Why fund frontier research? – The role of journalism in answering a crucial question for society
Friday 5 September 2025
Auditorium, Center for Convergent Technologies, IIT
Via Morego 30, Genoa, Italy
Why fund frontier research?
The role of journalism in answering a crucial question for society
PROVISIONAL PROGRAM
10:00-10:05 – Welcome address Giorgio Metta, Scientific Director, IIT
10:05-10:20 – Welcome addresses Michele Mazzola (Director of the Research Internationalization Office at the Italian Ministry of University and Research), Michele Guerrini (Italian Counsellor for Research and Innovation to European Union)
10:20-11:10 – Is there a recipe for true innovation?
Maria Leptin (President, ERC), Giorgio Metta (Scientific Director, IIT), Brando Benifei (MEP, and STOA Member), Agnieszka Wykowska (AERG Board Member, IIT), Axel Cleeremans (AERG President, ULB)
Moderator: Fabio Turone (Center for Ethics in Science and Journalism, FRONTIERS Project)
11:10-11:30 – Best practices for a fruitful cooperation between scientists and journalists: some wisdom from the FRONTIERS project
Daniela Ovadia (Center for Ethics in Science and Journalism, FRONTIERS Project)
Coffee break 11:30-11:50
11:50 – 12:40 – Is the media’s role to inform, promote, or hold to account?
Agnès Vernet (President, European Federation for Science Journalism), Edward Day (Science Media Center UK), Terry O’Connor (Head of special projects, EMBO), Marcin Monko (Head of Sector Media and content, ERC)
Moderator: Daniela Ovadia (Center for Ethics in Science and Journalism, FRONTIERS Project)
12:40 – 13:00 – Will there actually be a pre and post AI era?
Theodoros Evgeniou (Director of the INSEAD Executive Education program)
13:00 – 13:20 – The “Ambassadors for the ERC” network – in collaboration with AERG
Axel Cleeremans (AERG President, ULB), Giuseppe Paternò (Polimi), Susi Geiger (UCD, remote), Mona Simion (University of Glasgow, remote). Moderator: Alexandra Borissova (Center for Ethics in Science and Journalism, FRONTIERS Project)
14:30 – 16:00 Visit to IIT labs
PLEASE REGISTER HERE FOR ATTENDING THE EVENT
https://forms.office.com/e/mXpur22Vtd
The event is jointly organised by the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), The Frontiers project (funded by the European Research Council) and the Association of ERC Grantees (AERG)
