A hundred years in the life of the University of Milan
The University of Milan was officially born on 8 December 1924, after a long gestation process initiated in 1923 by Luigi Mangiagalli, founder and first Rector of the University.
To celebrate its first century, the University of Milan has opted for a polyphonic narrative that embraces all the voices, faces and places of its past, present and future history, constantly interacting with its physical locations and its social and cultural context.
This collective tale is embodied in a programme of events coordinated by Marina Carini, Deputy Rector for the Third mission, cultural activities and social impact, with the support of the Deployment of Intellectual Property and Innovation Division and of artistic director Massimiliano Finazzer Flory. All the events are designed with the specific purpose of renewing the bond between the University of Milan and the academic community, as well as with its city and region, and ultimately Italy as a whole. The University thus becomes the voice not only of memory and tradition, but also of future trends and collective innovation.
The 18-month celebration programme was revealed on 4 April 2023 together with the launch of the virtual museum of the University of Milan (VUMM – Virtual UniMi Museum), the first in a series of five major events taking place between the spring of 2023 and the end of 2024 in various locations throughout the city and on the University premises. The events will explore topics such as Nature, History, Discovery and Beauty and speakers will include important personalities of the cultural and scientific scene, as well as high-profile alumni.
In addition to the five main events, the programme for the 100th Anniversary focuses extensively on contributions by the University departments, which will promote storytelling initiatives regarding prestigious researchers and alumni, discoveries, and technological, cultural or social innovations in their respective fields of studies. These contributions will be included in the project “Cento storie per cento anni” (One hundred stories for one hundred years), a multimedia mosaic of experiences that will be presented to the public from the summer of 2023, on the 100th Anniversary website.
Moreover, the celebrations will be complemented by a short documentary produced for this occasion, where Milan citizens will recount their personal experiences, emotions and opinions about the University of Milan.
