Date: Saturday, 8 February 2025
Organisers: Serena Laiena and UCD – Italian Section Staff
Summary: On 8th February 2025, the Incontro degli Italianisti in Irlanda was held at the University College Dublin. The event was opened with the institutional welcome of the UCD Head of the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics, the Head of the Italian Section, the organisers, and the Italian Ambassador in Dublin, Nicola Faganello, who participated in the first session of the Incontro and joined us for the third session of the event at the Italian Institute of Culture.
Session 1 featured the presentation of the research projects led by doctoral and postdoctoral researchers currently based in Ireland. With twelve presentations, this session provided participants with an overview of the new research landscape for Italian Studies in Ireland and created an opportunity for PhDs and postdocs to network with other Irish-based Italianists.
Session 2, after the lunch break, consisted of a discussion on three of the most pressing issues within our discipline: 1) Funding and future of the humanities; 2) AI in Research and Teaching; 3) Global Italian Studies. The discussion – articulated in three focus groups and followed by a plenary session – gave us the opportunity to collegially address key critical concerns and advance constructive proposals to be reported back to our institutions.
Session 3, held at the Italian Institute of Culture, consisted of the presentation of a recent bestseller novel, La ricreazione è finita by Dario Ferrari (Sellerio, 2023). The author of the book was in conversation with Mara Josi (UCD), Serena Laiena (UCD) and Serena Vandi (TCD) and engaged with the audience during a long and lively Q&A session. Revolving around the vicissitudes of a PhD student, the book offered lay audiences a unique opportunity to gain insight into academic life while inviting scholars to engage in a meaningful discussion about the challenges faced by early-career researchers in both Italian and international academic contexts.