Paolo Magri

Event in collaboration with the ISPI - Italian Institute for International Political Studies

Panel

With marvellous frescoes and crenelated towers, Buonconsiglio is the most important castle in Trentino. Having served as the seat of the Prince-Bishops of Trent for centuries, today the castle is home to the provincial art and archaeology collections and the famous Torre Aquila, whose walls are frescoed with the renowned “Ciclo dei Mesi” (“Cycle of the Months”), an international Gothic masterpiece. A number of Festival dell’Economia events will take place in its Sala Gerola, which seats 110 people.

Castello del Buonconsiglio - Sala Gerola

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Expert in international business development, with a focus on SEA, US and China. He deals with the global labour market and international skills, with a focus on youth distress. He teaches at the MIB 'Executive Class - Asia' at the Cattolica in Milan and will be a lecturer at the BBS in Bologna in the course 'Internationalization of Companies’.

Founding partner

Alberto Forchielli

Michele Geraci, Italian economist and politician, he focuses on foreign trade, investments, USA-EU-China relations, the Silk Road, Artificial Intelligence and other current topics, such as sanctions against Russia and US tariffs. Former Undersecretary of State at the Ministry for Economic Development and was responsible for Foreign Trade. Adjunct Professor of Finance at New York University Shanghai, Honorary Professor at Peking University and Kight of the Republic of Italy.

Former Undersecretary at Italian Ministry of Economic Development

Michele Geraci

Paolo Magri is President of the Advisory Board of the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI) and Professor of International Relations at Bocconi University. He is member of the Board of Directors of LUISS University and of the Touring Club Italia; member of the Council of ECFR. He is a regular speaker, writer and commentator to diverse media outlet.

Chairman of the Scientific Committee

Giada Messetti is a sinologist and TV writer. She created and hosted CinAmerica on Rai3. She hosts a segment on Chinese news and co-hosts Uno, nessuno, 100Milan on Radio24. She has published with Mondadori: Nella testa del Dragone (2020), La Cina è già qui (2022), La Cina è un’aragosta (2025), and Quando tornano le rondini. Friuli 1976: memorie di un terremoto (2026).

Sinologist

Giada Messetti

EventDetail

China's big moment

Geopolitics

Event in collaboration with the ISPI - Italian Institute for International Political Studies

Overlooking Piazza Dante and standing opposite Trento's train station, the building is a stone’s throw from the historic centre. This building was built between 1958-65 as part of a project by Trentino architect Adalberto Libera (1903-1963), a leading figure in Italian rationalist architecture.

Palazzo della Regione Autonoma Trentino Alto Adige - Sala di Rappresentanza

Pejman Abdolmohammadi (PhD) is Associate Professor in International Relations of the Middle East at the University of Trento and Visiting Professor at Berkeley. Associate Researcher at ISPI, he was a Research Fellow at LSE (2015-2018) and a lecturer at John Cabot. He directs the NAMEPES Summer School. He collaborates with The Economist and other media. He is the author of the "Geopolitica con Pejman" podcast on Spotify.

Pejman Abdolmohammadi

Luigi Di Maio has been the European Union Special Representative for the Gulf region since June 2023. He previously served as Italy’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2019 to 2022 and as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development, Labour, and Social Policies from 2018 to 2019. In 2013, he was Vice President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies.

Rappresentante Speciale dell’UE per la Regione del Golfo


Luigi Di Maio 

Valeria Talbot is head of the Middle East and North Africa Centre at the Italian Institute of International Political Studies (ISPI). She also is a lecturer at the Master in Middle Eastern Studies at Alta Scuola di Economia e Relazioni Internazionali (ASERI) of the Catholic University of Milan.

Head of Middle East and North Africa Centre

Valeria Talbot

The Middle East on fire

Via Belenzani, once called Contrada Larga, is the main street leading to Piazza Duomo and one of the city's most atmospheric streets, surrounded on both sides by Renaissance palaces decorated with beautiful frescoes. Palazzo Geremia, today the seat of the Trento City Council, is one of these: inside there are several rooms - beautifully frescoed and often still with their original wooden ceilings.

Palazzo Geremia - Sala di Rappresentanza

Teaches US History and Politics at LUISS University and Strategic Studies at UNINT, as well as in various post-grad courses; he taught Aerospace History at the ITAF Academy for 20 years. A frequent commentator on international politics on radio and tv, he writes for Sole since 2024. He sits on various think tank boards, including ICSA and CESMA.

Gregory Alegi 

Mario Del Pero is Professor of International History at Sciences Po Paris and Senior Research Fellow at ISPI in Milan. In 2025 he published Buio americano. Gli Stati Uniti e il mondo nell’era Trump (Il Mulino) and In the Shadow of the Vatican (Cambridge University Press). He is a columnist for Il Domani and Giornale di Brescia; his articles have appeared in the Washington Post, Le Monde, The Guardian, Le Figaro, and the Los Angeles Times.

Mario Del Pero 

Ambassador Mariangela Zappia is the President of ISPI with 40+ years in diplomacy. She served as Italy’s Ambassador to the US, UN and NATO, and as G7/G20 Sherpa and Diplomatic Advisor to the Prime Minister. She also worked across Brussels and Dakar. Ambassador Zappia is member of the Board of Intesa Sanpaolo.

President

Mariangela Zappia

Trump's America Towards the Midterm Election

The stage of Teatro Sociale has been graced by the likes of Arturo Toscanini and Enrico Caruso. It has played host to Italy’s finest operas and plays, not to mention dance shows, New Year’s Eve parties and political rallies. A splendid example of Italian-style theatre, from 1819 until the 1960s, it served as the main backdrop of the city’s cultural scene. In 2000, after being purchased by the province and significant restoration works, it was returned to its former glory.
The stalls, three floors of boxes and the gallery can seat up to 670 people, while the elegant rooms of the adjoining Palazzo Festi are often used for meetings and conferences.To attend the events at Teatro Sociale, you can collect the entry tickets directly at the venue starting two hours before the event begins.

Teatro Sociale

Paolo Gentiloni is Chair of the EIB Global Advisory Board and Co-Chair of UN Expert Group on Debt Crisis. Distinguished Fellow, Brookings Institution; Johns Hopkins SAIS Europe and Università Cattolica Milano. He served as European Commissioner for Economy (2019–24), Prime Minister of Italy, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister for Communications.

Former European Commissioner for Economy

Paolo Gentiloni

Romano Prodi is Full professor of Industrial Economics, Bologna University. From 2009 to 2013 Professor at large at Brown University and from 2010 to 2015 Professor at CEIBS (China Europe International Business School) in Shanghai. He is now President of the Foundation for Worldwide Cooperation.

Romano Prodi

Europe: the hopes of young people

Current events

Full Professor of International Law. Lawyer. Journalist. Regular Contributor of “Il Sole 24 Ore”. Senior Academic Advisor of “Pollicino & Partners. AIdvisory”. Blogger on the topic of International Law and European Union Law - https://www.marinacastellaneta.it. Consultant to the National Council of Notaries (Commission of European and International Affairs)

Marina Castellaneta

Staffan de Mistura is currently the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara at the Under-Secretary-General level, He has been UN Special Envoy in Lebanon, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and on loan to Italy as Deputy Foreign Minister for two years. he brings more than 40 years of experience in diplomacy and political affairs.

Secretary-General Personal Envoy for Western Sahara

Staffan De Mistura

Ambassador Massari is a diplomat with over 40 years of experience, Italy's permanent representative to the UN (September 2021-January 2026) and previously (June 2016-April 2021) Italy's permanent representative to the European Union. Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.

Festival

Programme

Useful info

Press

Organisers

Paolo Magri

Events in which takes part

China's big moment

The Middle East on fire

Trump's America Towards the Midterm Election

Europe: the hopes of young people

UN: the hopes of young people