Roberto Di Lenarda, Rector Emeritus of the University of Trieste, has been elected President of the Italian permanent conference of university medicine departments, the body that brings together the heads of all medical disciplines in Italian universities.

The unanimous election represents recognition of Professor Di Lenarda’s longstanding commitment to promoting the quality of medical education, research, teaching innovation and the role of universities within the healthcare system.

This interuniversity conference represents almost one third of Italian academic staff: around 15,000 lecturers affiliated with the 52 academic disciplines (SSD) in the medical and sports areas (CUN Area 06), as well as related disciplines in biology, veterinary, agriculture and psychology involved in teaching medicine, dentistry, healthcare professions and the life sciences.

In his new role, Professor Di Lenarda, succeeding Professor Andrea Lenzi, who was appointed President of the National Research Council on 26 July 2025, will coordinate the activities of the interuniversity conference, fostering dialogue between institutions and disciplines and promoting shared policies to improve research, education and healthcare.

‘The permanent conference of university medicine departments is a strategic platform for addressing the future challenges of medicine and academic healthcare professions, from the sustainability of courses to the quality of care. I accept this election with satisfaction and a strong sense of responsibility: I thank Professor Lenzi and the entire community for their trust,’ said Professor Di Lenarda.

Roberto Di Lenarda has headed the Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery Clinic of the local health authority (ASUGI) for 25 years and is Head of the Integrated Department of Specialist Surgery. He served as Rector of the University of Trieste (2019–2025) and, previously, as Head of the University Clinical Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences (2012–2018). Between 2018 and 2024 he was president of the conference of university professors of oral medicine disciplines and a member of the Executive Committee of the Conference of Italian University Rectors (CRUI).

The academic and research community extends its warmest congratulations to Professor Di Lenarda and wishes him every success in his new role.

A bibliometric study published in Frontiers in Psychology has positioned the University of Trieste as the leading university in Europe, and among the top three worldwide, for research into processes related to mathematics learning, with a particular focus on a topic of growing importance: mathematics anxiety. Defined as a feeling of discomfort or fear associated with the manipulation of numbers, mathematics anxiety has been the subject of numerous studies in recent decades, identified as one of the main obstacles to success in mathematics and influencing phenomena such as the well-known gender gap in pursuing careers in the scientific field.

In this context, the scientific output of the UniTS Laboratory for Developmental Psychology and Psychology of Learning (Department of Life Sciences) stands out. For years, under the direction of professor Maria Chiara Passolunghi and professor Sandra Pellizzoni, and with the contribution of dr Alessandro Cuder, dr Eleonora Doz, dr Federica Granello, dr Giorgia Morosini, dr Lorena Perrotti and dr Martina Taruscia, the laboratory has been dedicated to the study of these themes. 

Recent national and international reports highlight how, in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a significant decline in mathematical skills within the school population. Among the most critical aspects is the gender gap in mathematical competence to the disadvantage of girls, a gap that in Italy is the widest among OECD countries. In this context, increasing evidence points to mathematics anxiety as a key factor in understanding the difficulties associated with learning this discipline.

The scientific work of the Laboratory for Developmental Psychology and Psychology of Learning has shown how this form of anxiety represents a risk factor as early as primary school, affecting pupils regardless of their cognitive abilities and having a negative impact on their performance. Girls in particular appear more vulnerable to this phenomenon than their male peers, reporting stronger anxious experiences with potential consequences for their wellbeing at school and their motivation to embark on study paths in the technical-scientific fields. The laboratory’s studies also indicate that mathematics anxiety expressed by parents can be transmitted to children as early as the preschool years, from the age of three, interfering with the development of early numerical skills. Mathematics anxiety then tends to reinforce itself over time through the accumulation of academic failures, extending into secondary school and reverberating into adulthood. In this context, the laboratory’s research has also highlighted how negative attitudes towards mathematics can predict, even years later, whether or not students choose to pursue scientific pathways, potentially influencing the readiness of future citizens to address the challenges of scientific and technological progress, which are strategic for the development of the country.

Despite the pervasive and persistent nature of mathematics anxiety from childhood to adulthood, research is increasingly focusing on identifying intervention strategies to promote positive attitudes towards the subject. Several studies have shown encouraging results through activities developed in collaboration with parents and teachers, designed to help pupils recognise and manage their emotions during learning.

In this direction, the Laboratory has achieved promising results through programmes that help children learn to ‘name’ the feelings of anxiety experienced while performing mathematical tasks, before applying specific procedures to reduce the impact of these anxious experiences. Such interventions encourage alternatives to avoidance behaviours, fostering a more adaptive approach to tasks by valuing mistakes as an informative resource – particularly significant in a discipline where error is an intrinsic part of the learning process. In this context, the Laboratory’s recent activities have also focused on assessing the effectiveness of programmes for teachers and parents, who are key figures in the educational and emotional experience of students and can act as promoters of effective, lasting and continuous change over time.

An international research group, including the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Trieste, has discovered a new mechanism for the photocatalytic activation of hydrogen, making it possible to selectively convert CO₂ into ethylene. This breakthrough paves the way for more efficient and sustainable production without the use of fossil fuels or petroleum derivatives.

The results of the study have been published in the prestigious journal Science and could have major implications for industry and decarbonisation processes.

An international team of researchers has discovered a new photocatalytic mechanism for hydrogen activation, used to design a novel process for producing ethylene from carbon dioxide (CO₂) and hydrogen.

Ethylene is a key component in the production of plastics used in packaging, food, textiles, coatings, electrical insulation, automotive tyres and medical equipment. Annual global production exceeds 150 million tonnes and currently relies on the catalytic conversion of fossil hydrocarbons, which contributes to rising greenhouse gas emissions.

The study has been published in the prestigious journal Science and could have major implications for industry and decarbonisation processes.

Among the co-authors of the study is Paolo Fornasiero, professor in the Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Trieste, Associate at the Institute of Chemistry of Organometallic Compounds (ICCOM-CNR) in Florence, and member of the National Interuniversity Consortium for Materials Science and Technology (INSTM).

The research carried out by professor Fornasiero and colleagues proposes a new way of activating hydrogen, that is, making it more reactive and ready to form new chemical bonds through the formation of electric dipoles induced by ultraviolet radiation on the surface of gold-based photocatalysts deposited on titanium dioxide. The discovery was applied to the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide with the aim of transforming this greenhouse pollutant into high-value products. The research is based on the awareness that green hydrogen will soon be available in large quantities, produced by electrolysis using electricity from renewable sources. The overall photocatalytic process developed leads to the selective formation of ethylene from carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

Among the co-authors of the study is Paolo Fornasiero, professor at the University of Trieste, Associate at the ICCOM-CNR Institute in Florence and member of the INSTM consortium, who comments: "In the perspective of an increasingly sustainable economy, less polluting and less energy-intensive, our study suggests the possibility of producing ethylene through an innovative and sustainable method. This would drastically reduce dependence on fossil fuels, decoupling its cost from the price of raw materials and energy, particularly oil and natural gas".

At present, ethylene is produced through catalytic cracking of hydrocarbons in the presence of steam. This process involves heating hydrocarbons such as ethane, propane, naphtha and gas oil to very high temperatures (typically 750-950 °C) with steam. Steam reduces the undesirable formation of carbon deposits on the surface of the catalysts and participates in breaking down larger hydrocarbons into smaller ones, including ethylene. The resulting mixture is then separated by compression and distillation to isolate ethylene. Production costs are heavily dependent on the type and availability of hydrocarbon feedstock, as well as on transport issues and competition with energy markets. The possibility of using carbon dioxide, green hydrogen, light and a suitable photocatalyst to produce ethylene could therefore not only offer economic and environmental benefits but also reduce the increasingly critical dependence on raw materials unevenly distributed worldwide.

The researchers successfully demonstrated their findings under conditions close to those of industrial interest, developing a first prototype.

The international research team includes, alongside professor Paolo Fornasiero, professors Nenchao Luo and Feng Wang from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (China).

Professor Fornasiero’s research is currently funded by the European Commission (HORIZON-WIDERA-2021-ACCESS-03-01 and HORIZON-EIC-2023-PATHFINDEROPEN-01).

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Full study published in Science

Photochemical H2 dissociation for nearly quantitative CO2 reduction to ethylene

Ping Jin,1,3 Pu Guo,1 Nengchao Luo,1,3,* Hui Zhang,4,5 Chenwei Ni,1,3 Ruotian Chen,1 Wei Liu,1 Rengui Li,1 Jianping Xiao,1 Guoxiong Wang,6 Fuxiang Zhang,1 Paolo Fornasiero,2,* Feng Wang1,3,*

1. State Key Laboratory of Catalysis, Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China.

2. Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Centre for Energy, Environment and Transport Giacomo Ciamiciam, INSTM Trieste Research Unit and ICCOM-CNR Trieste Research Unit, University of Trieste, Via Licio Giorgieri 1, Trieste 34127, Italy.

3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.

4. Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201204, China.

5. National Key Laboratory of Materials for Integrated Circuits, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China.

6. Department of Chemistry, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China.

110 high school students from Florence gathered in the Aula Magna of the University of Trieste to meet Andra Bucci, a survivor of the Holocaust.

Andra and her sister Tatiana were deported to Auschwitz at the ages of just 4 and 6. In recognition of their ongoing commitment to sharing their testimony, the University of Trieste awarded them an Honorary Degree in Diplomacy and International Cooperation in 2020.

The event was part of the project “From Italy to Auschwitz: Places of History and Memory as Tools for Education”, promoted by the Region of Tuscany to mark the 80th anniversary of the Liberation from Nazi-Fascism.

One of the main aims of the educational journey was to explore and reflect on the history of key sites of memory, including the Risiera di San Sabba, a former Nazi concentration camp located in Trieste.

The 14th edition of Trieste Next, the Research Festival, has been officially presented. From September 26 to 28, 2025, Piazza Unità will once again become a grand stage for science: over the course of three days, more than 100 events and hundreds of scientists from all over the world will engage in dialogue with the public, reflecting together on the challenges of our time and exploring the frontiers of technological innovation.
This year’s theme is: “Life Within. Conversations across Science and Technology.”

“The University of Trieste, with its wide range of academic disciplines, is a perfect match for the 2025 edition of Trieste Next,” says Donata Vianelli, Rector of UniTS and President of the festival’s Scientific Committee.
“Once again, we’re offering visitors a rich and diverse program, supported by 200 volunteers who make the event possible. Thanks to the support of the Region, we will also host two internationally renowned guests: Brian Kobilka and David Quammen. For the first time, students and staff from our university have also been involved in designing the program. In addition to talks and events, we look forward to welcoming visitors in the exhibition pavilions in Piazza Unità d’Italia, where they can experience the latest developments, curiosities, and trends in scientific research first-hand.”

UniTS events at Trieste Next, day by day, with the active participation of the entire academic community:

Friday, September 26
Saturday, September 27
Sunday, September 28

These are the ten exhibition areas curated by UniTS at its stand in Piazza Unità:

UniTS Stand – September 26–28

The UniTS stand will feature a shop selling University merchandise during the following hours:

Friday 26 September: 4pm - 10pm

Saturday 27 September: 10am - 10pm

Sunday 28 September: 10am - 8pm

Trieste Next is promoted by the Municipality of Trieste, the University of Trieste, the NEM Nord-Est Multimedia Group/Il NordEst/Il Piccolo, Area Science Park, OGS – National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics, and SISSA – International School for Advanced Studies.
The event is co-promoted by the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Organized by Post Eventi, the festival is a project of Trieste City of Knowledge and is held in collaboration with the European Parliament Office in Milan.
The main partner of the event is Generali.
Partners include AcegasApsAmga, Estenergy, Insiel, and Smact Competence Center.
Content partners include EuroBioHighTech, AIRC Foundation for Cancer Research, Fondazione Telethon, and the INAIL Prosthesis Centre.

www.triestenext.it

With its unique features and location, Gorizia provides not only a distinctive setting in Italy but also the opportunity to foster strong international relations. It is the new Joint Master’s Programme in Political Science – Integration & Governance (PoSIG), a two-year course delivered entirely in English that involves the University of Trieste, with Gorizia as its reference campus, and 13 universities from eight countries. Aimed at graduates in Political Science or International Relations, this inter-university joint degree further strengthens Gorizia’s international vocation.

Rector Donata Vianelli emphasised: ‘I am proud to present this new programme of our University in Gorizia, a campus we are committed to enhancing in close collaboration with local institutions. PoSIG is unique in Italy and Europe, and will be taught in this extraordinary border city. Its purpose is to bring people together and provide young people with opportunities of real value in the job market. I see Gorizia as a university city-campus that can attract students from all over Europe, overcoming boundaries while promoting collaboration and cultural and academic exchange.’

Mayor Rodolfo Ziberna added: ‘Year after year we are pleased to constantly more and more UniTS courses offered in Gorizia. Prestigious courses like this consolidate our city’s role in the geopolitical landscape and its international vocation. The launch of PoSIG is a great source of pride and will have an exceptional impact on our campus and on the city, especially looking towards the enlargement of the European Union.’

Giuliana Parotto, PoSIG Coordinator for the University of Trieste, explained: ‘During one of the Academies traditionally organised in Salzburg by the founders of PoSIG, I had the opportunity to meet in person the lecturers involved in this academic initiative. This led to the inclusion of UniTS this year as the sole Italian partner. Gorizia brings added value to this one-of-a-kind programme in Europe: it will host an international degree attracting students from across Europe and the Caucasus. Here, students will attend courses in methodology, international relations and political theory.’

Franz Kok, General Coordinator of PoSIG and representative of the Rector of the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS), presented the programme in detail. Students will study at a minimum of two different partner institutions across Austria, Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Italy, North Macedonia, and Kosovo, obtaining a joint degree recognised by all participating universities. Entirely taught in English, the course combines a solid theoretical foundation with a strong research orientation on decision-making processes and public policies, with a particular focus on governance and integration in national and international contexts.

The curriculum includes modules in Comparative Politics, European Integration, International Relations, Public Administration and Policy, and Political Theory. The programme also features internships with international partner organisations such as the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), the Central European Initiative (CEI), the Institute of the Regions of Europe (IRE), the UNODC, and the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO). PoSIG promotes a European model of training in multilateral politics and represents a unique opportunity for those seeking expertise in integration and governance in international settings. The University of Trieste contributes 30 credits with courses in Strategic Studies – International Relations, Political Theory, Conflict Resolution – International Relations, Methodology – Project Cycle Management, and Methodology – Quantitative Analysis.

Founded in Salzburg in 2016, the course originally required students to complete their first year in either Salzburg or Ljubljana, but this restriction was lifted in 2023. Over the years the Consortium has expanded to include universities from the Caucasus, accredited in 2025.

Joining the Consortium is a significant step in UniTS’s internationalisation strategy: no other Italian university offers a Joint Degree of this kind. The PoSIG diploma is highly attractive and will help strengthen international relations with regions beyond the European Union, looking ahead to their potential accession.

Currently, including PLUS and UniTS, the Consortium comprises 13 universities from eight countries:

• Albania, Tirana: European University of Tirana (UET); University of Tirana (UTIR)
• Armenia, Yerevan: Yerevan State University (YSU); Eurasia International University (EIU)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo: University of Sarajevo (UNSA); Sarajevo School of Science and Technology (SSST)
• Georgia, Tbilisi: Tbilisi State University (TSU); Georgian Institute for Public Affairs (GIPA)
• North Macedonia, Skopje: Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje (UKIM)
• Kosovo, Prishtina: University of Business and Technology (UBT); University of Prishtina (UP)

Almost 500 third- and fourth-year high-school students have enrolled in the second round of the Summer Training Modules (https://portale.units.it/en/studiare/orientarsi/moduli-formativi), which are set to fill UniTS classrooms from 1st to 5th September.

Most of the students come from high schools in Friuli Venezia Giulia, but some are travelling from Aosta, Belluno, Cremona, Bergamo, Mantua, Pavia, Pordenone, Treviso, Venice, Verona, Vicenza, Alessandria, Cosenza and Rome.

The second round was inaugurated by the Rector's Delegate for Prospective Student Policies, Prof. Elisabetta Madriz, with a brief introduction to the Summer Training Modules, followed by a quick presentation by the Luciano Fonda College.

On 3rd September, the Luciano Fonda College, located in the former Military Hospital at Via Fabio Severo 40, will host an evening event with an aperitif and a talk on climate, energy and conviviality for registered participants.

The floor was then given to the UniTs Prospective Students Support staff, who coordinated testimonials from student ambassadors. The result was a powerful peer testimony which not only highlighted the range of different paths taken, but also showed that an individual’s path is not always linear and that, precisely for this reason, attention and deep self-knowledge is needed to make the most of one's talents and passions.

These experiences shared about making choices and different university paths provided useful food for thought in what was an important moment in the support of future students.

There are 12 modules scheduled until 5th September, which will be run by University lecturers across the following fields: humanities, engineering, earth sciences, physics, chemistry, pharmacy and pharmaceutical chemistry and technology, law, mathematics, artificial intelligence and data science, statistics, and biology.

The Summer Training Modules are an outreach project now in its eleventh year. The Modules are designed for third- and fourth-year high-school students to help them explore their interests through an intensive experience of university life in a field of their choice with the aim of supporting them in making an informed choice about their educational path.

A total of 702 students enrolled in the first session in July, signing up for one of the 17 modules offered across the fields of architecture, healthcare professions, economics and management, engineering, mathematics and earth sciences, humanities, dentistry and dental prosthetics, political, and international and diplomatic sciences.

The total number of enrolments in 2025 shows a steady increase in the number of students participating in this important outreach initiative, with 1,190 enrolments compared to 1,075 in 2024. This demonstrates not only the initiative’s strong appeal, but also that this UniTS taster experience is seen to be effective.

All info: https://portale.units.it/it/studiare/orientarsi/moduli-formativi 

UniTS's internationalisation activities have a global outlook and include exchanges, collaborations and joint projects across the world. Particular attention is paid to South America and the University has already signed several international agreements with institutions in this area of the globe. Outreach work conducted by Angelo Venchiarutti, Professor of Private Law, situates itself in this context. Indeed, Prof. Venchiarutti was awarded the title of Honorary Lawyer by the Colegio de los Advocados de Lima Sur (Lima) and the Colegio de los Advocados de Junin (Huancayo) in Peru in August.

The scientific dissemination activities that Prof. Venchiarutti carried out in the South American country during August led to the establishment of future collaborative relationships with the major universities in Peru, the University of Lima - Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos and the Universidad Autónoma del Perú, both of which are interested in signing collaboration agreements with the University of Trieste.

For the first time, a group of European researchers led by the University of Lisbon, with the participation of the University of Trieste, has identified a ‘sinking’ piece of plate, in the lower part of the lithosphere (the outermost layer of the Earth) in an area of the Atlantic Ocean.

This geological phenomenon is called ‘lithosphere delamination’ and is known to cause ‘seismic events. However, the phenomenon had previously only been documented on continents.

The discovery, published in Nature Geoscience, therefore opens up new perspectives on seismic risk prediction in Europe.

Using sophisticated seismic tomography techniques, which employ seismic waves from earthquakes to understand the structure of the Earth at great depths, researchers have detected a high-velocity anomaly up to 250 km deep beneath the Horseshoe Abyssal Plain, in the south-western region of the Iberian Peninsula, between the African and Eurasian plates, an area known for its intense seismic activity, the scene of historic earthquakes such as the Lisbon earthquake of 1755 (M8.5 – 8.7) and the San Vincenzo earthquake of 1969 (M7.9).

In this region, despite the lack of obvious surface signs like twisted landscapes or underwater mountains, a portion of the oceanic lithosphere is sinking into the Earth's mantle, creating new faults.

This phenomenon, enhanced by the presence of a thick serpentinised layer (which acts as a weak layer), could explain the origin of historical earthquakes of great magnitude.

Chiara Civiero, geophysicist and researcher at the Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Geosciences at the University of Trieste, co-author of the study and head of the tomographic analyses, emphasises: 'This discovery opens up new avenues for understanding the evolution of the very early stages of oceanic subduction with important implications for plate tectonics. If even areas without obvious surface faults, such as the Horseshoe Abyssal Plain, can be subject to strong earthquakes, there is a need to revise seismic hazard models to include deep processes and structures that cannot be mapped using traditional methods.’

Alongside the subduction of the oceanic lithosphere, a process whereby one plate can slide under another if compression occurs along the contact margin, the delamination of the continental lithosphere is the main mechanism through which the Earth's surface is recycled into the mantle. Tectonic plates, i.e. the rigid lithospheric plates and the most rigid outer part of planet Earth, are in fact constantly moving in slow motion, with some edges separating and others colliding. 

Numerical models developed by researchers suggest that delamination could evolve into a fully fledged subduction zone, contributing to a tectonic reorganisation of the Atlantic. This process could lead to the formation of a new subduction system that would connect to the Gibraltar Arc, with long-term implications for the closure of the Atlantic Ocean.

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Study published in Nature Geoscience

Seismic evidence for oceanic plate delamination offshore Southwest Iberia

João C. Duarte*1,2, Nicolas Riel3, Chiara Civiero4, Sónia Silva1, Filipe M. Rosas1, Wouter P. Schellart5, Jaime Almeida6,7, Pedro Terrinha8, António Ribeiro1

1. IDL - Instituto Dom Luiz, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisboa, Portugal
2. UNIARQ, Centro de Arqueologia da Universidade de Lisboa, 1600-214, Lisboa, Portugal
3. Institute of Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, J.-J.-Becher-Weg 21, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
4. Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Geosciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
5. Department of Earth Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
6. SEGAL, Departamento de Informática (UBI), Rua Marquês d’Ávila e Bolama, Covilhã, 6201-0012, Portugal
7. IDL - Instituto Dom Luiz, Universidade da Beira Interior, Covilhã, 6201-0012, Portugal
8. Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA), Lisboa, Portugal

From 3 September 2025, seminars, films and workshops to discuss sustainable mobility, the energy transition, the design of more comfortable, inclusive and resilient urban environments, the redevelopment of the building heritage, the redesign of Trieste's seafront and the reconfiguration of open spaces and landscapes to be water and heat resistant.

These are the themes to be addressed through Let's change! The climate is changing. Let's talk about it. This social responsibility project, which is organised and run by the Department of Engineering and Architecture at UniTS and co-funded by the University, aims to offer an open discussion based on the researchers’ work and reflections.

In recent decades, the effects of climate change have become increasingly tangible in Trieste. Negative impacts on terrestrial and marine ecosystems as well as extreme weather events such as flooding and heat waves are causing increasingly significant damage to the territory, infrastructure and public service buildings, economic activities, and health. From this perspective, we must make sure we are prepared to face present and future challenges. Key and increasingly urgent measures for ensuring this include sharing scientific knowledge about the transition underway, and promoting awareness and supporting mobilisation initiatives within administrations and society as a whole.

Let's change! is for everyone, but focuses particularly on young people, from school students to university students. All activities are free of charge and multidisciplinary in nature. Each topic will be discussed from different perspectives, using clear and accessible language.

More details at: letschange.dia.units.it 

The project, is currently set to run until early 2026 and the activity schedule will be progressively updated on the website. Citizens have the chance to shape the content of activities by completing the following questionnaire: https://dsvunits.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3rZXOENS4Xh8dAG

Let's change! will be accompanied by the publication of Quaderni, a bulletin which can be downloaded free of charge from the website, containing a summary of the activities developed by the project and the results from the questionnaires. This publication promises to be a useful resource for organising further meetings and debates between the University and the city on the kind of future we would like to see.

Programme of events

3rd September 2025, at 18:00
San Marco Café, Trieste
Trump, electric buses and alternative transport
Speakers: Alois Bonifacio and Andrea Mio
Moderator: Simona Regina

It may seem strange, but international geopolitical imbalances are linked to the fact that the new electric buses in Trieste are manufactured in China, and, more generally, to the energy transition. At the heart of the matter is group of raw materials, including rare-earth elements and lithium, which we all use on a daily basis, often without realising it. So perhaps it would be better to use other innovative means of transport, such as cable cars? Even in this case, however, certain conditions must be met in order to avoid serious repercussions. This talk offers attendees a light-hearted way to learn about issues that affect us all and our future.

23rd September 2025, at 18:00
Knulp bar and bookshop, Trieste
The city that suffocates and overwhelms us
Speakers: Eleonora Ceschin, Paola Cigalotto and Cristiano Cozzolino
Moderator: Fabio Del Missier

As in many other cities around the world, the impacts of climate change have become increasingly tangible in Trieste in recent decades. Extreme events are causing significant damage to urban spaces and the health of citizens, infrastructure and community facilities, and economic activities. Among the most noticeable effects are those caused by rising temperatures and flooding. To adapt to these changes and ensure well-being, we need more green spaces in the city. We will discuss the many possible solutions for transforming Trieste into a more beautiful, comfortable and liveable city.

17th October 2025, at 18:00
Stazione Rogers, Trieste
The energy transition: what is the role of technology?
Speakers: Alessandro Massi Pavan and Carlo Antonio Stival
Moderator: Giovanni Carrosio

The new millennium is characterised by an energy transition in which fossil fuels gradually replace renewable energy sources. The exponential global growth of renewable energy sources is linked to numerous factors, including the limited availability of fossil fuels, efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the need to reduce the costs of the energy system. During this talk, global scenarios will be presented along with the technologies that can enable the transition, including: the role of photovoltaics, energy storage, electric mobility, renewable energy communities and energy saving.

6th November 2025, at 18:00
San Marco Café, Trieste
Not just construction: does living differently help reduce climate impact?
Speakers: Marco Manzan, Chiara Bedon and Ronelly De Souza

What are the environmental impacts of daily energy consumption in our homes? And what are the more general impacts related to our lifestyles and the ways in which we move around? The aim of this talk is to raise awareness of these issues, which are closely linked to individual choices, and to offer some practical ideas on possible habits with a lower environmental impact.

Film screenings

21th October 2025, at 21:00
Cinema Ariston, Trieste
Snowpiercer
Directed by Bong Joon-ho, starring Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Ed Harris, John Hurt, Tilda Swinton,  Jamie Bell. South Korea, USA, France, 2013
Introduction by Elena Marchigiani (DIA) and Daniela Terzoli (Cappella Underground)

2031. In a world decimated by a new ice age caused by failed experiments to stop global warming, a group of survivors remain alive inside a train, the ‘Snowpiercer’, which continues to travel around the Earth and obtains the energy to do so through an apparently perpetual motion engine. The train is a microcosm of human society divided into social classes; the poorest live in the rear carriages, where they feed exclusively on the ‘protein’ bars that are given to them; the richest live in the front carriages. Coexistence between them inevitably leads to struggles and revolutions.

18 th November 2025, ore 21:00
Cinema Ariston, Trieste
2040 – Let's save the planet!
Directed by Damon Gameau, starring Damon Gameau, Eva Lazzaro, Zoë Gameau, Davini Malcolm, Paul Hawken. USA, 2019. 
Introduction by Elena Marchigiani (DIA) and Daniela Terzoli (Cappella Underground)

What hopes for life and what future will our planet have? Imagining a better future for his daughter – who will be 21 in 2040 – Australian director Damon Gameau travels to discover areas of the world where men and women are working every day to actively tackle climate change.

Educational workshops (secondary schools) organised in collaboration with Immaginario Scientifico – Science museum
Dates to be confirmed in September - tentatively between October 2025 and January 2026
 

Are we building smart&green?
Chiara Bedon and Marco Fasan
Workshop

The construction sector is characterised by the increasing use of technology and advanced tools, which civil engineers use to support design, maintenance, monitoring and diagnostics in the context of continuous innovation. The workshop aims to introduce young people to civil engineering, teaching them about commonly used materials, models and tools, including through practical demonstrations.

The energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources
Alessandro Massi Pavan
Workshop

The new millennium is seeing an energy transition where renewable sources are replacing fossil fuels. The growth of renewables is due to factors such as the scarcity of fossil fuels, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the need to lower energy costs. The workshop describes one of the possible energy chains useful for the transition, including solar energy production, its storage using hydrogen and its conversion into electricity with a fuel cell. The activity also covers other enabling technologies for managing the intermittent nature of renewables.

Playing with climate?
Sergio Pratali Maffei
Discussion Game

The activity consists of a series of workshops using the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY methodology, led by a certified facilitator. The aim is to involve all participants in a ‘hands-on’ reasoning process, accessible to all, which looks at possible future scenarios resulting from climate change. Participants will define possible actions, which will take shape in a ‘text/landscape’ where the individual models produced will interact with each other.

Participation in Trieste NEXT 

26th September 2025, at 9:00
Trieste Next, school outreach activities 
In the water, in the heat. Cities in transition
Speakers: Fabio Del Missier, Federico Roman and Eleonora Ceschin
Moderator: Raoul Kirchmayr

In Trieste, as in many cities, weather and climate change are having a tangible impact on spaces, public health, economic activities and infrastructure. Extreme events, such as rising temperatures and heavy rainfall, are putting the liveability of the urban environment at risk. This activity illustrates the links between mental and physical health and the changes taking place, proposing solutions to make cities more resilient. The aim is to communicate the urgent need to adopt a conscious and responsible attitude towards the transition of cities into adaptive environments.