SuperScienceMe 2026, four days of research and dialogue between the Mediterranea and the local area

Open workshops, meetings with schools, discussions on rights and opportunities for young people: the results of the European Researchers' Night

Four days to learn about research in its many facets, meet its leaders, and discuss its contribution to society. On September 24, 25, 26, and 28, the University of Reggio Calabria welcomed students, families, citizens, and institutional representatives for the thirteenth edition of SuperScienceMe – Science is our North Star, as part of the European Researchers' Night.

Organized in collaboration between the three Calabrian universities, the University of Basilicata, and the CNR structures of the two regions, with funding from the Calabria Region, the patronage of the CRUI, and the support of the Metropolitan City and the Municipality of Reggio Calabria, the event combined scientific dissemination, laboratory experiences, public meetings, and cultural initiatives, involving university spaces and various venues throughout the city.

The relationship between knowledge, institutions and community has been a constant throughout the day. 

On Thursday, September 24 , the “Night and Science in the Council” meeting at Palazzo Campanella opened the program with a discussion between young people and local and regional institutions. 

This afternoon, the conference sponsored by the Presidency of the Court of Auditors, "Evolution of Audit and Reform of Treasury Liability, from a Simplification and Effectiveness Perspective," began in the Quistelli Audit Hall. President Guido Carlino participated. The meeting brought together magistrates, academics, students, professionals, and civil and military authorities. In his remarks, Carlino emphasized the connection between the accounting judiciary and academia and addressed the relationship between protecting the public interest, administrative simplification, and effective audits, emphasizing the need to combat so-called "defensive bureaucracy."

The day concluded with the presentation of the book "Find Hope, O Ye Who Enter Here" by Fabrizio Pomes, promoted by the Rector's Delegate for the University Penitentiary Center, Arturo Capone, at the AVE Bookshop, and with the screening of the film "Ex Machina" at the University Cineforum, organized by the University CineLab and the Charlie Chaplin Film Club.

On Friday, September 25 , in the Engineering Aula Magna, the University plenary session focused on the departments' research activities and their contribution to regional development. The discussion was enriched by a discussion on the local innovation ecosystem between City Councilor Filomena Iatì and Deputy Pro-Rector Massimo Lauria. Gennaro Calabrese's talk, "The Search for Regginity," concluded the morning, proposing, through the language of irony, a reflection on identity and belonging to the region. 

With “Experimenta la Ricerca”, students and citizens visited the ABITALab, MATeRICs and TCLab Envelope Instrumental Research Laboratories and the Gallina Educational-Experimental Company. 

On the same morning, the renovated spaces of the Structures and Materials Testing Laboratory were inaugurated at the Engineering Building.

In the afternoon, as part of the GENDER SPACE event, the University and the Marisa Bellisario Foundation signed the "Network for the Future" agreement, in the presence of Rector Giuseppe Zimbalatti and the Foundation's president, Lella Golfo. The collaboration aims to promote gender equality, enhance female talent in scientific disciplines, and strengthen the relationship between the university and business culture.

The events continued along the Italo Falcomatà seafront, at the NOEL Laboratory, the starting point of the experiential walk "Research Step by Step." The butterfly exhibition, curated by the Department of Agriculture in collaboration with the Aspromonte Park, and the sunset concert by the Mediterranean University Ensemble completed the day's program.

On Saturday, September 26 , over 500 students attended a meeting with Heba Hagrass, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, in the Quistelli Auditorium. The discussion focused on the value of education, self-determination, and participation in society. The call to cultivate one's aspirations and to be open to encounters with others accompanied the reflection on the commitment needed to make schools, universities, and cities accessible. The presentations by local institutions and MEP Giusy Princi reiterated the importance of shared responsibility in promoting inclusion and removing barriers.

On Monday, September 28, the award ceremony for the newly graduated PhDs concluded the event, focusing attention on young people and the prospects that advanced training can offer. The entrance of the academic procession, accompanied by the University Polyphonic Choir conducted by Maestro Claudio Bagnato, opened the meeting in the Quistelli Aula Magna.

In his keynote address, "The Right to Remain," journalist and Corriere della Sera columnist Francesco Verderami addressed the topic of career and life opportunities in one's hometown: leaving must be a choice, just as staying must be. The reflection connected the fight against depopulation with the valorization of skills, the opportunities offered by innovation, and the contribution of universities to Calabria's development. Filippo Caccamo's closing remarks, with his "unsolicited advice for the day after graduation," accompanied the celebrations for the new PhD graduates and their families.

"Opening our classrooms and laboratories and sharing the daily work of research, a demanding yet exciting endeavor, means sharing an essential part of university life with the community ," said Rector Giuseppe Zimbalatti. " SuperScienceMe is an opportunity to showcase our University's expertise, strengthen our ties with the local community, foster a passion for knowledge in young people, and develop their skills and talents ."

" These days have emphasized the dialogue between research, education, and society, thanks to the contribution of the university community and the engagement with guests of national and international standing ," emphasized Deputy Pro-Rector Massimo Lauria. " The public value of research is strengthened when the University shares its questions, methods, and results and explores its impact on the community. The Researchers' Night makes this dialogue accessible and opens up new opportunities for participation and growth ."