2026 Visiting Scholars GRANTS – CALL FOR APPLICATION (by January, 30)
2026 Visiting Scholars GRANTS – CALL FOR APPLICATION (by January, 30)
In the framework of the “Mobilities: A transdisciplinary framework for research, international teaching and public engagement in the Humanities” Department Development Project (PSD 2023-2027), the DiSSGeA (Department of Historical and Geographic Sciences and the Ancient World; hereinafter referred to as “the Department”) is launching a Call for Applications for Visiting Scholars Grants for the year 2026. The initiative provides the assignment of positions as Visiting Scholars to professors, researchers, and early career scholars (postdoctoral researchers, lectures, etc.) from international universities or research centres.
Each project proposal will be awarded with Euro 2,500 net.
Funding requests must be submitted from 19/12/2025 to 30/01/2026 at 1:00 PM (CET), by using the appropriate online form – accessible at this link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1YcNCFWRY2GF9v16B1NP7UdKEMMi1KXucZKU2G7NmuvM/edit
and written in English.
For any queries please contact: research.dissgea@unipd.it.
Results of the Visiting Scholars Grant 2026 – Mobilities Project
We are pleased to announce the winners of the Visiting Scholars Grants 2026, as part of the
“Mobilities: A transdisciplinary framework for research, international teaching and public
engagement in the Humanities” project (PSD 2023-2027).
After a thorough evaluation of the numerous applications received, the Selection Committee has
identified the following scholars as recipients of the grants:
• Mimi Sheller
• Jen Southern
• Sian Bowen
• Anne Conchon
• Angela Smith
We wish to express our sincere appreciation to all candidates for the quality and excellence of the
proposals submitted. The selection was highly competitive, given the high standard of applications.
We thank everyone for their interest in our project and look forward to future opportunities for
collaboration.
The selected candidates will be contacted regarding the next steps.
Walking through the ‘autistic city’ - Public book presentation | 24 Oct 2025
Walking through the ‘autistic city’ - Public book presentation | 24 Oct 2025
On October 24th, the Geography Museum in Padua hosted a compelling book presentation titled ‘La città autistica’ (The Autistic City). The event, held from 16:30 to 18:00, featured author Alberto Vanolo from the University of Turin, with an introduction by Giada Peterle from our MoHu Centre. Elena Santi, the representative for Accessibility and Inclusion projects at CAM (University Center for Museums of the University of Padua), was also present at the event.
This presentation was part of the NaMUC – Narrative Mobilities of Urban Cultures seminar series, organised within the framework of the WALC – Walking Landscapes of Urban Cultures project. The Paduan unit of the WALC project (PRIN PNRR 2022, funded by the European Union’s NextGeneration EU initiative) is hosted at MoHu.
The event offered attendees a unique opportunity to explore the concept of ‘autistic cities’ and its implications for urban studies and planning. Vanolo’s work likely delves into how urban environments interact with and impact individuals on the autism spectrum, as well as how cities themselves might exhibit ‘autistic-like’ characteristics in their design and function.
This free-entry event not only showcased interdisciplinary research at the intersection of geography, urban studies, and disability studies but also highlighted the University of Padua’s commitment to fostering academic discussions on inclusive urban spaces.”
06 November 2025 | PAESAGGI IN FLUSSO public event
06 November 2025 | PAESAGGI IN FLUSSO public event
On 6 November 2025, the Museum of Geography in collaboration with our MoHu Centre hosted Paesaggi in Flusso, the public presentation of the photographic works developed within the Laboratorio Kalagrafico di Fotografia, coordinated by photographer and visual researcher Opher Thomson and featuring our Landscape Studies students.
The afternoon showcased a range of visual explorations through which students captured landscapes in motion – shifting forms, changing atmospheres and the subtle rhythms that shape places over time. Their work reflected diverse methods and sensibilities, demonstrating how photography can reveal the fluid and dynamic nature of contemporary landscapes.
At 4:30 PM, the presentation opened into a conversation with Giuseppe Tomasella (University of Padova) and Dr. Pere Sala i Marti, Director of the Landscape Observatory of Catalonia, an established and valued foreign stakeholder of the Landscape Studies programme. Dr. Sala offered insights that bridged research, policy and international landscape governance, enriching the dialogue with his longstanding experience.
Together with the students, the speakers discussed the role of photographic practice in understanding and communicating landscape transformations, as well as the opportunities that arise when artistic, academic and professional perspectives meet.
Paesaggi in Flusso not only highlighted the students’ creative engagement but also demonstrated how both new and long-term partners contribute to broadening the MoHu’s research horizons and strengthening learning opportunities within the Landscape Studies programme.
26 Nov 2025 Public Screening | Moving with, and filming, female shepherds
26 Nov 2025 Public Screening | Moving with, and filming, female shepherds
On November 26th, 2025, our Department hosted a compelling event titled “Moving with, and filming, female shepherds in Italy” as part of the “Space, Place and Mobility” course unit held by Chiara Rabbiosi within the Mobility Studies MA.
The highlight of the seminar was the screening of the film “In questo mondo” (In This World) by Anna Kauber, released in 2018. Kauber, the film’s director, presented her work which focuses on the lives and experiences of female shepherds in Italy. The film, shown with English subtitles, offered attendees a unique glimpse into a rarely explored aspect of rural Italian life.
The seminar provided valuable insights into themes of gender, rural livelihoods, and documentary filmmaking. It aligned well with the course’s focus on space and mobility, illustrating how these concepts intersect with traditional practices and gender roles in contemporary Italy.
The event, open to the public with prior registration, drew a diverse audience of students, academics, and external members interested in geography, gender studies, and Italian rural and food cultures. It successfully combined academic discourse with visual storytelling, making it an engaging and educational experience for all attendees.
This seminar was part of a broader European Union-funded initiative, PNRR – M4C2
PRIN PNRR 2022 – NextGenerationEU P20223SFMN – Postdevelopment geographies of Local Food Systems CUP: C53D23008730001.
XVII Seminario di Studi Storico-Cartografici: Dalla mappa al GIS
XVII Seminario di Studi Storico-Cartografici: Dalla mappa al GIS
Il MobiLab ha preso parte al XVII Seminario di Studi Storico-Cartografici: Dalla mappa al GIS, che si è tenuto presso il Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici dell’Università Roma Tre nei giorni 13 e 14 novembre 2025.
L’edizione di quest’anno si è focalizzata sul tema “Culture e tecniche del territorio: Esperienze, ricerche e progetti per la mitigazione dei rischi ambientali”.
Il seminario ha rappresentato un’importante occasione di dibattito sull’utilizzo della cartografia storica e delle metodologie avanzate come i GIS, per recuperare i saperi locali e supportare la corretta progettazione di modelli di ricerca per la gestione dei rischi idrogeologici e sismici.
Il nostro contributo, presentato da Marco Orlandi e Mauro Varotto, è stato intitolato: “La memoria dell’acqua: l’alluvione del 1636 a Ravenna tra cronaca, cartografia storica e rischio idraulico contemporaneo”.
La relazione ha analizzato, attraverso l’utilizzo di un Historical GIS (HGIS), il rapporto diacronico tra la città di Ravenna e le sue acque. Il lavoro ha integrato fonti storiche (cronache dell’alluvione del 1636, cartografia settecentesca delle sistemazioni dei fiumi Ronco e Montone) con i dati geospaziali contemporanei. Lo studio ha evidenziato come la conoscenza del passato, supportata dalle tecnologie HGIS, sia uno strumento essenziale per la comprensione e la pianificazione del rischio idraulico attuale, soprattutto alla luce degli eventi come l’alluvione del maggio 2023.
Archivio Storico Comunale di Ravenna. Mappe, 243
https://www.cdc.classense.ra.it/s/Classense/item/26901
5th DARIAH-HR International Conference Digital Humanities & Heritage 2025
5th DARIAH-HR International Conference
Digital Humanities & Heritage 2025
MobiLab participated in the 5th DARIAH-HR International Conference Digital Humanities & Heritage, which was held in Osijek, Croatia, from October 22nd to 24th, 2025.
Our contribution, presented during the poster session (viewable here), was titled “3D in Cultural Heritage: 25 years of (r)evolution from the new millennium to AI”.
The research analyzed how 3D technologies consolidated their position in the methodology for documenting, analyzing, and disseminating cultural heritage between 2000 and 2025. This evolution, which profoundly transformed tools, workflows, and costs, established Digital Heritage as an autonomous and mature discipline.
The analysis focused on the two fundamental research lines of 3D: the acquisition of tangible heritage and 3D modelling for historical reconstruction.
Regarding acquisition, the poster illustrated the transition from initial systems like 3D Scanners and Structure from Motion (SfM) applications to the recent techniques of Generative AI (GenAI), such as Neural Radiance Field (NeRF). These innovations were shown to increase accessibility by enabling high-resolution acquisition straight from video with minimal post-processing.
For historical modelling, the research mapped the fragmentation of the methodological workflow: moving from a single-software environment to the combined use of various specialized applications.
Finally, the study highlighted the impact of AI, which, by automating the creation of complete 3D models from image or text input, is opening new frontiers for the realization of historical virtual scenes and digital characters.
