About our School

Today, the phenomena of globalization and integration are pervasive and relevant. They are often perceived, on the one hand, as being distant, fragmentary and sometimes threatening, and, on the other, as providing opportunities for individual nations or groups of nations. Such ambivalence presents a formidable challenge to the ruling classes and to national public opinion, a challenge that cannot be answered without the kind of integrated responses and interpretive approaches possible only within a multidisciplinary context. The University of Trento has responded to this challenge by promoting research, education and professional training in the field of international studies through the School of International Studies (SIS). Established in 2001 thanks to the close and continued collaboration between its component Faculties (now Departments) of Law, Economics, Sociology and Arts & Humanities, the School turned into a Centre of the University in 2012.

The School is the only Graduate School in Italy offering advanced courses in International Studies for students who completed a three-year undergraduate degree. It organizes a two-year Master’s programme in European and International Studies – Laura Magistrale in Studi Europei e Internazionali (MEIS), a two-year Master's programme in International Security Studies - Laura Magistrale in Studi sulla Sicurezza Internazionale (MISS) and a three-year Doctoral programme in International Studies. These Graduate programmes form a natural continuation of the three-year undergraduate degrees offered by the School’s participating Faculties/Departments in the field of International Studies. As an advanced institute of interdisciplinary studies, the School of International Studies is unparalleled in Italy and, in the few years since its inception, has become a leading reference point in Europe for graduate teaching and research in Economics, Law, and Politics. Graduates have gone on to senior positions in international arenas as well as academic careers with postdoctoral and tenured positions in Europe and abroad.

The School is a vibrant academic environment. Students, faculty members, post-doc researchers and visiting professors from all over the world participate in the School’s teaching and research activities. The School hosts international conferences on subjects ranging from the global economic order to topics related to the European Union, from international security to international institutions. These events complement the rich programme of guest speakers, including both academics and professional practitioners, and visiting researchers, all contributing to the creation of a stimulating intellectual community.

The Departments of the University of Trento involved in the School are:

• Economics and management
• Faculty of Law
• Arts and humanitiesThe Director of the School of International Studies: Andrea Fracasso
• Sociology and Social Research