Minister Giuseppe Valditara visits the R/V Laura Bassi

Today, the Minister of Education and Merit, Giuseppe Valditara, visited the icebreaker Laura Bassi alongside the President of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Massimiliano Fedriga, Regional Councillor Alessia Rosolen, the Mayor of Trieste Roberto Dipiazza, and the Prefect of TriesteGiuseppe Petronzi.

Welcomed by OGS President Nicola Casagli, Director General Paola Del Negro, other OGS representatives, and the Laura Bassi crew, the Minister and local authorities had the opportunity to board the icebreaker and tour its scientific laboratories, state-of-the-art equipment, and operational spaces that serve as the launchpad for major international and Antarctic polar research campaigns supported by Italy.

The Minister's visit holds particular significance because it was Valditara himself, during his previous role as Head of the Department for Higher Education and Research at the former MIUR, who suggested the ship's name when it was acquired by the Institute. The name is a tribute to Laura Bassi (1711–1778), the first woman in the world to be offered an official teaching post at a university and a symbol of scientific excellence and academic empowerment.