In Memory of Edoardo Boncinelli: “The Unity of Knowledge: Between Genes, the Brain, and Culture”

One year after the passing of Edoardo Boncinelli, the University of Naples Federico II is dedicating a conference to his memory—one intended to be much more than a mere commemoration: an opportunity to reflect on the concept of the Unity of Knowledge, the relationship between science and culture, and the role of the university as a place capable of fostering dialogue among different disciplines, languages, and perspectives.

The event, titled “The Unity of Knowledge. Between Genes, the Brain, and Culture,” will take place on October 1, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. in the Pessina Lecture Hall. It stems from a desire to transform the memory of Boncinelli into a reflection on the present and future of university culture.

The initiative is sponsored by the Department of Biology at Federico II University, through BIOBeauty — a Laboratory of Ideas and Service Learning, coordinated by Barbara Majello — in collaboration with the Federico II Human&Future Task Force, coordinated by Gianluca Giannini of the Department of Humanities, and supported by various academic institutions, including the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli.”

Edoardo Boncinelli—geneticist, scientist, and renowned popularizer of science—has made the intersection of his studies in genetics, biology, neuroscience, and the humanities one of the defining features of his scientific and intellectual career. His view that there is a single culture—despite the multiplicity of disciplines through which it is explored—still serves today as an invitation to overcome the fragmentation of knowledge and to seek connections.

It is precisely this need that gives this event its special significance.
Rector Andrea Mazzucchi’s opening address, dedicated to “The Unity of Knowledge in the Contemporary University,” will offer an opportunity to bring the university’s role as a space for dialogue and integration among diverse forms of knowledge back to the center of our reflection.

The program fully reflects this interdisciplinary mission and unfolds along a path that intertwines science, culture, social responsibility, and the human dimension. The program will begin with Boncinelli’s contribution to the Neapolitan school of molecular genetics, featuring presentations by Federico II geneticists Girolama La Mantia and Barbara Majello, and will continue with a discussion on the relationship between science and society, the value of science communication, and the scientist’s responsibility in public discourse.

Contributing to this discussion will be Chiara Tonelli, President of FISV—the Italian Federation of Life Sciences—and Roberto Defez, a researcher at the CNR, who will offer reflections on the courage required for science communication, the social responsibility of scientists, and the role of scientific culture in public discourse. This will be followed by a presentation by Maurizio Bifulco, professor and historian of medicine at Federico II University, focusing on the multifaceted vision and the intellectual and scientific legacy of Edoardo Boncinelli.

Angela Russo Boncinelli will conclude the program with “Staying United and Human,” bringing the personal and human dimension of a figure who successfully combined research, public outreach, and cultural engagement back to the center of the event.
The program will also feature readings of excerpts from Edoardo Boncinelli’s books, presented by actors from the Federico II Theater Workshops: the scientist’s words will thus once again become a living part of the event, alongside the testimonies and reflections of the scientific and academic community.

Remembering Boncinelli one year after his passing also means asking ourselves what kind of university we want to build and what kind of scientific culture we want to pass on to future generations. His intellectual journey reminds us that specialization is indispensable, but it must not lead to separation: knowledge fully realizes its meaning when it is capable of engaging in dialogue, of cross-fertilizing, and of questioning itself even beyond the boundaries of its own discipline.”
The event therefore aims to honor Boncinelli’s legacy not only by commemorating his scientific work, but above all through the practice of dialogue among different fields of knowledge: a choice that makes his memory a starting point for reflection on the university, on research, and on the responsibility of scientific culture in contemporary society.

The event will be open to in-person attendance (registration via the link) and will also be streamed live in its entirety on the University’s YouTube channel.