On 23 October 2025, the third edition of “Viva Marga – Margherita Hack e la Luna” competition opened in Gorizia celebrating the legacy of the renowned Italian astrophysicist and her pioneering role in opening the world of science to women and younger generations.
The CEI was pleased to support the launch of this initiative and help increase the participation across its Member States encouraging youth engagement with science and creativity and fostering people-to-people contact.
The morning programme took place at the University of Trieste’s Gorizia campus, followed by guided tours of the Transalpina Square and a twentieth-century Gorizia exhibition for students in the afternoon. Lower and upper secondary schools were invited to submit creative works inspired by Margherita Hack and her relationship with the Moon, combining science, art, and historical memory. Promoted by Radici & Futuro, and organised and organised in collaboration with leading scientific institutions including INAF and SISSA, the project introduced young people to STEM and STEAM subjects and of cross-border cooperation within the GO!2025 Nova Gorica–Gorizia context.
Over 1,000 students and teachers from 29 schools in Trieste, Gorizia and Florence took part in this edition, as well as institutions from ten CEI Member States, including Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
As part of the competition, participating classes submitted original works inspired by Margherita Hack and her relationship with the Moon. These could be short videos, poems, essays, visual artworks such as drawings, posters or installations, podcasts or comics.
The initiative promotes education, scientific outreach and equal opportunities, encouraging the overcoming of borders and language barriers through shared learning experiences.
