by InTrieste
The University of Udine opened its academic year on Monday, 19 January, with a ceremony that highlighted both the institution’s civic mission and the challenges facing Italian higher education, from contested national reforms to demographic pressures on the academic workforce.
The event, held at the Via Tomadini campus, marked the first inauguration for Rector Angelo Montanari and took place as the region commemorates the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Friuli earthquake, after which the university was founded as part of the area’s reconstruction.
Criticism of the national “filter semester” for medical studies featured prominently. Montanari acknowledged the university’s efforts to implement the system but called for corrections, warning that students should not discover months into the year that their studies cannot continue.
Montanari also outlined plans to strengthen the university’s regional presence, describing Udine as a “diffuse university city” with campuses in Udine, Pordenone, Gemona and Gorizia. He warned of longer-term risks as more than a third of the university’s teaching staff is expected to retire within the next decade, stressing the need for national-level support to avoid strain on the system.
The keynote lecture was delivered by Andrea Riccardi, historian, former minister and founder of the Community of Sant’Egidio, who reflected on the possibility of peace in what he called an “age of force,” marked by rearmament and the weakening of diplomacy and dialogue.
Local and regional officials also addressed the ceremony, emphasizing public investment in higher education and policies aimed at guaranteeing access to the right to study. Together, the remarks framed the university as both a regional anchor and a place for critical reflection at a time of profound social and geopolitical change.
