Uniss celebrates 80 years of Agricultural Sciences

The University of Sassari celebrates the 80th anniversary of the founding of its Faculty of Agriculture, now the Department of Agricultural Sciences, with a rich programme of meetings and discussions. The events connect the history of one of the University’s most representative institutions with the economic, environmental and social challenges facing the agri-food sector.

The main event of the celebrations will take place on Friday, 30 October, in the Aula Magna of Palazzo Segni, home to the Department at Viale Italia 39/A in Sassari. Representatives of public institutions, academic staff, students, graduates and key figures in the history of agricultural sciences in Sassari will gather to discuss the Faculty’s contribution to the cultural, scientific and productive development of Sardinia. The Portrait Gallery will be inaugurated at 8:45 a.m.

This will be more than an anniversary celebration: it will also be an opportunity to reflect on the journey of the University of Sassari’s Department of Agricultural Sciences, recognising its role in educating generations of professionals, advancing scientific knowledge and fostering dialogue with the local community. This wealth of expertise continues to represent a strategic resource for addressing the transformation of agriculture, the protection of natural resources, sustainable production and innovation across agri-food systems.

30 October: institutions, history and future prospects for agricultural sciences in Sassari

The official ceremony will open at 9:00 a.m. with institutional addresses by the Rector of the University of Sassari, Gavino Mariotti; the Mayor of the Metropolitan City of Sassari, Giuseppe Mascia; the Director of the Department of Agricultural Sciences, Ignazio Floris; the Regional Councillor for Agriculture, Francesco Agus, representing President Alessandra Todde; Aldo Salaris, Vice-President of the Regional Council of Sardinia, representing the President of the Regional Council; and Francesco Spanedda, Regional Councillor for Local Authorities, Finance and Urban Planning.

The morning programme will then explore history, economics, research and personal recollections, highlighting the close relationship between agricultural education and Sardinia’s development.

Professor Roberto Furesi, Full Professor of Agricultural Economics, will examine the relationship between the Faculty of Agriculture and farming in Sardinia, starting with the significance of an academic tradition that has accompanied the transformation of the island’s rural and productive sectors. This will be followed by contributions from Professor Giuseppe Pulina, Full Professor of Special Animal Husbandry, and Associate Professor of Agricultural Economics Fabio Madau, who will present an analysis of agricultural science students and graduates over the past twenty years, offering insights into the evolution of the university community and the relationship between education and the professional world.

Personal accounts and recollections will have a particularly prominent place in the programme, helping reconstruct the events, people and decisions that have shaped the identity of the University of Sassari’s Faculty of Agriculture. Laura Manunta will commemorate General Gavino Manunta Martinez, who donated the “Nostra Signoredda” site, while Giovanni Maciocco will retrace the development of the project for the new Faculty of Agriculture. The morning will continue with contributions from Salvatore Mura (“Antonio Segni and the founding of the Faculty of Agriculture”) and Giuseppe Pisanu and Elisabetta Falchi, who will share memories of their experiences as graduates. Contributions are also scheduled from former Rector Alessandro Maida and Rector-elect Omar Chessa.

The closing remarks, scheduled for 12:50 p.m., will be delivered by Giorgio Salvitti, Senator, Ministerial Delegate and Political Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry.

The presence of regional and national institutions, alongside contributions from academics and personal accounts from those who have directly experienced the Faculty’s history, highlights the public significance of an anniversary that concerns not only the University but also Sardinia’s agricultural and agri-food system. In this sector, scientific expertise, innovation, sustainability and the enhancement of local products are increasingly crucial to competitiveness and the economic and social resilience of local communities.

A programme of events focusing on inclusion, production traditions and innovation

The 80th-anniversary celebrations will span almost a month, with four thematic events complementing the main institutional ceremony through discussions on some of the most pressing issues facing the future of agriculture and rural communities. Following the preliminary events on 16 and 23 October and the main celebration on 30 October, the programme will continue on 6 and 13 November.

6 November – “Cultivating the Future”: research and sustainability to address global challenges

On Friday, 6 November, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the Department’s “Antonio Segni” Aula Magna will host the conference Cultivating the Future, featuring Professor Bruno Basso, one of the world’s leading scholars in sustainable agriculture and agro-environmental modelling.

A John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor and Michigan State University Foundation Professor, Basso conducts research into the processes governing water, carbon and nitrogen cycles in agricultural ecosystems, with particular emphasis on the effects of climate change, sustainable resource management and the use of digital technologies in agriculture.

The conference will provide an opportunity to explore how scientific research can contribute to the transformation of production systems, addressing critical issues such as climate change adaptation, resource-use efficiency and the development of innovative farming practices.

As part of the anniversary programme, the event will offer an opportunity to reflect on the future of agriculture in the coming decades, recognising that the ability to combine productivity, environmental protection and innovation will be essential to strengthening the resilience of businesses and rural areas.

13 November – Agrobiodiversity as a strategic driver of sustainable development

The anniversary programme will conclude on Friday, 13 November, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. with the conference Agrobiodiversity as a Strategic Driver of Sustainable Development, to be held in the “Antonio Segni” Aula Magna.

The event will focus on the value of plant genetic resources and the contribution biodiversity can make to addressing climate change, supporting more resilient agricultural production and creating new development opportunities for local communities.

Following institutional addresses by Rector Gavino Mariotti, Department Director Ignazio Floris and Regional Councillor for Agriculture Francesco Agus, speakers will explore the different dimensions of agrobiodiversity: from strategies for protecting and enhancing plant heritage to neglected species; from the links between genetic resources and climate adaptation to ecosystem services; and from there to the economic potential of agricultural biodiversity in Sardinia.

The day will also feature a particularly significant event for the scientific community: the ceremony dedicating the Centre for Plant Biodiversity (Centro per la Biodiversità Vegetale, CBV) to the memory of Professor Innocenza Chessa, a leading figure in research, conservation and the enhancement of Sardinia’s plant heritage.