Imagine that your thesis could not only be rewarded, but also turned into a book that inspires change. The “Laura Conti” Award – dedicated to the pioneer of environmentalism in Italy – offers precisely this opportunity, becoming a launching platform for the most innovative ideas that address the environmental and social challenges of our era. Now in its 26th edition, the prestigious award, promoted by the Alex Langer Eco-Institute of Veneto and the ICU Foundation – Istituto Consumatori Utenti, aims to give visibility to young people and to the figure of Laura Conti, activist, scientist and politician who was among the founders of the League for the Environment.
The theses admitted and the prizes
The “Laura Conti” Award aims to enhance and disseminate degree theses that deal with issues related to sustainable society, renewable energy, intelligent mobility, recycling, waste, green building, fair trade, the defense of nature, the study and defense of consumer rights and much more. Theses of all levels are admitted, including doctoral and master’s theses, discussed in Italian universities, in the academic years from 2010-2011 onwards. The works must be sent by 30 November 2025 (the postmark will be proof) to the headquarters of the EcoIstituto del Veneto and the ICU Foundation.
The prizes will be awarded as follows:
Furthermore, the “Laura Conti” Award awards a series of special prizes per category every year, sending a specific certificate to those deserving of mention. The foundation, in fact, believes that most of the theses are the result of a great commitment to research and study by the students and deserve to be known. For this reason, the best works become books published by the EcoIstituto del Veneto, or by the ICU Foundation itself, while others are made known through the Gaia magazine.
All degree theses will be archived with keywords in an online database over time. In this way they can be found by subject and the various authors will have the opportunity to be put in contact with anyone who wants to delve deeper into the topics addressed.
All information for participation can be found on the website www.ecoassociazione-italia.org and in particular at this link.
Why an award dedicated to Laura Conti
Laura Conti, environmentalist and feminist, has been a complex and uncomfortable figure throughout her life. Partisan, doctor, scientist, popularizer and politician, she contributed significantly to the birth of an ecological conscience in Italy, even if few today remember her impact. Born in Udine in 1921, Laura Conti moved to Milan where she developed a passion for knowledge and medicine, becoming one of the few women to graduate in medicine during the fascist regime. During the Second World War, she participated in the Resistance, being arrested and deported to a concentration camp. After the war, he continued his medical career, working at INAIL, and became politically involved in the Italian Communist Party.
In the 1970s, Laura devoted herself to environmental issues, including pollution, pesticide abuse and nuclear energy. He opposed the 1975 National Energy Plan, which called for the construction of nuclear power plants, and became an important voice in battles for environmental protection, leaving a legacy that remains relevant today.
Laura Conti played a fundamental role in bringing to light the consequences of the 1976 Seveso disaster, one of the most serious industrial accidents in Italy and Europe. The terrible accident occurred on 10 July 1976, when a leak of dioxin (a highly toxic compound) from the ICMESA (Industrie Chimiche Meridionali) factory in Seveso, Lombardy, contaminated a large surrounding area, endangering people’s health and causing devastating environmental damage. In particular, Laura Conti denounced the inadequacy of institutional responses and the insufficiency of laws to protect the population and the environment from industrial risks of this magnitude. His determination and commitment to reporting the disaster led to the creation of new laws for the protection of workers’ health and the management of industrial risks. The Seveso disaster, thanks also to Conti’s work, became a turning point in Italy for legislation on environmental and health safety.
