The University of Bologna at the Osaka EXPO for “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”

A delegation from the University, led by Deputy Rector Simona Tondelli, is currently attending EXPO 2025 Osaka, the World Expo held in Japan until 13 October, centred around the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives.”

Among the scheduled initiatives is a special international edition of LaBo2030, broadcast live from Japan. For the first time, four teams of students (two Italian and two Japanese) will discuss in English two crucial topics: sustainable mobility and food sustainability.

The event will take place on Thursday, 25 September, on the day marking the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the 2030 Agenda by the UN General Assembly. It will be streamed live from Osaka and Bologna, where participation will only be possible in person, in Room 1 of the Unione Building of the University of Bologna (via Azzo Gardino, 33 – Bologna), starting from 8:00 a.m. The meeting will connect Italian and Japanese schools: IIS Belluzzi Fioravanti (Bologna) – winner of the 2024 edition of LaBo2030; IIS Ettore Majorana (San Lazzaro di Savena) – special mention 2024 for originality; Kokusai Assumption School (Osaka) – two participating classes.

The activities are the result of a training course started in spring, guided by research groups from the Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering - DICAM and the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences - DISTAL, which supported the students in developing project proposals, reflections, and good practices. The initiative is part of the PENTRER project, promoted by Emilian universities – University of Bologna, Ferrara, Parma, Modena and Reggio Emilia – and supported by the Emilia-Romagna Region.
In addition to the debate with the schools, the University of Bologna will also be present at the EXPO with a video installation featuring interactive quizzes on climate change and youth engagement, and with a presentation of scientific pitches by PhD students, who will share their research projects in an accessible and engaging way for an international audience.

The days in Osaka also provided the opportunity for the signing of a letter of intent between the University, the IRCCS – Bologna University Hospital Authority, and the University of Tsukuba Hospital, with the aim of carrying out research activities in the field of Precision Medicine, particularly regarding the clinical aspects of molecular biology applied to direct patient care (prevention, diagnosis, drug and treatment development).

Deputy Rector Simona Tondelli also delivered the University’s institutional greetings at the event “United Nations University on AI and the impact of AI on the future of our societies,” reiterating the importance of international collaboration in the face of one of the most decisive challenges of our time – understanding and managing the impact of artificial intelligence on the future of our societies.

“The collaboration between the University of Bologna and the United Nations University - stated Deputy Rector Tondelli - represents a unique laboratory of shared knowledge and responsibility: combining the academic and scientific expertise of the University of Bologna with the global mission of the United Nations University means harnessing the power of big data and artificial intelligence to address the transformations of human habitat — climate change, migration, urbanisation — and to respond with solutions that reflect the diverse needs of nations, including those of the Global South”.

Photo Credits EXPO OSAKA: Emilia - Romagna Region