ISA Scientists’ Manifesto

On September 17, 2025, at the Sala Macchia of the National Library, Viale del Castro 5, Rome, the ISA Manifesto was presented. The event was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture.
Prof. Michele Mossa, as the author of the book chapter on Research Infrastructures, was invited to present the ideas illustrated in that chapter.

ISA Scientists’ Manifesto (https://www.isa2020.eu/)

In the early 1950s, Albert Einstein and Bertrand Russell signed a manifesto to prevent nuclear war, which led to the Pugwash Conferences, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1995.
Even today, in a context similar to that of Pugwash, it is essential to reaffirm the crucial role that scientists play in solving the major problems characterizing post-modern society. It is imperative to establish effective communication channels between governments and the scientific community, concretely demonstrating that science is an indispensable element for the survival and prosperity of all humanity (Nature 572, 153, 2019).

The concept of the “Scientists’ Manifesto” originated from the development of a multidisciplinary cultural program by a group of Italian scientists, members of I.S.A., an association open to full university professors who meet the criteria to participate in selection committees. This initiative aims to address highly relevant issues concerning the integrated and sustainable development of civil society. The main areas of this Manifesto include:

HEALTH: The aim is to ensure food security and sustainability across the entire food chain, as well as to promote human-centered healthcare that respects the patient. The initiative seeks to enhance telemedicine and telepathology through educational and research activities that support the implementation of new healthcare policies.

PREVENTION AND ENVIRONMENT: The goal is to define a new approach to housing that meets contemporary living needs, including new residential models that improve private, collective, and public spaces, while promoting social inclusion. Another objective is to encourage a robust policy for transferring technologies incubated in universities and research centers to the construction sector, thereby fostering a new strategy for the prevention and control of natural and anthropogenic risks to better safeguard people and our built heritage, which is an integral part of national cultural identity.

CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND CLEAN ENERGY: The initiative aims to implement strategies to reduce waste of food, raw materials, energy, and water.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND EDUCATION: The goal is to promote digital literacy and reduce the digital divide, enhancing understanding of the opportunities and limitations of digital technologies that use artificial intelligence to replace human functions, aiming for a “knowledge-driven” rather than “data-driven” society, also through the strengthening of the humanities.

ETHICS AND VALUES: The initiative aims to reinforce work ethics through training based on clear value systems and to promote education that prepares individuals for new knowledge-based jobs (soft skills).

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH: Actions are promoted to protect the integrity of scientific research, placing greater value on research quality and researchers’ virtues rather than on numerical metrics that can be manipulated to merely meet threshold parameters.

MIGRATION FLOWS: The aim is to prevent migration through local support and Italian-style academic training, enhancing healthcare services through telemedicine.

In an era characterized by global challenges, the “Scientists’ Manifesto” represents a commitment to an informed, aware, and inclusive society, in which science and collaboration between scientists and institutions play a fundamental role in shaping a better future for all. Research requires technologies and infrastructures capable of addressing the levels of complexity and scale demanded by a three-dimensional system that continuously changes over time.