The final contest took place on 2 July 2026. The jury, composed of academic and staff from UNITA institutions, together with Alessandra Ideo (Education and Human Capital Area, Confindustria Brescia, and former Associated Partner of the Alliance), selected the winners of the 2026 edition:
- 1st Place: Luca Elettrico (UNITO – Università di Torino)
- 2nd Place: Ariana Andra Șerpar (UVT – Universitatea de Vest din Timișoara)
- 3rd Place: Emeline Delcros (UPPA – Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour)
The other contestants who took part in the final were:
- Universidade da Beira Interior: Mariana Mesquita Nunes and Patricia Pinheiro
- Instituto Politécnico da Guarda: Carla Manuela Perpétuo and Ana Raquel Augusto Lima
- Universidad Pública de Navarra: Anita Hell and David Izurdiaga Abáigar
- Universidad de Zaragoza: Cristina Álvarez Solana and Ismael Perisé Badía
- Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour: Felipe Spena
- Université Savoie Mont Blanc: Ward Amar and Alexandra Lugova
- Università di Torino: Teodora Lattanzi
- Università degli Studi di Brescia: Luiz Dias Anderson and Stefania Morandini
- Universitatea de Vest din Timişoara: Slaven Nichici
- Universitatea Transilvania din Braşov: Maria Teodora Niță and Alexia Edith Micle
The final contest was an important opportunity for learning, exchange, and European collaboration, offering PhD candidates the chance to develop essential transferable skills for communicating research in a clear, effective, and accessible way. The initiative also fostered a strong sense of belonging to Europe and to UNITA – Universitas Montium.
A sincere congratulations to the winners and a heartfelt thank you to all 20 PhD candidates who took the stage at Teatro Mina Mezzadri in Brescia. Through their enthusiasm, communication skills, and commitment to research, they demonstrated how complex ideas can be made accessible, engaging, and impactful for a wider audience.
