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There are no other places better than Gorizia and Nova Gorica, the European Cities of Culture 2025, to organize an international conference on plant sciences dedicated to the theme of borders (biogeographical, disciplinary and cultural) and how to overcome them. Friuli Venezia Giulia and Slovenia have always been places of encounter and conflict between two worlds (the Mediterranean and Central Europe), two countries (first Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire first, then Italy and Yugoslavia), and three great cultures (Italian, Germanic, and Slavic). These areas have always been a preferential route for the immigration of animal and plant species from the Balkans after the end of the ice ages, as well as routes for peoples, and - today - they still represent a threshold for migrants from distant lands. In a world where war seems to be the easier and quicker solution to resolve conflicts, the meeting in Gorizia – which was razed to the ground during the First World War - can be a unique opportunity to discuss the multifaceted meaning of borders with colleagues from Slovenia, Austria, and other countries.
The local organizing committee, made up of teaching staff from the universities of Trieste, Udine, and Ljubljana, firmly believes in this necessarily cross-cutting theme, and knows that it can rely on the strong scientific and human links that have been established over the years with colleagues from neighboring countries.

Dates: September 3-6, 2025, from Wednesday to Saturday.

Congress Venues: The symposia will take place in three locations in the very center of Gorizia:
• the main venue will be the Auditorium of Friulian Culture, which will host all the plenary sessions.
• thematic symposia in the afternoon of the first day will be held at Palazzo Coronini Cronberg.
• parallel poster sessions will be held in the Multifunctional Center Santa Chiara of the University of Udine.
Furthermore, an evening dissemination event will be held at the Auditorium of Friulian Culture, while another dissemination and outreach event in collaboration with the Municipality of Gorizia will be held in another public venue to be defined.

Excursion: To enrich the participants' experience, an excursion in the Karst, in areas recently impacted by wildfires, and on Mount Sabotino will be organized on Saturday 6 September.

Accommodations: Gorizia is a small town with not much accommodation available. For this reason, we recommend that the conveners book their accommodation as soon as possible. We have already contacted the three main hotels in the city and - thanks to the support of ConfCommercio Gorizia - several small establishments, which have informed us of their availability and estimated prices. Some hotels have agreed to reserve rooms for the conference themes until March 2025, after which they will accept reservations from other sources. A list of facilities is available at the bottom of the document.

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