The inaugural leg of the Mondadori Academy Forum Orienta concluded on October 29 in Palermo, drawing approximately 10,000 students over two days. Organized by Mondadori Media in collaboration with Focus, Focus Scuola, and UniversityBox, the event transformed the Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa into a hub for high school and university students, teachers, academic institutions, and companies.
Cybersecurity was a central theme of the second day, highlighted by Antonio Blescia from Deas. He explained the process of investigating cyber incidents, noting that every attack leaves traces that professionals collect to reconstruct events. Blescia also described how these investigations were adapted into a comic book titled DFIR Chronicles and subsequently into a game. This same game was utilized during an hackathon at Spazio ZAC, where 32 student teams competed over two days before the winners were awarded.
Entrepreneurship in Sicily took center stage at the Cinema De Seta, where Vincenzo Prezzemolo of Prezzemolo & Vitale and Marcello Mangia, president of Mangia's, shared their business stories. The session, organized with Sicindustria and moderated by Ansa journalist Alfredo Pecoraro, was followed by Tony Siino, an expert in new media and author of "Artificial Intelligence: The Jobs That Won't Disappear." Siino discussed the nature of language models, the term "stochastic parrots," and identified creativity, critical thinking, empathy, and decision-making as decisive future skills.
In the White Room of the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, trainer Nicolò Famiglietti shared his unconventional career path from a degree in Sports Sciences to fitness centers, leading the audience through seated "motor snacks." Invitalia presented Resto al Sud 2.0, an incentive program for individuals under 35 wishing to start businesses in Southern Italy. Additionally, Carlo Papa of Enel Foundation and Emilio Madonia of Boston Consulting Group discussed the impact of mentoring on study and career choices through the Mentors4U initiative, joined by a student who had experienced it firsthand.
Webboh Lab presented data regarding the desires and fears of the new generation in the Blue Room, sparking a discussion between Furio Camillo and entrepreneur Adriana Santanocito. Mondadori Retail showcased how the bookselling profession is evolving amidst artificial intelligence, BookTok trends, and physical bookstores. Various universities, including the University of Palermo, LUMSA, and Kore of Enna, presented their academic courses, while separate sessions for teachers addressed masculinity in schools and green skills.
The Forum received patronage from the Municipality of Palermo, the Metropolitan City of Palermo, and Sicindustria. Main partners included Banca Ifis and Deas Cyber+, with institutional support from the Ministry for Sport and Youth and Invitalia. Collaborating organizations comprised the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, CESIE, CISIA, Magnisi, Mentors4U, Studenti.it, and Webboh. Future editions of the Forum are scheduled for Lecce on November 10-11 and Taranto on December 1-2, with plans to reach Catania, Bari, and Brindisi in 2027.
Sources: Focus.it.