LUNCH TIME SEMINAR SERIES

On Tuesday, 16 September 2025, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m., in Aula Mondolfo (via Zamboni 38, Bologna), a seminar will be held with Carlos Alberto Torres, one of the world’s leading scholars in education and global citizenship, Director of the Paulo Freire Institute at UCLA and UNESCO Chair on Global Learning and Global Citizenship Education.

The discussion will take inspiration from a quote by Adam Serwer in The Cruelty is the Point (2021): “Once malice is embraced as a virtue, it is impossible to contain.” Starting from this, Prof. Torres will address the crisis of American democracy in the context of the second Trump administration, examining the long-term processes shaping advanced capitalist societies: the decline of economic growth, the rise of debt, and widening inequalities.

Special attention will be given to the cultural and political dimensions, marked by anti-woke backlash and attempts to redefine neoliberal globalization.

Prof. Torres’s presence in Bologna will provide a unique opportunity to reflect on the intersections between political polarization, sustainability, and democracy, central themes in his scholarly work.

The seminar will be held in English and in person. Access is free of charge.