Waiting for Researchers’ Night: University of Bologna science comes to the city

Ahead of Researchers’ Night which will bring the city to life on Friday 25 September, Waiting for the Night, returns with a packed programme of events. Organised by the SOCIETY consortium, bringing together the University of Bologna, CNR, CINECA, INAF, INFN, INGV and the University of Ferrara, the initiative brings research closer to the public, showing how knowledge can contribute to collective growth and offering a glimpse into the everyday work of those shaping the future.
The University of Bologna will bring science out of academia through a lively programme of activities for people of all ages, in Bologna and across its campuses.

On 6 September, from 9:30 a.m. to 16:00 p.m., the Acqua&Fitness Sports Centre (Via E. Nardi 2, Ozzano dell’Emilia) will host the T1D Challenge, a sports tournament open to children, young people and adults with type 1 diabetes, their families, and anyone wishing to share a day combining sport, fun and research. Organised by the University of Bologna in collaboration with the Paediatrics Unit of IRCCS Sant’Orsola, AGD Bologna AGD Bologna and Piscine Palestre SO.GE.SE., the event will feature a pairs swimming relay race, followed by a session dedicated to sharing the latest research on type 1 diabetes.

On 8 September, at 6 p.m., Palazzo d’Accursio (Sala Tassinari, Piazza Maggiore 6) will host Health: genetics, precision medicine and lifestyles, a science over drinks event exploring healthy and sustainable lifestyles. Marco Malaguti and Cecilia Prata, Professors of Biochemistry at the University of Bologna, will be joined by Giovanna Lattanzi (CNR IGM) and Riccardo Ridolfi (INFN Bologna), with Matteo Massicci (ICSC) moderating the discussion.

The event is part of the Capire il presente, per costruire il futuro (Understanding the Present to Build the Future) series, a programme of public engagement events exploring contemporary research and technological innovation, organised by the University of Bologna in collaboration with CNR, CINECA, INFN, INAF, INGV and the University of Ferrara.

On 12 September, from 11:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m., Making Science in Bolognina – Living Well-being will offer three events exploring food, movement, art, music and culture.

At Mercato Albani, at 11 a.m., at the “Bollore” Vermoutheria, Dalle piante ai cocktail: la scienza nel tuo bicchiere (From Plants to Cocktails: Science in Your Glass) will feature Ilaria Chiocchio, researcher in Pharmaceutical Biology.  This will be followed by a community lunch featuring a range of culinary offerings, organised by the “Amici del Mercato Albani” Association.

At Bonobo (Via A. di Vincenzo 16/a), at 2 p.m., Oltre al piatto. Il cibo tra cultura e identità (Beyond the Plate: Food, Culture and Identity)  will feature Antonella Campanini, Professor of Medieval History.  At 4 p.m., I The del Mondo (Teas of the World) will explore the ritual of tea as an opportunity to foster awareness, hospitality and connection, while at 5 p.m. a selection of illustrated books curated by Libreria Sette Volpi will be presented for children aged four and over.

At the Kaye Niaw Couture Social Tailoring Workshop (Via A. di Vincenzo 18/a), meanwhile, a tasting of natural Senegalese juices and Touba coffee will be held at 3 p.m.

On 22 September, at 6 p.m., Palazzo d’Accursio (Sala Tassinari, Piazza Maggiore 6) will host another event in the Capire il presente, per costruire il futuro (Understanding the Present to Build the Future) series. The science over drinks event Digital Twin, Data and Models for Complex Systems will explore how data, supercomputing and Artificial Intelligence can be used to develop new tools for studying cities, territories and mobility, supporting more informed and sustainable decision-making. Speakers will include Armando Bazzani (University of Bologna and INFN), Antonio Costantini (CINECA) and Beatriz Martinez (INGV), with Stefano Marcellini (INFN) moderating the discussion.

On 23 September, at 4 p.m., the Aula Absidale di Santa Lucia (Via de’ Chiari 25/a) will host the ceremony for the conferral of an Honorary Doctorate on Kelly Chibale, a Zambian chemist and academic internationally recognised for his contribution to the discovery of new medicines. His scientific work focuses in particular on drug discovery and on developing models and tools aimed at improving treatments for people of African origin or ancestry. Professor Chibale has received numerous national and international awards and honours, including the Royal Society Africa Prize (2023). He has also appeared in several global rankings and lists, including New African’s 100 Most Influential Africans and The Medicine Maker’s Power List.

Also on 23 September, at 6 p.m., Biblioteca Salaborsa (Auditorium Enzo Biagi, Piazza Nettuno 3) will host another event as part of GenerAzioni, a city-wide initiative created to highlight the social, cultural and economic impact of research carried out by University of Bologna PhD candidates. Some of the research projects with the greatest potential impact on society will be presented, while the audience will be invited to engage directly with the PhD candidates in a lively Q-storm of questions about their research. There will be three sessions: Arrivano i super ricicloni: alla scoperta dei batteri Rhodococcus (Here Come the Super Recyclers: Discovering Rhodococcus Bacteria), with Umberto Genchi, PhD candidate in Molecular Biology; Chi si prende cura di me? Il Caregiver (Who Takes Care of Me? The Caregiver), with Graziano Gigante, PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology; and Scacco allo stress delle piante: manuale di sopravvivenza vegetale per un ambiente che cambia (Checkmate for Plant Stress: A Survival Guide for Plants in a Changing Environment), with Ginevra Marie Eloise Peppi, PhD candidate in Molecular Biology. The event will be moderated by Sandro Bardelli, researcher at INAF.

On 24 September, at 10 a.m., Bologna’s Rocco D’Amato Prison will host a multi-speaker talk entitled Prendersi cura attraverso la conoscenza (Caring through Knowledge). Following an online welcome from the National Conference of Rectors’ Delegates for University Prison Programmes, the event will be led by Professor Paolo Zurla, the University of Bologna’s Delegate for the University Prison Programme.

Also on 24 September, at 4 p.m., the Aula Absidale di Santa Lucia (Via de’ Chiari 25/a) will host the ceremony for the conferral of the University of Bologna’s Sigillum Magnum on Joel Mokyr. Born in the Netherlands and raised in Haifa, Israel, Mokyr graduated in Economics and History from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem before continuing his studies at Yale University, where he obtained a Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) and a PhD in Economics. He holds the Robert H. Strotz Professorship of Arts and Sciences and is Professor of Economics and History at Northwestern University in Illinois. Over the course of his academic career, he has held numerous prestigious positions and has been elected to several leading scholarly academies, including the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the British Academy, the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei. The author of numerous internationally renowned publications, he is considered one of the world’s leading scholars of economic history and technological innovation. In 2015, he was awarded the Balzan Prize for economic history and in 2025 received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for “having explained the prerequisites for sustained growth through technological progress”.
By awarding him the Sigillum Magnum, the University of Bologna pays tribute to a scholar whose rigorous and interdisciplinary research has made a profound contribution to our understanding of the historical, economic and cultural forces that have shaped the development of modern societies.

On the same day, at 5 p.m., the Conference Hall of Banca di Bologna (Piazza Minghetti 4/d) will host the Bologna PhD Prize 2026, established by the University of Bologna together with Banca di Bologna to recognise doctoral theses with the potential to make a social impact on the local community in the humanities, sciences, social sciences, technology and medicine. The ten best finalist theses will be presented, followed by the announcement of the five winners.

Waiting for the Night across the University of Bologna Campuses

In Cesena, on 16 and 22 September at 4 p.m., the Biblioteca Malatestiana (Sala Proiezioni, Piazza Bufalini 1) will host two afternoons of films, discussions and insights. Cinema will provide the starting point for exploring themes related to food and nutrition with experts, in sessions moderated by Stefano Scioli, Professor at the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences.

Il gusto che rompe le regole: cibo, desiderio e comunità (The Taste that Breaks the Rules: Food, Desire and Community) is the title of the first event, which will explore food as a means of challenging habits, conventions and social relationships. The film will provide an opportunity to reflect on the symbolic value of taste and its potential to become a vehicle for change, sharing and openness within a community.

The second event, A tavola tra culture: cucina, identità e incontro (At the Table Across Cultures: Food, Identity and Encounters), will explore the kitchen as a space where different traditions, identities and cultures meet, highlighting how food can express belonging and memory while also fostering exchange, dialogue and mutual understanding between seemingly distant worlds.

In Ravenna, on 24 September at 4 p.m., the Biblioteca Classense (Via Baccarini 3) will host PhD City Fest – Research for the City. Following the opening remarks, at 4:15 p.m. Gianluca Rossi, editor of Corriere Romagna, will moderate a discussion with PhD candidates from the PhD programme in Cultural and Environmental Heritage. At 6 p.m., a reception and Poster Session will follow, with PhD candidates presenting their research through illustrated posters and offering visitors an opportunity to discover current research projects directly from those working on them every day.

In Rimini, on the same day at 9 p.m., the Cineteca Comunale (Via A. Gambalunga 27) will host Aspettando la Notte... al cinema. Cosa significa fare ricerca oggi? (Waiting for the Night... at the Cinema. What Does It Mean to Do Research Today?). A screening of Smetto quando voglio (I Can Quit Whenever I Want) will be followed by an open discussion with academics and researchers from the Department for Life Quality Studies on the value of research and its future prospects.

In Forlì, on 24 September at 5:30 p.m., Bar Volume (Piazzale Igino Lega) will host Beyond Healthcare. Community as an Infrastructure for Innovation, an evening exploring a vision in which the community is not simply the context in which care takes place, but its very infrastructure. The initiative is organised as part of the Festival del Buon Vivere, thanks to a collaboration between the Forlì Campus and IRST (Romagna Institute for the Study of