Italy

The ability of the natural environment to dispose the waste of anthropogenic activities (keeping unchanged degree of regeneration) is not infinite (downstream “scarcity”). This kind of “scarcity” justifies using the tools of economic theory to face environmental problems. In this regard, two circumstances should be adequately emphasized. Firstly, today the most important (at least perceived) environmental problem is climate change due to the anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide. Secondly, more than 80% of carbon emissions are due to energy production and consumption. As a consequence, fighting climate change requires to adequately study the interaction between energy and environmental issues with the aim to understand how to mitigate global warming through (but not only) the decarbonization of energy supply. The analysis of this interaction is the principal mission of this course. The course is divided into three parts: 1) The first part focuses on how economic theory can help policymakers to design environmental policies. The main environmental tools are described and analyzed (environmental taxation, emissions trading, standards, voluntary agreements, etc.); 2) the second part introduces the main energy markets (crude oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear power and renewable energy). Great attention is dedicated to the perspectives of deployment of Renewable Energy Sources (RES), their competitiveness and the possible supporting mechanisms (quantity, pricing and hybrid supporting mechanisms); 3) The third part focuses on the policies aimed to achieve the net zero emission target, especially at the EU level. 

This course emphasizes the pivotal role of data and innovation in transforming society, with a deep dive into the implications of data utilization and technological advances. It highlights the transformative power of AI in fostering innovation and societal change. Starting with an overview of innovation in service systems, with a particular focus on public services, the course offers a comprehensive curriculum that explores the foundational principles of AI technologies such as machine learning and natural language processing. Students will investigate how these innovations drive significant changes across various public sectors, including healthcare, urban development, education, arts and culture, and the operations of international organizations. Enhancing the learning experience, the course will feature guest speakers from diverse fields, providing firsthand insights into the challenges and successes of AI implementation. Additionally, case studies will be integrated throughout the course to offer real-world contexts for the concepts discussed, and on-site visits to organizations actively utilizing AI will give students practical exposure to the dynamics of AI in action. The course aims to equip students with the knowledge, analytical frameworks, and practical skills to: •Develop strategies that enhance service efficiency and value, particularly in the public context; •Create innovative solutions to societal issues using AI and Machine Learning.

The course presents the conceptual and methodological elements that characterize the ethnopsychological approach to clinical psychology. Students are guided in the analysis of some content, applied research and some conceptualizations aimed at acquiring those methodological competencies designed to intervene in clinical situations. The lectures are interactive and require active participation on the part of the students. Experts with long-lasting experience in clinical services are involved in order to show certain practices regarding the course content. The course provides basic knowledge of ethnopsychology and the development of the following competencies: Competence to recognize and manage cultural differences; competence to recognize and manage one's own cognitive filters; competence to identify methodological practices regarding an ethnopsychological intervention; cultural competencies in Health Service.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor. This course focuses on the following topics:

1. Market failures in health insurance: a) Adverse selection b) Moral hazard c) Other inefficiencies
2. Economic rationales for government intervention and redistribution
3. Insurance design and payment systems
4. Regulatory intervention and the public/private mix in health insurance
5. Comparative social insurance markets

At the end of the module, students: have knowledge of law and economics theories applied to insurance and social insurance markets and have insights on national, international, and comparative case studies; know how to utilize quantitative and qualitative information to analyze the impact of regulatory instruments on the efficiency of insurance and social insurance markets design, and critically develop proposals for optimal policy design.

The course provides students with the fundamental coordinates of modern political conceptuality (individual, the State, conflict, freedom, people, representation, etc.). The lessons focus on a series of classic authors of the history of political thought, addressed in their specific characters and supported by the reading and commentary of texts in the classroom. The course follows a monographic red thread - the birth and (presumed) end of modern political conceptuality - and does not claim to cover the entire history of political thought. Fundamental authors live in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, just as essential foundations are laid by ancient and medieval thought. The purpose of this monographic choice is to investigate those passages that best allow the questioning and exposition of the implicit assumptions of our contemporary political life. In particular, two key moments are analyzed: the birth of modern political conceptuality (16th-17th centuries), and the point of greatest tension of this conceptual apparatus in the XXth century. In outlining its fundamental passages, we constantly wonder about the persistence or the crisis of this conceptual apparatus in our contemporaneity: how modern is the implicit assumptions of our political action? What contemporary transformations have instead radically changed the scenario? How have the relationships between society, the State and market changed historically? Are there constants of human action and is it possible to study them?

At the end of the course, students: know the fundamental features of the modern and contemporary History of Political Thought; know the main forms of political communication and understand the complex relationships between ideas and facts; know the most important political doctrines and are able to critically analyze them in connection with the relevant cultural, institutional, historical and social context; are able to understand the most important political and institutional changes in Western history.

The course explores the unique landscape of sustainable fashion in Italy, highlighting the interplay between its rich historical, cultural, and artisanal heritage, and the contemporary surge in experimental and high-tech practices driven by R&D centers and emerging brands. Students examine how these two facets intertwine – both theoretically and in practice – shaping a dynamic and contemporary sustainable fashion scenario. Thus, the course delves into Italy’s artisanal legacy in fashion and textile, presenting case studies of local craftsmanship and companies, accompanied by an overview of contemporary cutting-edge experiences, to assess their role in the current sustainable paradigm.

To this extent, students are primarily introduced to the historical development and meaning of sustainable fashion in the Italian context, to then focus on more recent trends in material innovations, design, and production processes. The contents of the course also cover the foundations of sustainable fashion as a global phenomenon, to critically reflect on its definition and to explore key sustainability principles. Classes are scheduled according to macro themes and employ a hybrid approach, blending theoretical knowledge (traditional lectures) with practical application through class activities (hands-on or meta design projects). An interdisciplinary perspective is adopted to demonstrate the possibilities of integration of ecology, philosophy, science and art in the design perspective. The course features field visits to local museums, institutions, and designers’ studios to witness sustainability in action. Additionally, guest lectures from field experts and scholars provide specific insights or address key challenges.

The course provides advanced knowledge to the archaeology of Mesopotamia, Syria-Palestine, and Anatolia. It focuses on civilizations and artistic cultures of Mesopotamia, Syria-Palestine, and Anatolia during the Bronze and Iron ages. Students learn the methodologies and the perspectives of near eastern archaeology and art history. They learn to recognize and critically examine archaeological and visual materials, to characterize material culture, and acquire the necessary tools for framing data within their chronological, historical and political framework.

This is an advanced level painting course in the Laurea Magistrale degree program for students who have experience in painting techniques. Enrolment is by permission of the instructor. The course includes lectures and studio time for individual projects. Students are required to attend both the theoretical part and the studio laboratory and to complete individual projects. The course focuses on all aspects of painting from pre- to post-production, as well as all aspects of the technical processes involved. Assessment is based on the evaluation of assigned projects and the artwork completed.

Students must have attained the equivalent of A2 Italian language level as a prerequisite. This course is graded pass/no pass only.

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor. In Spring 2025, the main topic of this course was Soul and Body: Metaphysics of the Person in Plato and Aristotle. The aim of the course is to verify these attributions through the “slow reading” of an anthology of passages taken from the works of the two Greek philosophers, also in light of the most recent critical literature on this topic.

At the end of the course the student has acquired (1) the in-depth knowledge of a philosophical topic or problem typical of Greek and Roman antiquity and (2) three types of skills: (a) philological – he/she knows how to analyze an ancient text using the advanced philological tools needed for the study of Greek and Roman philosophy; (b) dialectical – he/she is trained to discuss a philosophical problem in a synchronic and diachronic way, through the comparison between ancient and modern philosophers; (c) rhetorical – he/she is capable of arguing exegetical and philosophical theses in oral and written form.