resort and summer retreat for the Austrian bourgeoisie. This led to the architectural transformation of its urban spaces, the organisation of summer social life and, over time, to its development as a seaside destination to the present day. Grado therefore offers a contemporary example of sustainable tourism, grounded in its long-standing history as a holiday resort.

30th March at 16:30, Musei provinciali di Gorizia, Conference Room (Borgo Castello, 13), Gorizia
Monuments, museums and the memory of the two World Wars in Gorizia
with Massimo Baioni (University of Milan), Massimo Degrassi (UniTS), Alessandro Cattunar (Associazione Quarantasettezeroquattro) and Tullia Catalan (UniTS)

Gorizia was deeply scarred by the violence of the two World Wars, which left material and intangible traces of its past. Today the city is a symbol of the fruitful and peaceful relations between Italy and Slovenia, and the border has become a space of cultural crossings, also through the various museum exhibitions on both sides of the border. The talk will explore these themes through a range of perspectives.

1st April at 16:30, Civico Museo Sartorio, Sala Costantinides (Largo Papa Giovanni XXIII, 1), Trieste
Multicultural city, ‘quintessentially Italian’ city, city of science: Trieste between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
with Luca Giuseppe Manenti (Manlio Cecovini International Disclosure Society for Historical, Social and Ethical Studies), Tullia Catalan (UniTS), Elisabetta Vezzosi (UniTS) and Alessandro Carrieri (UniTS)

The great Habsburg port, crossroads of cultures and religions, underwent profound change after the World War I, with major population shifts driven by migration flows and a policy of mass nationalisation promoted by the Italian government of the time. For decades the border with eastern Europe became a wall, strongly opposing Slovenians and Italians. This tense climate persisted after the World War II and began to ease only in the 1960s and 1970s, thanks in part to the role of culture and science in the city, which acted as bridges to the East during the Cold War.

17th April at 16:30, FVG Region building, Tessitori multimedia room (Piazza Guglielmo Oberdan, 5), Trieste
Friuli Venezia Giulia 1963-2025: the creation and history of a special-statute region
with Raoul Pupo (UniTS), Igor Guardiancich (University of Padua), Patrick Karlsen (UniTS), Tullia Catalan (UniTS), Elena D’Orlando (University of Udine), Andrea Tilatti (University of Udine) and Andrea Zannini (University of Udine)

The concluding talk focuses on the creation and subsequent development of Friuli Venezia Giulia as a special-statute region, established by constitutional law on 31st January 1963. It will examine both the legal aspects of the region’s formation and the historical reasons underlying its establishment.

The Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Geosciences recently hosted the ‘Deep-sea Mineral Deposits: from Biogeochemistry to Geopolitics’ Winter School, held at San Giovanni Park, addressing topics at the intersection of science, the environment and highly topical global issues.

The initiative, sponsored by So.Ge.I. (Italian Geochemical Society), was organised as part of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the University of Trieste and the University of São Paulo (Brazil) and forms part of the activities of the Executive Protocol between the Institute of Oceanography (USP) and MIGe. 

The programme offered an overview of deep-sea mineral deposits (polymetallic nodules, cobalt-rich crusts, hydrothermal sulphides), associated microbial activity – drawing parallels with evidence of the earliest forms of life on Earth – and analytical investigation techniques, from Raman spectroscopy to synchrotron light-based methodologies. The programme also addressed the environmental, economic and geopolitical aspects of deep-sea mining, in a context marked by the growing demand for critical raw materials for the energy and digital transition.

Almost forty participants took part in the international training activity, including students, PhD students, laboratory technicians, researchers and lecturers, including participants from other Italian and foreign universities. The programme featured speakers from the Brazilian university: Prof. Christian Millo (Institute of Oceanography), marine geochemist, Prof. Douglas Galante (Institute of Geosciences), astrobiologist, Fernanda Jamel, PhD candidate in Microbiology, and laboratory technician Evandro Pereira da Silva.

The organisers are planning a Brazilian edition of the Winter School next July at the University of São Paulo, with lecturers from Trieste taking part as speakers. As part of the collaboration, USP and MIGe are also developing mobility initiatives for students and doctoral candidates, with internships at both universities: in March, a Brazilian student from São Paulo is expected to arrive and will be hosted by MIGe in the MercuRILab research group coordinated by Prof. Stefano Covelli, UniTS representative for the Memorandum of Understanding.

UniTS will take part in WIRED Digital Day in Monfalcone, an event dedicated to the cutting-edge of research, development and technological innovation.

The event is scheduled for Wednesday 4th February 2026 at Teatro Comunale ‘Marlena Bonezzi’ in Monfalcone, from 9:00 to 16:45, with free admission upon registration. Programme: Wired Digital Day.

Opening with remarks from UniTS Rector Donata Vianelli, the day features discussions between experts, international and national leaders and leading regional players, highlighting the strategic role of Friuli Venezia Giulia as an integrated innovation ecosystem, supported by three universities, more than 50 research centres and over 10,000 international researchers.

Topics will range from the energy transition to deep tech, from quantum computing to the life sciences, with a focus on the Porto Vivo project, set to transform part of Porto Vecchio (the Old Port of Trieste) into a hub for innovation and start-ups.

For UniTS, Angelo Bassi, Full Professor of Theoretical Physics, is giving a talk on ‘Quantum technologies in Italy: from research to industry’, while Anna Gregorio, Professor of Physics and Strategy Manager at space-tech spin-off PicoSaTs joins the section dedicated to success stories in Italian tech-transfer. 

Countering the motor and cognitive decline associated with ageing is one of the major healthcare challenges of the coming decades. A research project conducted by the University of Trieste shows how innovative rehabilitation protocols that integrate physical exercise, cognitive stimulation and virtual reality can produce significant benefits for active and independent ageing.

The study, developed in collaboration between the public social care provider ITIS and the UniTS Bachelor’s Degree in Physiotherapy, compared the effectiveness of two physiotherapy approaches in a cohort of older adults living in the care facility: a dual-task exercise protocol, combining motor activity with simultaneous cognitive tasks, and a treatment based on the use of virtual and augmented reality to perform targeted physical exercises.

A research project supported by local philanthropic foundations

The research was co-funded by the Morpurgo and Casali ETS Foundations via a one-year research grant awarded to physiotherapist Marta Ceschin, who conducted the study from February 2024 to February 2025. The project was supervised by Luigi Murena, Head of the Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, and by Manuela Deodato, head of clinical and professional training for the Bachelor’s Degree in Physiotherapy.

Methodology and tools

Approved by the University Ethics Committee, the study involved 45 participants aged over 65 and without medical conditions that could affect participation. They were randomly assigned to one of two dual-task treatment groups: one combined physical activity with cognitive tasks, the other paired physical exercise with virtual and augmented reality.

Both groups carried out 24 individual sessions of 60 minutes each, twice a week for 12 weeks, in the UniTS physiotherapy teaching gym, equipped with advanced virtual and augmented reality devices.

Treatment effectiveness was assessed through standardised cognitive tests (Trail Making Test, Frontal Assessment Battery), motor function (10-Metre Walk Test, Timed Up and Go, Chair Stand Test, handgrip strength) and dual motor-cognitive performance.

Results: dual-task training proves particularly effective

Results show that both approaches significantly improve motor function, particularly in walking and mobility tests. However, the dual-task protocol showed greater benefits when physical activity was paired with a cognitive task, in line with recent studies linking good physical performance with good cognitive performance.

Dual-task training thus emerges as a promising active ageing strategy, capable of acting simultaneously on body and mind and helping older adults remain independent in their everyday activities.

The project ‘Dutch as a key to collaboration between businesses and universities’, funded by the Dutch Language Union (Nederlandse Taalunie) and launched in 2024 within the Dutch section of SSLMIT (departmental division of Modern Languages for Interpreters and Translators) has come to an end.

The project was created with the aim of enhancing the strategic role of the Dutch language as a bridge between academic education and the world of work, strengthening dialogue between universities and the productive system from an international perspective.

In a European context characterised by growing economic, logistical and cultural interconnections, particularly with the Netherlands and Flanders, specialist language skills remain an important factor in employability and professional development.

The project culminated in January 2026 in an event that brought together representatives from the business world, institutions and students for a day of conferences, round tables and job fairs. The meeting provided a concrete space for dialogue between skills supply and deman, demonstrating how even a less widely spoken language can play a strategic role in building qualified career paths and promoting lasting collaborations between universities and businesses.

Representatives from the academic, institutional and business worlds were present, including Vice-Rector Mauro Tretiach, Vice-Rector for Industrial and Community Relations Guido Bortoluzzi, Taalunie, Flanders Investment and Trade, the Port Authority of Trieste, Alpe Adria S.p.A., together with companies from the region and abroad.

Also present were Cristina Sbaizero, CEO of the World Trade Centre Trieste, and Stefano Musilli, representing the Consulate of the Netherlands.

Finally, Caffè Eppinger hosted a job fair where Dutch language students met directly with companies interested in hiring people with this type of language skill, both for internships and future employment.

From regenerating the heart to designing more efficient solar cells: FIS (Fondo Italiano per la Scienza) has allocated a further €3 million to two cutting-edge research projects at the University of Trieste. Funding has been awarded to SOFTEN, focused on new approaches to reversing fibrosis and promoting cardiac tissue regeneration, and to A DIGITal twin for efficient solar CELLs, set to develop a ‘digital twin’ capable of simulating a solar cell in all its complexity and of accelerating, in a predictive way, the discovery of new photovoltaic materials.

FIS is an initiative of the Italian Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR) which supports excellent research modelled on the European ERC programmes, with competitive schemes designed to accompany researchers through different stages of their careers. The two grants obtained confirm UniTS’s ability to produce cutting-edge research while also acting as an attractive hub for projects that are highly competitive at the international level.

The project SOFTEN – Reversal of cardiac fibrosis and promotion of tissue regeneration through controlled SOFTENing of the extracellular matrix milieu, coordinated by Pasquale Sacco of the Department of Life Sciences, has been awarded around €1.65 million and addresses one of the most complex challenges in contemporary medicine: after an injury, the adult human heart is unable to regenerate effectively and tends to develop fibrosis, compromising its function.

The idea stems from observations in species such as the zebrafish, which can regenerate the heart thanks to a temporary ‘softening’ of the extracellular matrix. SOFTEN aims to reproduce and control this behaviour using specifically designed biomaterials, combining polymer chemistry, materials design and cellular and molecular biology methods to understand and steer the mechanisms of cardiac tissue repair.

The project A DIGITal twin for efficient solar CELLs, funded with around €1.33 million, is led by Virginia Carnevali, who will move from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) to the Department of Physics at the University of Trieste to carry out the study.

The research aims to develop a digital twin of a solar cell capable of simulating the device in its full physical and structural complexity and of providing predictive insight both into conversion efficiency and into the discovery of new photovoltaic materials. The approach combines quantum simulations, molecular dynamics, statistical methods and experimental data, with the goal of bringing fundamental research and device engineering closer together in a key field for renewable energy.

As the researcher explains, Trieste and the Department of Physics were chosen for their internationally recognised expertise in developing codes and simulation techniques to study the structural and electronic properties of materials. The city also offers outstanding experimental facilities and a consolidated network of scientific partnerships built up since her PhD, which she completed in Trieste.

The FIS grants awarded to the projects led by Sacco and Carnevali add to the three already announced on 1st December 2025, attributed to Paolo Fornasiero (€2.3 million) and Federico Rosei (€1.9 million) of the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and to Matteo Marinelli (€1.1 million) of the Department of Physics. Five UniTS projects have been awarded funding by FIS in this round, amounting to €8.2 million overall.

‘We are very satisfied with these results,’ commented Rector Donata Vianelli. ‘FIS applies particularly rigorous criteria in evaluating projects, and the outcome confirms the University of Trieste’s ability to develop research that attracts funding and, in this case, human capital as well. The selected programmes reflect our commitment to key research areas: from biomedical research and biomaterials to tackle major health challenges, to advanced modelling of materials and devices for renewable energy.’

On 26th January 2026, Paolo Cendon, former full professor of Foundations of Private Law and long-time Head of the Institute of Law of the Faculty of Economics, passed away.

The ‘Bruno de Finetti’ Department of Economics, Business, Mathematics and Statistics (DEAMS) and the Department of Legal, Language, Interpreting and Translation Studies (IUSLIT) remember his academic work, carried out with great passion and dedication.

He joined the University of Trieste in 1971, after graduating in Law at the University of Pavia with a thesis supervised by Rodolfo Sacco. His research results – consisting of monographs, essays, commentaries, editorial series and online journals, including Persona & Danno – enjoyed wide international renown. He had a profound and lasting impact on fundamental aspects of civil law, opening up new and highly significant interpretative perspectives, not only for the Italian legal system. His reflections spanned various crucial areas: from civil liability to the protection of mental illness, from the elaboration of existential damage to the search for less authoritarian and more respectful forms of protection of vulnerable people. A prime example of this is the creation of the measure of supportive administration, whose legislative framework owes much to his thinking and his scientific and cultural commitment.

His lectures and lessons remain unforgettable for their intensity, clarity and originality: the rigour of law was accompanied by examples taken from everyday life, made particularly effective by his sparkling narrative skills, which he also expressed in highly acclaimed works of fiction.

Dialogue, listening and intellectual curiosity characterised his method of teaching and scientific debate, making him an essential point of reference for colleagues and students.

Finally, we cannot forget the happy intuition that, in the 1980s, led him to involve friends and like-minded scholars in the meetings of the Circolo di Venezia (Venice circle), thus planting the seed from which numerous projects and initiatives have sprouted.

Paolo Cendon leaves a legacy that goes beyond books and articles: a way of understanding law as a space for attention to others and as an ethical practice, even before a technical one. His lesson will continue to guide the work of those who believe in a deeply human way of studying law.

In occasione del Giorno della Memoria, l’Università di Trieste promuove, in collaborazione con Stazione Rogers, il 12° Convegno multidisciplinare “Convivere con Auschwitz”, in programma oggi alle 17 al Teatro Miela, .

Nato per mettere in dialogo saperi diversi e tenere viva una riflessione scientifica e civile sulle memorie della Shoah e della deportazione, il convegno propone, nella giornata che celebra le vittime dell’Olocausto, un percorso di approfondimento che unisce ricerca, testimonianze e linguaggi culturali.

L’edizione 2026 di Convivere con Auschwitz, caratterizzata dal sottotitolo “e l’umana barbarie”, delinea una lettura tra memoria storica e attualità: l’esperienza di Auschwitz non è solo un capitolo del passato, ma un criterio per riconoscere i segnali della disumanizzazione quando riemergono linguaggi d’odio, pregiudizi e forme di intolleranza, fino alla violenza contro i civili.

In questa prospettiva si colloca la presenza di ospiti che, da contesti diversi, riportano l’attenzione sul valore della testimonianza e della responsabilità individuale. Dal Giappone, Terumi Tanaka, Premio Nobel per la Pace 2024 e rappresentante di Nihon Hidankyo (l’associazione dei sopravvissuti alle bombe atomiche di Hiroshima e Nagasaki), porta al convegno uno sguardo che connette tra loro le memorie dei grandi traumi del Novecento e il loro insegnamento per il nostro tempo.

Accanto alla riflessione, trovano spazio anche i linguaggi della cultura e del teatro: Giorgio Cantarini torna al convegno con un monologo dedicato a Giorgio Perlasca, per ricordare come, anche nelle fasi più buie, possano emergere scelte capaci di salvare vite. E l’intervento di Bruno Bozzetto – con la presentazione di un episodio di Allegro non troppo – contribuisce a ravvivare la memoria con la forza evocativa delle immagini, come strumento di consapevolezza e di educazione.

Il programma prevede, inoltre, la relazione del decano di Ateneo Mauro Barberis (“Inizio della barbarie e fine della scrittura”), l’approfondimento di Sabina Passamonti (Università di Trieste, Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita) su “I novecento giorni di Leningrado. La fame come moderno strumento di guerra”, e la testimonianza di Giuseppe Cantarini (neuropsichiatra) su “La Memoria di Giosuè. Famiglia, Benigni, Perlasca”. In chiusura, spazio alla riflessione sulle immagini della guerra con Mauro Rossi su Henry Tonks e alla presentazione, a cura di Elena Tonzar (EUT – Edizioni Università di Trieste), dei volumi 10 e 11 del convegno disponibili su OpenStarTs; la conclusione è affidata a Gianni Peteani, con un intervento dedicato ad Anna Frank.

In apertura sono previsti i saluti istituzionali della rettrice Donata Vianelli, seguiti dagli interventi di Giuseppina Scavuzzo (presidente Stazione Rogers Trieste) e Enzo D’Antona (presidente Teatro Miela). Modera Pierluigi Sabatti, presidente del Circolo della Stampa di Trieste.

La direzione scientifica del Convegno è di Mauro Barberis, decano di Ateneo e docente di Filosofia del Diritto; l’organizzazione è curata da Gianni Peteani, presidente del Comitato permanente Ondina Peteani. 

L'evento è ad ingresso libero e sarà trasmesso anche in diretta streaming sui canali YouTube di Stazione Rogers e del Teatro Miela.

L'Università di Trieste, in occasione della Giorno della Memoria, illuminerà la facciata di rosso.

Teaching has begun for UniTS’s first‑level master degree courses in paediatric nursing for the 2025/2026 academic year. These two vocational masters are now widely recognised across Italy: Neonatal and Paediatric Nursing (now in its 11th edition) and Emergency Neonatal and Paediatric Nursing (now in its 6th edition).

Teaching combines lectures, practical workshops and advanced simulations, delivered by a high‑level faculty comprising UniTS academics, experts from the Burlo Garofolo paediatric research hospital and professionals from national and international healthcare institutions. Clinical placements, an integral part of the curriculum, take place in top-tier facilities.

Attending the inauguration were Regional Councillor for Health Riccardo Riccardi, the Rector of the University of Trieste Donata Vianelli, UniTS Director General Marco Porzionato, Burlo Garofolo Director General Francesca Tosolini, heads of programme professors Egidio Barbi and Andrea Taddio, President of the Trieste Nursing Association Michael Valentini, and President of the Italian Society of Neonatal Nursing (SIN-INF) Barbara Bernabei.

‘The University of Trieste’s medical programmes respond to the regional healthcare system’s need for highly trained personnel, in this case in nursing,’ stressed Rector Vianelli. ‘These two vocational masters confirm our commitment to offering courses aligned with the needs of the region and of our students. I would also underline the excellent collaboration in research and teaching with the Burlo Garofolo paediatric research hospital, a leading specialist centre operating at the highest level.’

‘These vocational masters’, stated the executive management of Burlo, ‘represent an opportunity for the Institute, long distinguished for its excellence in clinical care and advanced training. Being a scientific institute for clinical research means not only ensuring the highest quality of care, but also investing in the professional development of healthcare workers, training competent and highly-skilled professionals able to meet complex challenges, always prioritising the human side of care. This commitment is further strengthened thanks to the fruitful collaboration with the University of Trieste.’

During his talk, Councillor Riccardi highlighted the importance of integrating high‑level expertise within a complex and articulated healthcare system that must evolve radically to meet current health needs. ‘Those who choose to dedicate their time and energy to caring for people’s health should find environments that offer opportunities for professional growth,’ he concluded. ‘These vocational masters play a strategic role in this respect. They demonstrate that attracting qualified professionals to the region is possible when investment focuses not merely on financial measures, but on healthcare service models suited to our time.’

25 January 2026 marks ten years since the disappearance in Egypt of Giulio Regeni, a PhD student at the University of Cambridge who was kidnapped and tortured in Cairo while conducting research on independent trade unions. The UniTS community wishes to remember him as a symbol of freedom of research, continuing to demand truth and justice for his death. 

Over the years, Regeni's tragic story has triggered a virtuous process that has led the University of Trieste to equip itself with tools to improve the safety of those travelling abroad to areas at risk, a crucial issue not only for the University but also for other institutions and research bodies. This has contributed to the drafting of the “Guidelines for the safety of university staff in areas at geopolitical and socio-health risk”, adopted at national level by all public universities.