Launch of the UniTO’s Scientific Diplomacy Webpage & Inauguration of the 2025/2026 Academic Year
Launch of the UniTO’s Scientific Diplomacy Webpage & Inauguration of the 2025/2026 Academic Year
Last Monday, 23 February 2026, the University of Torino (UniTO) marked the beginning of the 2025/2026 academic year with the Inauguration Ceremony titled “SCIENTIFIC DIPLOMACY. Shaping Decisions.” which took place at the “Achille Mario Dogliotti” Great Hall of the Città della Salute e della Scienza – University Hospital of Turin (Turin). The ceremony was also broadcast via livestream.
The event represented an important milestone in reaffirming our commitment to scientific diplomacy as a strategic priority for the Alliance. It provided an opportunity to engage UniTO’s academic community, local stakeholders, and institutional authorities of Piedmont Region (Italy) in a shared reflection on the role of science in shaping international dialogue and decision-making.
The ceremony featured contributions from:
- Prof. Cristina Prandi, Rector
- Dr. Massimo Passera, Science Attaché at the Embassy of Italy in Seoul
- Claire Messina, Director for Leadership at the United Nations Secretariat in New York
Their keynote addresses — “From research to science diplomacy: a network of science attachés to support universities and innovation” and “Global challenges and shared responsibilities: acting together across institutions, civil society, and universities” — highlighted the growing interdependence between research, diplomacy, and global governance, as well as the responsibility of universities to act as bridge-builders across sectors and borders.
The event generated strong interest and received wide media coverage, read more in Italien here.
New Dedicated Webpage on Scientific Diplomacy
In conjunction with the inauguration, UniTO launched a dedicated webpage presenting its vision and strategic approach to scientific diplomacy (available in Italian and English). The page outlines the university’s objectives in the field and will be regularly updated with upcoming initiatives — several of which are already underway. Find the website here: https://en.unito.it/international-relations/international-cooperation/science-diplomacy
We look forward to further advancing this agenda together across the Alliance and beyond.