Category: Conferences

EPoCH 2026

EPoCH 2026, hosted by Universidade Católica Portuguesa, is organised in partnership with the Transform4Europe (T4EU) alliance. The conference brings together scholars, professionals, and artists to explore how heritage and conservation can evolve amid rapid climatic, technological, and societal transformations.

The event centres on two interconnected ideas

  1. heritage future(s) — how current conservation practices enable or limit future possibilities;
  2. future heritage(s) — what future generations will consider worth preserving.

Conference Theme

The central theme, Heritage Future(s) / Future Heritage(s), invites reflection on how present actions shape shared futures, particularly in light of rapid ecological, technological, and social transformations. 

Key questions include:

  • What responsibilities emerge at this threshold of change?
  • How can heritage ecosystems be made sustainable?
  • How do material, immaterial, and digital forms of heritage evolve?

Topics of Interest (non-exhaustive)

  • Challenging heritage: borders, margins, and new epistemologies
  • Conservation-restoration: new tools, concepts, and ethics of the immaterial
  • Heritage and climate change
  • Over-tourism and sustainable tourism models
  • Sustainable materials, technologies, and participatory strategies
  • Digitalisation, data science, and AI in heritage protection and creation

Keynote Speakers

  • Cornelius Holtorf – (School of Cultural Sciences, Linnaeus University);
  • Paulo Lourenço – (Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minho);
  • Roberta Altin – (Department of Humanities at the University of Trieste, Italy).

Key Dates

Conference participation (Call for Papers – EPoCH 2026) Call for Papers | School of Arts

  • Abstract submission deadline: 4 January 2026
  • Notification of acceptance: 20 January 2026

Sustainable Heritage Across the Shores of the Mediterranean

3 December 2025, 4–6 pm
Venue: Sala Atti Arduino Agnelli, Androna Campo Marzio 10, Trieste

On Wednesday 3 December 2025 at 4 pm, the Sala Atti Arduino Agnelli (Androna Campo Marzio 10) will host the T4EU Culture Event entitled Sustainable Heritage Across the Shores of the Mediterranean.

The initiative will bring together students and researchers from the Department of Humanities (DiSU) of the University of Trieste (UniTS) and the Transform4Europe Alliance (T4EU), alongside a visiting delegation of scholars and students from the Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines of Université Cadi Ayyad in Marrakech (Morocco), affiliated with the Laboratoire des Études sur les Ressources, Mobilités et Attractivité (LERMA).

The event will offer an interdisciplinary exchange on tourism, cultural heritage, and mobility within the Mediterranean context, explored through the lenses of environmental and social sustainability. Particular attention will be paid to the cultural and generational differences that shape practices of memory, engagement, and the enhancement of local territories.

The seminar will open with greetings from Prof. Elisabetta De Giorgi, Rector’s Delegate for Mobility and International Relations, and will be chaired by Prof. Roberta Altin, anthropologist and Delegate for Development Cooperation at the University of Trieste.

Among the speakers are Prof. Said Boujrouf, Director of LERMA and specialist in human geography and sustainable development; Prof. Mohammed El Aklaa, expert in territorial dynamics and socio-economic transformations in the Moroccan context; and Prof. Fatima Gebrati, who will examine the role of local communities in safeguarding memory and transmitting intangible heritage.

The programme also includes contributions from three UniTS scholars: Prof. Tullia Catalan, historian of contemporary Europe with a particular interest in minorities and Jewish memory in the Mediterranean; Prof. Dragan Umek, expert in geography and spatial planning; and Prof. Cristiana Baldazzi, lecturer in Arabic language and literature.

Further participants include Prof. Federico Salvaggio and Prof. Elie Kallas, both lecturers in Arabic language and literature at UniTS; Prof. Roberto Dapit, lecturer in Slovene language and literature at the University of Udine; and the Bora Museum of Trieste.

The seminar aims to foster dialogue across disciplines and cultural perspectives, encouraging reflection on how cultural heritage can serve as a driver of sustainability, cohesion, and exchange among Mediterranean societies.

Open to the wider public, the event represents a unique opportunity for dialogue between international scholars and local communities, and is intended for students, residents, culture enthusiasts, and professionals in the field.

Those unable to attend in person may join remotely :

Microsoft Teams

Meeting ID: 377 591 235 797 22
Passcode: pi2n66rh

Standing up for Higher Education in Times of Global Crises

T4EU INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE MARKING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF SCHOLARS AT RISK AND THE CLOSING OF THE TRAVELLING EXHIBITION THE GARDEN OF THE (IN)VISIBLES

Students, researchers, and members of the public are warmly invited to attend the T4EU International Conference, Standing up for Higher Education in Times of Global Crises’, taking place on 9 December 2025 at 3:00 pm at the Gorizia campus (via Alviano 18, 34170 Gorizia).

The event marks the 25th anniversary of Scholars at Risk (SAR), the global network that defends academic freedom and protects scholars at risk. It forms part of SAR’s “Truth Matters” 2025–2026 celebrations, highlighting resilience, the right to research, critical thinking, and academic dialogue.

Organised within the framework of the European Transform4Europe (T4EU) alliance, the conference features two thematic sessions:

  • Gaza: Challenges facing higher education, with talks by Omar Shweiki (Friends of Palestinian Universities) and Prof. Ahmed Abu Shaban (Al-Azhar University, Gaza).
  • Sudan: Political and academic perspectives, featuring Prof. Munzoul Assal (University of Bergen), Irene Panozzo (political analyst), and Prof. Federico Donelli (University of Trieste).

The conference coincides with the closing of the travelling exhibition “The Garden of the (In)visibles”, part of WP7 – Common Heritage and Multilingualism. The exhibition presents objects left by migrants at the edges of cities or in forests, offering tangible traces of migration while exploring intangible themes such as identity, memory, and shared heritage.

Conference programme (summary):

  • 15:00–15:30 – Institutional welcome, presentation of SAR and Free to Think Report 2025
  • 15:30–17:00 – Session 1: Gaza
  • 17:00–17:30 – Coffee break
  • 17:30–19:00 – Session 2: Sudan

Participation options:

  • In person: Aula Magna, Gorizia Campus, University of Trieste
  • Online (streaming): Microsoft Teams (Meeting ID: 315 016 818 135 57 Passcode: f7rw3yR6)

Contact: t4eu.heritage@units.it

This is a unique opportunity to reflect on the importance of academic freedom, truth, and culture in times of global crises, bringing together academic engagement, human rights advocacy, and cultural reflection.

The Garden of the (In)visibles. Opening of the travelling exhibition – 2nd stop

After its first stop at Saarland University (Germany), the travelling exhibition The Garden of the (In)visibles arrives in Gorizia, hosted in the library of the Gorizia campus of the University of Trieste.

The travelling exhibition, promoted within the Transform4Europe University Alliance as a Common Cultural Activity of Work Package 7 – Common Heritage & Multilingualism, was organised by the Department of Humanities of the University of Trieste (UniTS) in collaboration with the University of Primorska (UP).
The exhibition presents a selection of objects abandoned by migrants along the borders between Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy. These artefacts, collected by students and faculty from the two universities, are recontextualised as testimonies of memory, identity, and shared heritage, inviting reflection on the visible and invisible meanings of the migratory experience in Europe.

The opening will take place on Thursday, 27 November at 17:00, with interventions by:
– Prof. Roberta Altin, anthropologist and Rector’s Delegate for Development Cooperation, University of Trieste
– Prof. Katja Hrobat Virloget, anthropologist, University of Primorska
– Prof. Jure Gombač, anthropologist, Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana
– Dr Giuseppe Grimaldi, anthropologist, University of Trieste

Students from UniTS, UP, and Collegio Fonda will also participate. In particular, the Fonda for Others working group will be present to interview exhibition visitors, collecting impressions and reflections on the experience.

The Gorizia stop represents a significant moment in the project, as the exhibition returns to the border from which its journey began, presenting the migrants’ objects within a space that increasingly functions as a symbolic European border.

Science Café at EKA

The Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA) is hosting the T4EU Science Café “Keep the Church in the Village”on the 4th of September from 1 to 3 pm.

The roundtable will examine how the roles of religious and industrial buildings are evolving in today’s Europe. With congregations declining and industries moving away, churches and factories are often left empty, posing challenging questions about reuse, heritage, and identity.

Speakers include:

  • Brigitta Davidjants – Musicologist and journalist, The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (Estonia)
  • Marko Uibu – Associate Professor of Social Innovation, University of Tartu (Estonia)
  • Alexandre Palma – Associate Professor, Faculty of Theology, Catholic University of Portugal and Auxiliary Bishop of the Patriarchate of Lisbon (Portugal)
  • Gregor Taul – Art historian and semiotician, Estonian Academy of Arts (Estonia), moderator of the event.

Date & Time: 4 September, 13:00–15:00 (EEST, Tallinn time)
Location: Narva Art Residency (NART, Joala 18), Estonia
Format: Onsite & Online via T4EU Youtube channel

Registration

The online meeting link will be sent to you by email closer to the event date and will also be available before the event.

T4EU people: Prof. Guido Bortoluzzi

Professor Guido Bortoluzzi, Coordinator of the Phd Programme in Circular Economy, recently took part in the 5th Science Café of the Transform4Europe (T4EU) alliance, held in Portugal.
The event, titled “What drives real innovation in industry and the circular economy?”, highlighted the crucial role of universities in turning science into tangible impact, with examples ranging from hydrogen-powered cruise ships to award-winning biotech startups.

We asked some questions to Prof. Bortoluzzi.

1. What added value does being part of the Transform4Europe alliance bring to the University of Trieste, and how is it reflected in research and teaching?

Being part of international alliances is always a source of enrichment. Mutual understanding between people not only facilitates the exchange of knowledge, but also lays a solid foundation for future collaboration — in research, teaching, and the sharing of best practices. In the case of T4EU, the bond developing among participating universities is particularly strong. This represents an excellent premise for building a stable, long-term European network for ongoing collaboration.

2.How do events like the Science Café help strengthen collaboration among T4EU partner universities?

Through events such as the Science Cafés we discover that we are both similar and different. Similar because in the end the challenges we face in our universities are not very different. But different because the ways to address them can also diverge significantly. And these can become formidable learning opportunities for us researchers.

3. During Innovation Day in Portugal, the circular economy was a key theme. In your view, what are the most pressing challenges and real opportunities where universities and industry can truly make an impact?

Today, the most important thing is to stay the course — resisting the outdated siren songs that suggest sustainability is no longer urgent or relevant. The momentum must not stop, because real impact on the ecosystem depends on a deep transformation of our production systems and consumption habits. On this, there can be no turning back. At the same time, this transition unlocks vast opportunities for innovation — in both technology and business models. In short, the circular economy must continue to be seen as a powerful business opportunity. Without that incentive, progress slows… and so does the ship.

Lectures by Prof. Tomasz Blaszczak on Contemporary Lithuanian History

The entire UniTS university community is invited to attend the lectures by Professor Tomasz Blaszczak from Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas, Lithuania. Professor Blaszczak is a contemporary historian and will give two lectures:

  • Monday, 12 May, from 12:00 to 14:00 in Room B, Androna Baciocchi (Prof. Catalan’s course):
    The development of the Lithuanian-Belarusian border: Soviet Legacies and New Divides
  • Tuesday, 13 May, from 15:00 to 17:00 in Room C1, Androna Baciocchi (Prof. Foi’s course):
    Constructing Modern Lithuanian Identity: Politics of memory in Interwar Lithuania

The lectures will be held in English.

Presentation of the Book “Multicultural Cities of the Habsburg Empire” by Catherine Horel

On Thursday, April 10, at 5:00 PM, at the Department of Humanities of the University of Trieste, the book Multicultural Cities of the Habsburg Empire, 1880-1914. Imagined Communities and Conflictual Encounters by Catherine Horel (CEU Press, 2023) will be presented.
(Open-access link: here)

The book, the result of extensive and passionate research, offers a comparative analysis of 12 cities within the Habsburg Empire, including Trieste. It examines aspects of daily life such as education, associations, culture, and economy. Horel’s study presents an image of an empire whose urban centers were marked by cultural and political dynamism, despite ongoing national conflicts.

The author will be joined in discussion by historians Borut Klabjan, Francesco Toncich, and Tullia Catalan.

Environmental Heritage and Generations

The University of Trieste (UNITS) is proud to lead the T4EU Sustainable Heritage Student Competitions, an initiative carried out in collaboration with the Bora Museum and the Innovators Community Lab (ICL – UNITS).

This project invites students to explore innovative approaches to the preservation and enhancement of environmental and intergenerational heritage, fostering greater awareness and active engagement in the context of climate change.

Selection criteria will be based on the evaluation of written (300-word) or visual (3-minute video/poster) proposals that align with the competition themes and demonstrate analytical and creative thinking. 

Through the competition, UNITS aims to stimulate reflection and action on key issues related to cultural and environmental sustainability, encouraging collaborative projects capable of generating both local and replicable impacts. This initiative aligns with the values and activities already developed by the Bora Museum, with a specific focus on:

  • Environmental Heritage: examining the atmospheric, climatic, and landscape dimensions of heritage.
  • Generations: promoting intergenerational dialogue to share and preserve stories, experiences, and memories.

With this challenge, the University of Trieste invites students to explore the role of cultural and creative organizations in disseminating knowledge and raising awareness of the impact of climate change on both tangible and intangible heritage.

Submit your proposal to t4eu.heritage@units.it  by 20th April.