11.30 am - 5.30 pm
February 19, 2026
Venice International University, San Servolo Island
This conference will explore the polar regions as critical observatories of planetary change and global responsibility.
Scholars and scientists from VIU member institutions, including leading experts in ocean science, climate research, environmental humanities, and emerging technologies, will meet at VIU for a one-day conference to exchange perspectives across disciplines and geographies.
The program highlights Italy’s scientific presence in the Arctic and examines why the poles are central to climate regulation and sea-level dynamics.
It addresses future challenges in ocean science, reflects on the symbolic link between Venice and the North Pole, and emphasizes shared vulnerabilities in water-shaped environments.
Program
Welcome address
11.30 Umberto Vattani – President of Venice International University
11.45 Roberto Rossetto – President of the Venice Lagoon Authority
12.00 - Session 1
Italy in the Arctic: Scientific Presence, Knowledge, and Global Responsibility
Giuliana Panieri – CNR, Director of the Institute of Polar Sciences
Why the Poles Matter
Carlo Barbante – Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Accademia dei Lincei
The Law and the Arctic: Maritime Claims and Navigational Routes
Ilaria Tani – University of Milan Bicocca
Polar Humanities
Shaul Bassi – Ca’ Foscari University of Venice
13.00 - Session 2
Jörg Schäfer – Bordeaux University (online)
Living with Climate Change on the Arctic Coast of Russia
Valeria Vasilyeva – European University at St. Petersburg
Russia and the Arctic. A Hundred Years of “Appropriation”
Andreas Renner – Ludwig Maximilian University (online)
13.45 Lunch
14.45 - Session 3
Future Challenges in Ocean Science: The Role of Polar Regions
Mario Sprovieri – CNR (Venice), Director of the Institute of Marine Sciences
International Law and Polar Science in the Arctic: A Complementary Perspective
Fiammetta Borgia - Tor Vergata University of Rome, Director of the Italian Centre for the Law of the Sea
Venice and the Arctic: Fragile Commons at the Frontlines of Climate Change
Paolo Sommaggio – University of Padua (online)
Venice and the North Pole
Egidio Ivetic – Fondazione Cini, San Giorgio Venezia, Interdisciplinary Centre, Accademia dei Lincei
Italy and the Arctic: the values of cooperation in a rapidly changing region
Agostino Pinna – Special Envoy for the Arctic, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (online)
16.00 Coffee Break
16.30 - Session 4
From Antarctica to the Moon: Lessons for Lunar Settlements
Giovanni Zanalda – Duke University (online)
INAF, Solaris & Space Weather from the Artic
Roberto Ragazzoni – President of the National Institute for Astrophysics, Accademia dei Lincei
Arctic Tensions between History and Practice in Science and Space Diplomacy
David Burigana – University of Padua
17.15 Quantum Technologies for the Environment: Towards a “Third Paradise”?
Massimo Inguscio – Accademia dei Lincei
17.30 Closing Remarks Umberto Vattani – President of Venice International University
Moderator
Carmelo Marabello – Dean of Venice International University
