Communication and its economic, technological, cultural and ethical repercussions for society are the themes of the third edition of the seminar. The objective is to assess the impact of both traditional and non-traditional means of communication on a constantly changing society: the effects of new technology on social and economic organisation; its influence on the relationship between the public and "insiders", ranging from public administrators to scientists; the changes induced by the "virtual" in systems based on the physical movement of people and messages; and the transformation of an ever more global and "on-line" system of markets. The development of the information society raises new questions about the relationship between culture and information, between the simple dissemination of data and the creation of an aware and critical approach to information. How can we best exploit new technology in educational systems that seek to reach the greatest number of users of every age group and background? What are the possible risks of the uncontrolled circulation of an increasing quantity of information? The speed with which data and news are generated and the slower rhythms of learning and developing a systematic body of knowledge prompt a further question: how can we ensure that the standardisation of form and content does not erase the identity of cultures and languages? Or that the progressive specialisation of disciplines and languages does not undermine communication between experts from different fields? Responses and new questions can emerge from the exchange of views between scientists, economists, intellectuals and politicians. Dialogue between the disciplines is the most fruitful approach to one of the key problems we face at the end of the millennium: how to guarantee access to the information necessary for the public to participate in an informed manner in decisions involving society as a whole.

The programme 5 December 6 December 7 December Chairperson UMBERTO COLOMBO President of Cast (Advisory Commission for Scientific and Technical Activities), City of Milan 14,30 Welcoming addresses MARCO FORMENTINI Mayor of Milan LIVIO TAMBERI President, Province of Milan ROBERTO FORMIGONI President, Regione Lombardia PIERO BASSETTI President, Milan Chamber of Commerce SANDRO MOLINARI President Cariplo CESARE MANFREDI President Fiera Milano 15,00 Openeing remarks ENRICO GARACI President Cnr NICOLA CABIBBO President Enea 16,00 Cultural identity and media globalisation OCTAVIO PAZ Nobel Laureate in Literature, 1990 Poet and Essayist The Verbal Compact WOLE SOYINKA Nobel Laureate in Literature, 1986 Dramatist and Essayist Cultural Fixations and Unholy Writs 5 December 6 December 7 December Chairperson RENATO DULBECCO Nobel Laureate in Medicine, 1975 Expert, Cnr Research Area, Milan 9,30 What education for a global society? LEO ESAKI Nobel Laureate in Physics, 1973 President, University of Tsukuba Preparing Our Minds and Hearts for the 21st Century GEORGE PORTER Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 1967 Chairman, Centre for Photomolecular Sciences, Imperial College, London Communicating Across the Cultural Divide 11,00 Economics and society in the Information Age JAMES TOBIN Nobel Laureate in Economics, 1981 Professor of Economics Emeritus, Yale University, New Haven Some Economic Consequences of the Information Explosion RICHARD R. ERNST Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 1991 Professor of Physical Chemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich Communication and Interaction within and between Science and Society Chairperson SALVATORE CARRUBBA Editor, Il Sole-24 Ore 14,30 Introduction RENATO UGO President, Italian Association for Industrial Research 15,00 Panel: Markets and competition in a global society ENRICO CERRAI President Aem FRANCESCO CHIRICHIGNO Managing Director, Telecom Italia ANTONIO EMMANUELI Managing Director, Rank Xerox Italia ALFREDO GIANETTI President Sea LORENZO ORNAGHI Director, Higher School of Economics and Internationl Relations CARLO PURI NEGRI Managing Director, Milano Centrale 5 December 6 December 7 December Chairperson RENATO DULBECCO Nobel Laureate in Medicine, 1975 Expert, Cnr Research Area, Milan 9,30 Languages and technologies: a transdisciplinary approach ROGER C.L. GUILLEMIN Nobel Laureate in Medicine, 1977 Adjunct Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Diego Arts and Science: Creativity and Intellectual Property in the Electronic Era MURRAY GELL-MANN Nobel Laureate in Physics, 1969 Professor and Co-Chairman of the Science Board, Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe "Information" versus Knowledge and Understanding 11,00 Technologies and human values K. ALEX MÜLLER Nobel Laureate in Physics, 1987 Professor of Physics Emeritus, University of Zurich High Temperature Superconductivity: on the Verge of Commercialisation RITA LEVI MONTALCINI Nobel Laureate in Medicine, 1986 Institute of Neurobiology, Cnr, Rome Science as a New Humanism Chairperson CLAUDIO CARLONE Director, Hypothesis 14,30 Introduction GIAN CARLO LOMBARDI Italian Minister for Education ANTONIO RUBERTI Professor of Systems Theory, University of Rome " La Sapienza" 15,00 Panel: Information and technologies FEDELE CONFALONIERI President, Gruppo Fininvest GIOVANNI DE GUZZIS Managing Director, Ericsson Telecomunicazioni ENORE DEOTTO President, Smau MAURIZIO GALLUZZO Managing Director, Il Sole-24 Ore UMBERTO PAOLUCCI Managing Director, Microsoft ERNESTO PASCALE Managing Director, Stet RICCARDO PERISSICH Director of Public Affairs, Pirelli