Spring School “Democratic Backsliding and Political Conflict” has concluded, focusing on the role of gender inequalities and intersectionality in the dynamics of democratic regression. It involved 20 researchers from across countries. Organized by SNS + EUI, funded by PNRR within the MERITA project.

A short video series from PRIN 2022 “La Galleria Borghese e i suoi pubblici, 1888-1938”, by SNS, Universities of Palermo and Naples Federico II, with Galleria Borghese. First episodes now online: www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

«Beyond its academic rigour, the Normale taught me how to work as part of a team and how to manage complex projects, through structured discussion and clearly defined goals». – Veronica Carpita, #sempernormalista

Out now: "L’età nuova. Umanesimo e Rinascimento" A major new work on Humanism and the Renaissance: 4 volumes, 270 essays, 130+ scholars. Edizioni della Normale - Istituto Nazionale di Studi sul Rinascimento, with support from Regione Toscana. Discover more: bit.ly/489Sw6k

Apply by 15 April for the advanced course "Reading & Surveying Historical Documents" (Pisa, 17–22 May). Focus: medieval/early modern history through the Salviati Archive. For PhDs & early-career researchers. Funded by MERITA (PNRR). www.sns.it/en/node/1116...

At @psl-univ.bsky.social Week, 35 students from the EELISA network collaborated on Nature-Based Solutions, combining science, creativity, and teamwork to design sustainable answers to complex environmental issues. 🔗 Read the full story and explore upcoming opportunities eelisa.eu/nature-based...

The EELISA joint workshop “Sustainability in the age of polycrisis” ends today in Florence. Young researchers and faculty discussed Master’s and PhD projects on sustainability and EU governance, addressing economic, social, environmental and geopolitical challenges. @eelisa.eu

Apply by 7 April to Quantum Science and Technology 2026 – Seasonal School (4–8; 11–15 May). Doctoral training in quantum science, from theory to experiments and applications in communication, computation and sensing. Funded by MERITA (PNRR). www.sns.it/it/evento/qu...

Dario Fo at SNS, 1999: turning a medieval chronicle into living theatre, he transforms words into sound and movement, drawing the audience into the scene. From “I venerdì del Direttore”. Watch the full video: allaenne.sns.it/video/una-le...

Fabio Del Sordo (SNS) is part of the team that discovered a Super-Earth orbiting the star GJ 887 Read the news on Normalenews normalenews.sns.it/un-pianeta-i... @aanda-journal.bsky.social

La Normale delle Idee hosts Peter N. Miller (American Academy in Rome) for “The Relationship Between History and Conservation”. He rethinks conservation as history and history as conservation, tracing their shared roots in early modern antiquarianism. 25 March, 6pm | Pisa & online

If you're a student from one of our member universities and looking to spend part of the semester somewhere new, all current Seasonal Schools opportunities are listed on the EELISA Digital Campus! And new ones are added regularly, so it's worth checking back often. digitalcampus.eelisa.eu/activities

The SNS Spring School “Political Economy of Production and Labour” concludes today. Five days at Palazzo Strozzi to discuss changes in work, global value chains and industrial policies amid geopolitical and environmental crises. The initiative is part of the MERITA project (funded by PNRR).

Around forty of the 381 books removed from the United States Naval Academy Library have been acquired by SNS: copies of the censored titles from the Nimitz Library, now available to the scholarly community at Palazzo Vegni (Florence). Presentation on Monday, March 23 at 11 AM. bit.ly/4sVpShp

Ciampi Lecture: “Resilient Failure? Regulating Human Rights in Global Supply Chains”. Sarosh Kuruvilla (Cornell University) reflects on 25 years of efforts to enforce labour standards in global supply chains. March 23, 5 PM | Palazzo Strozzi (or Teams) @cornellupress.bsky.social

Four upcoming activities born from the winners of our 6th Joint Call are open for applications right now. All open to students from across the EELISA Alliance. Apply at the EELISA Digital Campus: digitalcampus.eelisa.eu/activities

EELISArch is the newest #EECommunity, bringing together 5 architecture schools across the alliance, from BME, @itu1773.tr @upm.es @psl-univ.bsky.social & ZHAW. Together, they commit to training architects who also blend creativity, critical thinking & social responsibility. eelisa.eu/eelisarch-ar...

On 20 March, the SNS is opening its buildings in Piazza dei Cavalieri to the public, for the National Universities Day “Università svelate”. Guided visits to the Archive, Library and Torre della Fame, plus “Alla Normale anche tu” for high school students with a tour of Palazzo della Carovana. More:

«Coming face to face with the ancient civilisations forces us in a certain sense to focus on our own values and to understand better who we are today». – Sara Manfredini, Faculty of Humanities #chifalaNormale

Two literary essay awards to a former student of the Faculty of Humanities of the Scuola Normale, Ilaria Ottria. More on Normalenews: normalenews.sns.it/due-premi-di...

Two PhD students in Computational Methods and Mathematical Models for Science and Finance at SNS, Silvia Onofri and Andrey Shternshis, are cited in a Bloomberg editorial for a paper on random sequences in financial markets with Stefano Marmi. More: normalenews.sns.it/il-lavoro-di... @bloomberg.com

On 11 and 12 March, at SNS Florence, the conference "Political Emotions in Times of Crisis" explored how fear, hope and resentment shape democratic processes. The event was part of the research activities of COSMOS - Centre on Social Movement Studies.

College life is where study meets human connection, the exchange of ideas, shared meals and downtime. Living together means learning, sharing experiences, and building bonds that often last well beyond the academic years. Photo: one of the common areas at the “Aldo Capitini” residence in Florence.

Apply by 11 April 2026 for the #PhD programmes (42nd cycle) in #Humanities at SNS. Fields include Philosophy, Modern & Comparative Literature, Classics, History and Art History. Fully research-focused, with international mobility opportunities. www.sns.it/en/phd-admis...

Antonella Anedda, one of the leading voices in contemporary #poetry, joins La Normale delle Idee for a dialogue on poetry as a space of memory, relation and language. Readings by SNS students. 12 March 2026, 6pm | Pisa (and online)

EELISA has several opportunities coming up - from conversations on urban food systems to entrepreneurship, AI, and inclusiveness in academia to seasonal schools, internships and longer term programs. Take a look and see what might be for you - digitalcampus.eelisa.eu

La Normale delle Idee hosts a talk on women’s bodies as a foundation of legal order. Teresa Angela Camelio, Chief Prosecutor in Pisa, explores the historical roots of gender-based violence and its impact on contemporary criminal law. 10 March 2026, 6pm | Florence (or online)

“8th March 2026: Riding the anti-equality tide, building feminist futures” brings together scholars from SNS, SSSA, Oxford University and CSIC to discuss feminist responses to anti-gender backlash and future paths toward equality. 10 March, 9.30am, Florence (and online): tinyurl.com/3pjycnrt

In the corridors of the Normale, students practice the quiet discipline of attention: time, focus, and effort that refine thought and sharpen perception.

Strato of Lampsacus: radical break from Aristotle or original interpreter? This volume revisits the Hellenistic debate on nature, demonstrating how Strato reworked Aristotelian ideas on teleology, soul and generation. Edited by Luciana Repici, published by #EdizionidellaNormale: tinyurl.com/57b7dzyy

Apply by 30 March to SYNAPSIS 2026 - European School of Comparative Literature (8–12 June). An advanced interdisciplinary summer school for Master’s students, PhD candidates, and early-career researchers exploring “Details” in comparative literature.

On 27 February, SNS and ENS students took part in a day of international dialogue. They met Swiss Ambassador Roberto Balzaretti (Switzerland-Europe relations), then Frédéric Worms, Director of ENS. The day ended with his lecture “Life, Science, Democracy” for La Normale delle Idee.

La Normale delle Idee: “Thinking Bi-nationalism Today: Federative Israeli-Palestinian Politics Amid the Genocide Accusation”. Omri Böhm (@nssrnews.bsky.social, NY) will reflect on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its implications. March 4, 6pm | Sala Azzurra, SNS (and online)

What happens when centuries-old manuscripts meet databases, metadata, and linked open data? In this podcast episode, Valentina Nieri & Camillo Carlo Pellizzari di San Girolamo from @sns.it explore how digital technologies are transforming textual scholarship. 🎧Listen now at linktr.ee/eelisapodcast

Advanced Training Course: Perspective on Research in Logic (18–20 June) – Apply by 31 March. An intensive course on current developments in #logic, from proof theory to non-classical semantics, fostering dialogue and philosophical insight. For PhD students and early-career researchers.

Listen to the EELISA 2.0 podcast episode, “When Texts Meet Tech,” Valentina Nieri and Camillo Pellizzari explore how digital philology is reshaping access to texts through shared standards and collaborative infrastructures. @eelisa.eu More: open.spotify.com/episode/61my...

Frédéric Worms joins the series of La Normale delle Idee for “Life Science Democracy”. The ENS Director reflects on how life, science and democracy are deeply intertwined and why all three face internal and external risks today. @normalesup.bsky.social 27 Feb 2026, 6pm | Sala Azzurra, SNS or online

Apply by 12 March 2026 for the PhD (42nd cycle) in Political and Social Sciences at SNS (2026–2027). Advanced research training on political and social phenomena, with specialized courses, seminars and tailored supervision in an international, English-taught environment: www.sns.it/it/concorso-...

"Seasonal School “GRaviCon 2026. Gravitational Waves" – Apply by 31 March An intensive school for MA, PhD and early-career researchers on gravitational-wave science, linking data analysis, instrumentation and observations. Focus on LVK, Einstein Telescope, LISA, PTA and LiteBIRD. 📅 April 22–24, 2026

☕ EELISA Café On 23 February, the SNS community gathered for a new EELISA Café, exploring opportunities within the European alliance: research and teaching collaborations, joint courses, mobility programmes and shared initiatives. An open space for dialogue and future projects. @eelisa.eu

«One of the most important lessons I learned at the Normale is that every significant achievement requires rigor, discipline, and dedication». – Gianpiero Meazza, #sempernormalista

"Le democrazie in difficoltà": conversation with Sabino Cassese, Emeritus Professor at the SNS and former Constitutional Court judge, on the fragility of contemporary democracies. The next in the series of La Normale delle Idee. February 26, 2026, 3 pm, Sala Azzurra (and online).

Apply by March 15 to the Summer School “Sistemi museali e beni culturali in Toscana: governance e innovazione”, dedicated to museum governance, innovation, and sustainable heritage management, featuring lectures, workshops, and site visits at the Palazzone di Cortona (SNS). 📅 June 1–5, 2026

Did you know that the SNS's first headquarters was the Convent of San Silvestro? After a long debate with the Municipality of Pisa, the French administration’s choice prevailed. On November 1, 1813, the Normale officially opened its doors at the Convent of San Silvestro. #eralaNormale

🎙️ In our latest podcast episode, Hannes Treier shares insights from the Engineers for Europe project, a major European initiative focused on identifying the future skills engineers need and helping universities, industry, and policymakers better prepare the next generation. linktr.ee/eelisapodcast

"Conflitti e forme della partecipazione politica nelle democrazie contemporanee": a conference organized by Lorenzo Bosi (SNS) and Lorenzo Viviani (University of Pisa) on changes in political participation and democratic conflict. Feb 19, 9 am, Palazzo Strozzi, Florence

«Physics fascinates me because it provides powerful tools to understand the reality around us, grasping its deepest underlying mechanisms». – Leonardo Mastropasqua, Faculty of Sciences #chifalaNormale

"Quando il canto non è per l’eroe. Le Sirene tra femminismo e autonomia" is the next event in the La Normale delle Idee series. Adriana Cavarero – feminist philosopher – will be in conversation with Carlotta Cossutta (Unimi) and Massimo Fusillo (SNS). Feb 18, 6 pm, Palazzo della Carovana and online.

At 27, Darwin sketched the tree of life in a small notebook with the words "I think". Science writer David Quammen reflects on this in "The Tree of Life: Genes, Viruses, and Evolution", a discussion with Antonino Cattaneo and Francesco Raimondi (Nov 10, 2020, online). #DarwinDay

Apply by 19 February for the 42nd #PhD cycle of the Faculty of #Sciences at the SNS. Programmes include Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Computational Methods, Neuroscience, and Quantum Technology & Nanoscience, run with EELISA partners @eelisa.eu. More at: www.sns.it/en/phd-admis...