Research meets the city: Insubria celebrates European Researchers’ Night in Varese, Como and Busto Arsizio

The European Researchers’ Night returns, and the University of Insubria is taking part in the 2026 edition with a programme of events in Varese, Como and Busto Arsizio, including workshops, experiments, interactive activities and science outreach initiatives for schools and the general public.

The activities are organised in collaboration with Co.Science 2.0, a project recognised by the European Commission as associated with the European Union’s MSCA and Citizens initiative – HORIZON-MSCA-2025-CITIZENS-01, continuing the work of the Co.Science project coordinated by the National Research Council (CNR). The aim is to bring society closer to the places and people of research, encouraging dialogue and the dissemination of scientific culture, with particular attention to younger generations.

In Varese, workshops for schools and “Science for Everyone”

In Varese, the programme begins on Friday 25 September at the Bizzozero Campus, with a morning dedicated to schools, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The activities cover a wide range of research fields, from biology to medicine, chemistry and the environment, as well as computer science, energy and new technologies.

The programme includes activities focusing on cells and microscopy, digestion and the microbiota, viruses and bacteria, the functioning of the heart and skeleton, local environmental chemistry and the energy of the future. There will also be hands-on experiences in forensic science, including fingerprint and DNA analysis starting from a simulated crime scene, as well as 3D printing applied to anatomical reconstruction and computational thinking. Artificial intelligence will also feature, with a workshop dedicated to its responsible use in English language learning.

The Campus will then open its doors to the public on Saturday 26 September, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., with “Science for Everyone”, an afternoon of experiments, scientific games, discovery and curiosity. At 5:30 p.m., there will also be a concert by Chorus Insubriae.

Varese programme

In Como, science meets Alessandro Volta, theatre and the city

In Como, the programme will run from Tuesday 22 to Saturday 26 September and this year is dedicated to Alessandro Volta, ahead of the bicentenary of the scientist’s death in 2027. The initiatives are organised in collaboration with the Teatro Sociale di Como and combine research, experimentation and performance.

The programme opens on Tuesday 22 September with “OFIS 2026 – Examples from the History of Physics”, a morning for upper secondary school students in the Main Lecture Hall in Via Valleggio, featuring talks dedicated to some of the major milestones in the history of physics.

The core of the programme will take place on Friday 25 September, between Via Castelnuovo and Piazza Verdi. With “Camera with a view”, students will experiment with the principles of vision and image formation using pinhole cameras; “Museum detectives” will engage younger participants, while “Maths in the square” will show how numbers, shapes and algorithms are part of everyday life.

Science and performance will come together in “The Physics Clown”, a theatrical lesson on the physics of metals combining experiments, clowning, mime, juggling and music. From 8:00 p.m., with “Eyes to the sky”, Piazza Verdi will become a place for observation and discovery: visitors will be able to observe the Moon and Saturn, learn how satellites and spectroscopes work, and explore phenomena related to light, lightning and stars.

The grand finale will take place on Saturday 26 September with “The Scientist’s Game of the Goose”, for children up to the age of 11, and a new performance of “The Physics Clown”, this time open to the general public.

Como programme

In Busto Arsizio, DNA, the immune system and forensic science

In Busto Arsizio, European Researchers’ Night is dedicated to lower and upper secondary school students and will take place on Friday 25 September, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Molini Marzoli.

The morning will offer a journey through biology, medicine, genetics and applied research. Students will have the opportunity to learn more about the immune system, carry out DNA extraction from fruit, and discover how drugs of abuse can alter visual perception.

With “The secrets of skeletons”, participants will discover what information can be obtained from the analysis of human and animal remains, while “CSI: Crime Scene” will introduce them to the world of forensic investigation. Completing the programme is “Science in a thread: a journey into the world of natural textile fibres”, organised in collaboration with the Textile Museum of Busto Arsizio, to explore scientifically the properties of cotton, linen and silk and the process that transforms raw materials into fabric.

All activities in Busto Arsizio are by reservation only.

Busto Arsizio programme