On April 22nd, we celebrate the Earth Day, a truly special occasion for the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (DISAT). This day invites us to reflect on the total dependence of our lives on the planet’s natural equilibria and on our shared responsibility in managing its resources. It is an opportunity to reaffirm the value of scientific research and collective commitment to building a sustainable future.
Our present time is marked by accelerated climate change, biodiversity loss, increasing pressure on natural resources, and profound transformations of human communities and ecosystems. Understanding these phenomena and proposing effective solutions requires transdisciplinary skills, advanced technologies, and a vision capable of integrating science, society, and institutions.
Research and Excellence at DISAT
DISAT, the largest science department at the University of Milano-Bicocca, hosts nationally and internationally recognized centers of excellence. We are equipped with cutting-edge laboratories for the study of a suite of topics, such as climate change, ice cover, geology, atmosphere composition, terrestrial and marine environments, sustainable resource management.
While our expertise stems from research experience in an international context, we are equally proud to serve as an essential scientific benchmark for our local region. Research at DISAT produces frontier scientific knowledge and provides a training ground for young researchers who will tackle the environmental challenges of the coming decades. This is supported by our two PhD programs: Chemical, Geological, and Environmental Sciences (SCGA) and Marine Sciences, Technology and Management (MTM).
Education and Outreach
The undergraduate and Master’s degree programs offered by DISAT—spanning Environmental Sciences, Geological Sciences, Marine Sciences, and Economics and Technologies for Sustainability—translate research findings into educational activities. Furthermore, many DISAT faculty members bring this expertise to other disciplines, including teacher training, Economics, and Sociology.
Beyond research and teaching, we promote outreach activities, collaborations with local authorities, and citizen science projects that directly involve the community. We believe that the mitigation of natural risks, sustainable resource management, and the ecological transition are, first and foremost, a cultural journey that requires participation, awareness, and constant dialogue between science and society.
On this Earth Day, we renew our commitment to applying knowledge, innovation, and responsibility to care for the Earth—and to care for our future.
The people of DISAT. We believe in it.
