Sapienza University seconds the call of the University of Trento to encourage the development of Antonio Megalizzi’s dream: a European Student University Radio. It’s a decision that follows the news of the death of the young radio journalist, but it is not just an emotional reply to our country’s outrage.

Sapienza is always in the frontline to recognize and promote the actions of young men and women who so fully interpret the role of universities as a seat for the cultivation and promotion of all forms of civic education that are often removed by our cynical society. Far too often, these individuals receive their due recognition only following tragic and unforeseen events, but they remain impressed in the minds and hearts of the national university community, contributing to keeping it alive and reminding students, researchers and professors of their highest mission.

Sapienza founded its university radio station over ten years ago to provide information and entertainment, but also as an open educational lab for its students. RadioSapienza is now at the forefront of university radio stations, and actively participates in the stations promoting Project Euphonica (a project by France, Spain, Portugal and Italy to start a European interuniversity radio network).

"Antonio Megalizzi died, along with his friend and colleague Barto Pedro Orent-Niedzielski, in the Strasbourg terrorist attack, killed while they were working on a university radio information project. As Rector of the largest Italian university, which includes the RadioSapienza Station, I am close to the families of the two young reporters, the University of Trento and the network of university radios that they were promoting,” declared Sapienza Rector Eugenio Gaudio. “Sapienza confirms the stance it adopted after other attacks on European and global cultural symbols. The Christmas Market Attack in the heart of Europe and on the seat of the European Parliament is just the last demonstration of strength by a force of terror that aims to lock us up in our houses. Our university can only provide the same answer, it gave to the attacks in Paris, Brussels, Berlin and London: Modern society will not be vanquished by fear. And there is no better way to do this than to invest in hope. It adds value to the role and importance of the interuniversity community to which Antonio and Bartek belonged.”

On the same day on which we received the sad news of Antonio Megalizzi’s death, the 9^th National of Communication Sciences Programmes was taking place in Palermo, the European Cultural Capital, including an important presentation on “Radio, Universities and Networks” by the association of university radio stations. The President of the Conference, Mario Morcellini, Sapienza Communications Councillor, asked that the Conference be dedicated to the memory of Antonio Megalizzi. Now, the news of the death of his friend and colleague Barto Pedro Orent-Niedzielski makes it all the more urgent to support and catalyse the activity that these two young men were promoting with courage and passion in the heart of Europe.