Sustainable UniStraPg

The Rector's Delegate for Sustainability Policies talks about sustainability at UniStraPg

Students from UniStraPg degree programs share the small everyday actions they take for a more sustainable world

Academic meeting held at the Università per Stranieri di Perugia, as part of the "Culture of Food and Hospitality" festival, with guest of honor Carlo Petrini, founder of Slow Food. The event focused on the urgent discussion of food systems, environmental degradation, and ecological transition, highlighting the pressing need to change production and consumption practices. Petrini delved into the true meaning of "sustainability" as "durability," and criticized the current food system for its unsustainability, attributing to it a significant share of CO2 emissions, massive biodiversity loss, and widespread plastic use. His address aimed to redefine gastronomy, not as a mere culinary spectacle, but as a multidisciplinary science encompassing ethics, political economy, and environmental responsibility, urging students—viewed as key players in the transition—to promote a local economy based on subsistence and fair compensation for farmers.

Interview with the internationally renowned architect and urban planner Stefano Boeri, known for his vision of urban regeneration that integrates people, nature, and the built environment, as exemplified by his celebrated Vertical Forest. The discussion, moderated by Professor Chiara Biscarini, focuses on the concept of the “new anthropocentrism” and the need to rethink cities in light of contemporary crises, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, and social inequality. Boeri argues that a simple return to “normality” after the pandemic is not sufficient; instead, a new approach to design is needed—one that addresses the deep interconnections between these crises. Central topics include a critique of aggressive urbanization, the rediscovery of the neighborhood dimension (the “15-minute city”), and the revitalization of small towns as a strategy to reverse depopulation and promote territorial stewardship, as well as reflections on the role of the university and younger generations in building a more sustainable and equitable future.