How can we interpret our times? How can we understand the profound transformations that are changing politics, democracy and international relations? ‘Challenges of the Present’ is a space for reflection and discussion that attempts to answer these questions together with internationally renowned scholars.

In this first cycle, we will focus on: the evolution of political cultures, with particular attention to the new right, the tensions that threaten the very rules of democracy, the new global scenarios and the role (in crisis?) of the Atlantic Alliance, and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict as a crucial juncture of the present.

We begin and end by looking to the East: because what happens there also deeply affects us. This is not just a series of lectures. It is an invitation to understand the world we live in.

17 October 2025

5 p.m. Antonella Salomoni (University of Bologna) – “Culture Policies and Security Strategies in Contemporary Russia” – Lecture Hall T.1, Polo Zanotto, University of Verona (Viale Università, 4)

24 October 2025

5 p.m. Marc Lazar (Sciences Po – Paris) – “Right-wing Culture and Culture Wars” – Sandro Ruffo Conference Room (Natural History Museum, Lungadige Porta Vittoria, 9; Verona)

21 November 2025

5 p.m. Alessandra Bitumi (University of Teramo) – “The Rise and Crisis of the Atlantic Community” – Sandro Ruffo Conference Room (Natural History Museum, Lungadige Porta Vittoria, 9; Verona)

19 December 2025

5 p.m. ‘What Shakes and Breaks History’ – Round Table discussion based on Marci Shore’s book ‘The Ukrainian Night’ . Speakers: Manuel Boschiero, Olivia Guaraldo, Giacomo Mormino and Carlo Saletti – Veronese Institute for the History of the Resistance – Via Cantarane, 26; Verona