Inauguration of the academic year 2024-2025

On 20 January at 11, in the Great Hall of the Via Festa del Perdono campus, the University of Milan will host the inauguration ceremony of the academic year 2024-2025.

Violinist Davide Alogna and pianist Roberto Pegoraro will open the ceremony by playing Merry-Go-Round of Life from Howl's Moving Castle, and the Italian and European anthems. This musical introduction will be followed by the welcome remarks by Milan's Mayor Giuseppe Sala, and possibly President of the Lombardy Region Attilio Fontana and Alessandro Morelli, Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.

Rector Marina Brambilla will then illustrate the vision and core principles of the new Strategic Plan 2025-2030, which will guide her actions, and those of her Deputy and Vice-Rectors, for the six years to come. Her speech will be followed by those of Director General Angelo Casertano and President of the Student Council Giacomo Pangrazzi.

The keynote speaker of the event will be Paola Bovolenta, Director of the Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC-UAM) and President-elect of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS). She will deliver a speech entitled "Exploring the Unknown: Why Curiosity-Driven Research is Key to Europe's Innovation Future".

The ceremony will end once again on a musical note, with soloists from La Scala Academy María Martín Campos (soprano) and Chao Liu (baritone) performing a selection of operatic pieces by Giacomo Puccini (Quando me'n vo from La Bohème and O mio babbino caro from Gianni Schicchi) and Gioacchino Rossini (Come un'ape ne' giorni d'aprile from La Cenerentola). They will be accompanied by pianist Gianluca Cremona from the advanced course for opera coaches of La Scala Academy.