On 8 September 2025, UNU will host “Bridges and Borders: Multicultural Exchange and Peacebuilding in the AI Era”, a conversation with Professor Valerio de Cesaris, Rector of the University for Foreigners of Perugia. This event will start at 18:30 in the 2F Reception Hall at UNU Headquarters in Tokyo.
Internationally, issues such as religion, migration, identity and politics have increasingly become fault lines of division rather than opportunities for dialogue. As human beings grapple with their sense of self and belonging, these themes are increasingly shaping public opinion and political agendas. Narratives around identity threats have led to a concerning rise in polarizing rhetoric and exclusionary policies.
At the same time, artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how we connect, communicate and consume information. While AI has the potential to support inclusive dialogue, improve access to information and strengthen early warning systems for conflict prevention, it also raises concerns around misinformation, bias and polarization. In this context, fostering mutual understanding and cooperation across cultural, linguistic and ideological divides remains essential to the pursuit of lasting peace.
Prof. Valerio de Cesaris will join UNU Rector Tshilidzi Marwala for a discussion on the importance of multicultural exchanges and peacebuilding in the AI era. How can we build bridges rather than walls? How do we ensure that multiculturalism continues to thrive, rather than retreat, in the digital age? What role can AI play in strengthening peacebuilding efforts rather than exacerbating division and conflict?
The UNU Conversation Series aims to foster audience participation; you are encouraged to engage with the speakers during the conversation and at the reception that will follow, where all event attendees are invited to enjoy hors d’oeuvres and drinks while exchanging ideas and making new contacts.
Please note that this event will be in English. Advance registration (by 7 September at 15:00) is required. Please click on the REGISTER button above to access the online registration page. Please be prepared to present identification at check-in.
UNU@50
This event is part of the UNU 50th anniversary celebration. To learn more, visit: https://unu.edu/unuat50
About the Speaker
Professor Valerio de Cesaris is the Rector and a full Professor of Contemporary History at the University for Foreigners of Perugia. A renowned Italian historian, his research mainly concerns cohabitation between peoples and cultures, peace and war in the 20th century, as well as international migrations, and interreligious dialogue. He is the author of numerous publications on Catholic journalism, the relationship between the Catholic Church and fascism, the history of racism and anti-Semitism, Catholic-Jewish relations in the modern era, migration phenomena and the history of immigration in Italy.
Professor de Cesaris is a member of the Conference of Italian University Rectors (CRUI), the Luigi Sturzo Institute in Rome, and the directive board of the Italian Society for the Study of Contemporary History (SISSCO). He also serves on the Scientific Committee and directs the “History and Globalization” series for Perugia Stranieri University Press. He has been a peer reviewer for numerous academic journals and doctoral research projects under the Italian-French University co-supervision scheme, and is listed in REPRISE (Register of Expert Peer Reviewers for Italian Scientific Evaluation). He also directed the research group Migration in the Mediterranean in the Contemporary Age (2014–2016), which produced the volume One Way Trip: Essays on Mediterranean Migration (2016), and currently leads the training programme European Mediator for Interculture at the University for Foreigners of Perugia.
Professor de Cesaris graduated cum laude at the Università degli Studi di Roma Tre, Faculty of Letters. He pursued his PhD in Historical Sciences at the Università Cattolica di Milano.
