The Challenges of Living at “Collega-menti,” the University’s Festival Taking Over Udine’s Historic Center for Three Days

The theme of the third edition of Collega-Menti, the cultural festival organized by the University of Udine and promoted by Rector Roberto Pinton, will be the challenges of living. The event returns from Friday, October 3 to Sunday, October 5 in various locations throughout the historic center of Udine. The scientific curator for this edition is science communicator and author Barbara Gallavotti.
Now in its third year, the festival is supported by the Department of Culture of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and the Friuli Foundation, in collaboration with the Municipality of Udine. It will feature 66 events focused on scientific outreach, with 120 guests from the University of Udine and other parts of Italy. Among them are science communicator Luca Perri, philosopher and evolution expert Telmo Pievani, architect Paola Viganò, urban transformation expert Elena Granata, photographer Olivo Barbieri, Japan expert Flavio Parisi, Professor Emeritus of Endocrinology at “La Sapienza” and President of the National Research Council (CNR) Andrea Lenzi, President of the EU Commission’s Mission Board for Cancer and Scientific Committee of the Human Technopole Foundation and the European Mission Board for Vaccination Walter Ricciardi, former president of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology Carlo Doglioni, and Francesco Doglioni, professor of architectural restoration at IUAV, who has overseen many reconstruction projects, including those following the Friuli earthquake.
At the heart of the festival are, above all, the citizens themselves, who will not only be able to engage in dialogue with researchers but also take part in interactive and hands-on experiences in numerous workshops organized around the city. The event once again aims to step outside university walls to meet people in the most beloved locations of the historic city center. From the former Church of San Francesco to the Loggia del Lionello, from Palazzo Morpurgo to the Friuli Foundation, from Casa Cavazzini to Torre Santa Maria, 20 venues across Udine will host a total of 15 talks, 20 workshops, 5 exhibitions, and 2 labs, along with a large showcase in the Church of San Francesco featuring 24 displays that highlight the University of Udine’s research.