50th Anniversary opening ceremony
- Location: Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (Piazza Vittorio Gui, 1, Florence)
- Time: 10:00-13:15
A landmark institutional occasion bringing together the highest national and European authorities, including Heads of State and Presidents of EU Institutions, as well as local institutions and strategic partners.
The 50th Anniversary marks the official launch of the Institute’s new long-term vision and its 2026–2031 strategy. The event looks firmly to the future, setting the direction for the next chapter of the EUI.
EUI early-stage researchers and students alongside students from Florentine high schools will actively participate in the ceremony marking a symbolic generational handover of passing of the torch from experience to emerging leadership.
For partners, the Anniversary offers an exceptional platform, bringing together leading political and academic figures with the next generation who will shape Europe’s future.
By invitation only.
Ministerial Summit: Universities for the future. Higher education and research in re-imagining Europe
- Location: Refectory, Badia Fiesolana (Via dei Roccettini, 9 – San Domenico di Fiesole)
- Time: 15:00-20:30
This high-profile summit brings together Ministers of Education and Research, selected Foreign Ministers from the Institute’s 24 Contracting States, and European Commissioners to address the role of universities in shaping Europe’s future.
Against the backdrop of pressing political, environmental, and technological challenges, the Summit provides a strategic forum to rethink and strengthen the contribution of European universities to society. Discussions focus on how higher education institutions can drive innovation, resilience, and sustainable development across Europe.
The Ministerial Summit is followed by the spring session of the EUI High Council Meeting, where delegates from the 24 Contracting States and representatives of European institutions convene to address matters related to the EUI’s governance.
A press conference is held on the occasion of the Summit.
By invitation only.
EUI Alumni Forum
The EUI Alumni Forum will begin with a welcome coffee and tea, offering participants an opportunity to gather and reconnect. This will be followed by the EUI Alumni Association Conference, providing a space for reflection and exchange on alumni engagement.
After a short break, the afternoon will continue with the Development and External Relations Service (DEXT) Alumni Keynote addresses. The programme will conclude with a guided visit of OPEN, the exhibition at palazzo Buontalenti ahead of its official opening.
Public event with registration.
Inauguration of Palazzo Buontalenti: Exhibition 'OPEN'
Realised in partnership with the State Property Office (Agenzia del Demanio), the EUI opens a dedicated wing of Palazzo Buontalenti to the public, returning a site of extraordinary historical significance to the city. The new exhibition area encompasses the Garden of San Marco, where Lorenzo il Magnifico established Europe’s first art academy and a young Michelangelo studied, and the historic rooms of the former alchemical ‘Foundry’ of Francesco I de’ Medici. These specific spaces have been transformed into a new hub for knowledge exchange and creativity.
The venue inaugurates with ‘OPEN’, curated by Sergio Risaliti and Stefania Rispoli. This exhibition unites science and imagination through the works of diverse national and international contemporary artists. Placed in dialogue with the research of EUI alumna Johanna Gautier-Morin, the exhibition presents economic life in its productive, reproductive, and destructive forms of human existence. To mark the EUI’s 50th Anniversary, the experience is enriched by ‘Sound Gardens’ and monumental visual mapping on the Buontalenti Courtyard façades, projecting images of the Institute’s community in a narrative where crisis awareness transmutes into civic energy.
The exhibition remains open until October, with public access via Via Cavour 53 – More information to come.
Public event with registration.