The Arctic: Challenges for Science Diplomacy
2nd Edition of the International School of Science Diplomacy
Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture,
Erice (TP) – Italy, 4th – 10th October 2026
Programme
(Vers. 28 September 2026 subject to change)
Sunday, 4th October 2026
| PM | Participants Arrival | |
| 19:00 | 21:30 | Course presentation/Ice breaker and Welcome Dinner A memory of Prof. Antonino Zichichi, pioneer in Science Diplomacy with Lorenzo Zichichi |
Monday, 5th October 2026
Science Diplomacy: History, Visions and Perspectives
| 09:00 | 09:45 | Welcome from School Directors: David Burigana (University of Padua), Virginia Coda Nunziante (National Research Council of Italy), Pascal Griset (Sorbonne University and University of Ottawa), Stefano Mannino (Centre for Defense Higher Studies), Umberto Vattani (Venice International University) Institutional welcome greetings: Andrea Lenzi (President of National Research Council of Italy), Lamberto Maria Moruzzi (Deputy Director General-Directorate General for Growth and Export Promotion – MAECI and Principal Director for Science, Space and Sports diplomacy) |
| 09:45 | 10:30 | The dual nature of science diplomacy, Pierre-Bruno Ruffini (University of Le Havre Normandy, France) |
| 10:30 | 11:00 | Coffee Break |
| 11:00 | 11:45 | Science diplomacy in History, Léonard Laborie (CNRS – Paris) Focus on Arctic and Italy: an operational History, David Burigana (University of Padua) |
| 11:45 | 12:15 | Discussion |
| 12:15 | 13:00 | Round Table: Europe-Canada: Arctic and Science Diplomacy Moderator: Pascal Griset (Sorbonne University and University of Ottawa) Speakers: Costanza Conti (Italian Scientific Attaché in Canada), Paolo Quattrocchi (Centro Studi Italia-Canada), Alexane Thibodeau (Government of Quebec in Italy) |
| 13:00 | 13:30 | Discussion |
| 13:30 | 15:30 | Lunch and break |
| 15:30 | 18:30 | Wargaming activities: “Science & Diplomacy in the Arctic” |
| 20:00 | Dinner | |
| 21:30 | 22:30 | Book Nook: Embrangled Science Diplomacy. A history of challenges and failures. Actors, dynamics, arenas, diplomatic objects since the 1960s, edited by D. Burigana and L. Laborie, discussed by Daniele Pasquinucci (University of Siena, President of Società italiana di Storia internazionale – SiSi), Raasmus Bertelesen (The Arctic University of Norway) |
Tuesday, 6th October 2026
Arctic: Science, Geopolitics and Cooperation
| 09:00 | 10:05 | Space and the Arctic Region, Roberto Battiston (University of Trento) |
| 10:05 | 11:10 | The Italian model of civil-military cooperation in the poles, Carlo Di Somma (Italian Join Steering Committee for the Arctic, Sub Arctic and Antarctic Environment) |
| 11:10 | 11:40 | Coffee Break |
| 11:40 | 12:45 | The Arctic as a complex system: from ocean physics to Science Diplomacy, Sandro Carniel (Institute of Polar Science – CNR) |
| 13:30 | 15:30 | Lunch and break |
| 15:30 | 18:30 | Wargaming activities: “Science & Diplomacy in the Arctic” |
| 20:00 | Dinner |
Wednesday, 7th October 2026
| 08:30 | 15:00 | Excursion: Archeological Site, Segesta |
| 15:30 | 18:30 | Wargaming activities: “Science & Diplomacy in the Arctic” |
| 20:00 | Dinner |
Thursday, 8th October 2026
Polar Region and Strategic Routes
| 09:00 | 10:05 | Italian Navy High North program, Maurizio Demarte (Marine Geophysics and Geometoc Dept., Italian Navy), Roberta Ivaldi (Italian Hydrographic Institute) |
| 10:05 | 11:10 | Research programmes and national strategy documents for the Arctic policies of the Nordic countries, Augusto Marcelli (Italian Scientific Attaché in Sweden) |
| 11:10 | 11:40 | Coffee Break |
| 11:40 | 12:45 | Greenland’s mineral resources and the semiconductor industry’s materials supply chain. A problem for science, technology and diplomacy, Alessandro Paccagnella (University of Padua) |
| 13:30 | 15:30 | Lunch and break |
| 15:30 | 18:30 | Wargaming activities: “Science & Diplomacy in the Arctic” |
| 20:00 | Dinner | |
| 21:30 | 22:30 | Action Nook: CA “Science in Diplomacy Network (SiDnet)” discussed by Gianluigi Riva (Bocconi University and Chair of SiDnet), Raasmus Bertelesen (The Arctic University of Norway) |
Friday, 9th October 2026
Global Science Diplomacy and Future Challenges
| 09:00 | 10:05 | The Arctic in the Era of Global Change, Florian Vidal (The Arctic University of Norway) |
| 10:05 | 11:10 | Building a European Union framework for science diplomacy, Jan Marco Mueller (Science Diplomacy and Multilateral Relations, EC, DG Research and Innovation) |
| 11:10 | 11:40 | Coffee Break |
| 11:40 | 13:15 | Round Table: Schools and International Projects on Science Diplomacy in Dialogue Moderator: Francesca Tolve (National Research Council of Italy) Speakers: Marcelo Knobel (The World Academy of Sciences – TWAS), Emanuela Colombo (Politecnico di Milano), Elke Dall (Centre for Social Innovation – ZSI, Austria), Alessandro Lombardo (Executive Secretariat of the Central European Initiative – CEI) |
| 13:30 | 15:30 | Lunch and break |
| 15:30 | 18:00 | Round Table among Students – Moderators: Claudio Barchesi (National Research Council of Italy), Marco Ferrazzoli (National Research Council of Italy) |
| 18:00 | 18:45 | Closing Ceremony (Attendance certificate, Group photo, Course evaluation form) Moderators: Umberto Vattani (Venice International University), Gaetano Virgilio (Centre for Defense Higher Studies) |
| 20:00 | Gala Dinner |
Saturday, 10th October 2026
| 9:00 | 9:30 | Departure (leave the room by 9.30 am) |
