17 September 2026
On Saturday, 19 September, Nicola Perullo, President and Rector of the University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo (UNISG), will take part in the latest edition of Academia do Vagar, a programme organised by Associação Évora 2027 as part of the cultural programme leading up to Évora and the Alentejo becoming European Capital of Culture in 2027.
The event will take place at the recently renovated Convento de São Bento de Cástris, in Évora, and will adopt an original conference-picnic format, bringing together reflection, dialogue, music and tastings around the knowledge, flavours and aromas of the Alentejo. Alongside Perullo, the programme features Pão da São, Pão de Rala and the wineries Cortes de Cima and Fita Preta.
Perullo will deliver a contribution entitled “Craft Intelligence. For a Qualitative Life, Also Through Food”, exploring the relationship between technology, human intelligence and the quality of life. Starting from a critical reflection on the current emphasis on Artificial Intelligence, he will focus on what he describes as the craft dimension of intelligence: an intuitive and creative form of knowledge capable of improvisation, interaction and adaptation.
At the centre of his intervention is the idea of a “qualitative life”, rooted in historical continuity, conviviality and the craftsmanship of everyday living. Food will serve as a paradigmatic example of this approach, highlighting forms of knowledge and experience that develop through time, relationships and practice rather than through metrics, speed and predetermined outcomes.
Academia do Vagar is a space for reflection and dialogue featuring international conferences, encounters, conversations and workshops. Curated by philosopher Jacinto Lageira of the University of Paris I-Sorbonne, the initiative is inspired by Vagar, the Alentejo way of being and living understood as an awareness of the continuous relationship between human beings and everything that surrounds them.
The Conference-Picnic will take place on 19 September, from 11 am to 5 pm, with free admission.
