Communication and awareness on financial issues: this is the subject area of the postgraduate scholarship established at the Department of Sociology and Social Research of the University of Trento in memory of Luigi Giuriato, journalist and communicator, who passed away on 20 March 2019 at the age of 60.
Cassa Centrale Banca and the University of Trento signed the scholarship agreement today at Palazzo Sardagna. The meeting was attended by Giorgio Fracalossi, president of Cassa Centrale Banca, Flavio Deflorian, rector of UniTrento, and Mario Diani, director of the Department of Sociology and Social Research of UniTrento. With them, in the Sala degli Stucchi, were Giuriato's wife, Irene Giusti, and dear friend Maurizio Passerotti, former honorary consul of Romania, some colleagues and family members and other bank and university representatives. Friends and journalists followed the meeting remotely.
Giorgio Fracalossi, president of Cassa Centrale Banca, recalled: "Luigi Giuriato played an important role in making Cassa Centrale known to the national media in a crucial phase such as that of the launch of Gruppo Cassa Centrale after the reform of the cooperative credit system. This scholarship is the best way to remember him and his precious work. With the University, we have identified a path to improve awareness of financial issues, to remember what has been an important aspect of Luigi's work in Cassa Centrale. With this scholarship, we are offering a qualified training opportunity".
Rector Flavio Deflorian commented: "There are three elements that make this initiative so valuable. It is a great way to remember and honour a professional for his work; it is a way to pass on his passion to five young graduates, who will use this scholarship to conduct research work; and it is an example of the type of collaboration that we want to establish with important players in our region, specifically with Cassa Centrale Banca, with whom we can design actions and tools to the benefit of new generations".
Many people have fond memories of Luigi Giuriato, a key figure in the information world of Trentino Alto Adige. He was born in Bolzano on 18 May 1958, graduated in theology and for some time taught religion at the Da Vinci high school in Trento. He had decided to devote himself to journalism and communication in the 1990s. He was the director of Rttr, a local TV channel, for over ten years (1996-2007), he had also made a series of video productions in Val di Fassa for the Ladin TV, while in the last four years of his life (2015-2019) he had worked as a consultant for the Communication and External Relations Office of Cassa Centrale Banca in Trento, forging links at local and national level.
The collaboration with Cassa Centrale is a fundamental aspect of the scholarship. From the headquarters of Cassa Centrale, friends and colleagues say that Giuriato has built strong relationships with journalists all over Italy with dedication and commitment, and that his work, in the evolution towards the establishment of Gruppo Bancario Cooperativo, opened the way to the Media Relations activity.
Mario Diani, director of the Department of Sociology and Social Research, underlined: "In the contemporary world, the well-being and life prospects of an increasing number of individuals and families depend more or less directly on financial processes. Therefore, it becomes even more important to reflect on the ways in which financial issues are communicated, responding to the need to adapt messages to very different audiences. The Department of Sociology and Social Research is pleased to contribute to keep the memory of Luigi Giuriato alive through this collaboration with Cassa Centrale".
Luigi Giuriato was remembered for his curiosity and critical intelligence, and for his ability to report in a clear and direct language. He was a prominent figure of the local media sector and a journalist attentive to local affairs, who managed to tell about Trentino to its inhabitants.
Other attendees highlighted the seriousness, commitment and devotion to his work, recognizing the importance of information, that have characterized his entire career.
His wife, Irene Giusti, said a few words: "I am very grateful to Cassa Centrale for this great gift. I think you couldn't find a better way to remember Gigi. Now that he is no longer with us, this scholarship is a way to continue his work and to do one of the things he liked the most and cared about: helping people, especially young people, find their way. My hope is that young people have the courage that he had, to leave, to make mistakes, and to always have the strength and curiosity to start over. This scholarship is a great gift for him and for his memory, but also a great gift for me".
Maurizio Passerotti, former honorary consul of Romania, a community to which Giuriato was very attached, spoke on behalf of his many friends: "Luigi was more than a friend to me. Together we launched ourselves into explorations of various fields and various places around the world. I remember his generosity towards everyone, his empathy, his curiosity, and the efforts he made to help young people to make them grow, so that they find their way by themselves. This scholarship will make it possible to remember Gigi through one of the values that were most important to him: knowledge".
About the scholarship in memory of Luigi Giuriato
The impact of economic processes and financial dynamics on society and people's lives has become faster and more direct. However, public awareness of these processes and dynamics is still limited, because they operate at international levels that are distant from the daily experience of large part of the population. Understanding these processes is difficult and often creates anxiety and stress. Public entities and economic organizations believe that it is fundamental to take action to raise awareness about these topics and their communication, and social sciences can make an important contribution to this objective.
That is why the Department of Sociology and Social Research of the University of Trento welcomed the proposal by Cassa Centrale Banca to offer a scholarship on communication and awareness of financial issues.
The scholarship in memory of Luigi Giuriato will give young graduates the opportunity to do research work on communication and awareness on financial issues for 14 months. With this 75,000-euro donation, the University will be able to fund five 15,000-euro scholarships that will be awarded, from 2021 to 2025, to as many young people based on a selection procedure. Applicants must be graduates of less than 12 months in Sociology and Social Research, Economics and Business Sciences, Communication Theory.
The goal of the post-graduate research activity on communication and awareness of financial issues is to develop reliable communication tools thanks to the analysis of the social context and of target audiences, which can be tested and disseminated through lectures and various communication products (publications and videos, for example). The scientific director of the activity is Massimiano Bucchi, professor of the Department of Sociology and Social Research of the University of Trento. The research work can be carried out at the Department and at other institutions, including in other countries.
The first selection procedure is scheduled for the autumn.
See www.unitn.it and casserurali.it for more information.