October of Research 2026

7 October | Palazzo Gallenga, Aula Magna

This event opens the calendar of THE OCTOBER OF RESEARCH, a series dedicated to showcasing the scientific activities of the Department of International Human and Social Sciences (SUSI) and promoting engagement with the local community.

During the event, PhD candidates and research fellows from the University for Foreigners of Perugia will present the results of their research in the following fields:

• Environment, risks and sustainability
• Global governance, diplomacy and new international balances
• Democracy, conflicts and the challenges of modernity

Event poster (pdf)

09:30 – Institutional Greetings and Opening Remarks
Paolo Morozzo Della Rocca, Director, Department of International Human and Social Sciences (SUSI)
Francesco Asdrubali, Coordinator of the PhD programme “Frontier Sciences in Sustainability, Diplomacy and International Cooperation”

10:00-11:30 – SESSION I
Environment, Risks, and Sustainability

Lucilla Jommi
Between Earthquakes and Climate Change: The Contribution of Anthropology to the Study of Risk Perception
Naomi Camardella
Conducting Research with Women in Post-Earthquake Contexts: Qualitative and Intersectional Approaches to Investigating Disasters in Rural Areas
Saman Mansouri
Toward Multi-Hazard Resilient Bridges: Integrating Flood, Scour, and Earthquake Effects into Bridge Assessment
Luigi Gradante
The Legal Relevance of Sustainability and Its Incorporation into Contract Law

Chair:
Chiara Biscarini, University for Foreigners of Perugia
Discussant:
Marzia Traverso, Aachen University

14:30-15:30 – SESSION II
Global Governance, Diplomacy, and New International Equilibria

Gaia Proietti
Water Diplomacy at the United Nations: International Cooperation and Water Resource Governance for Sustainable Development

Andrea Taborri
Beyond Win-Win Rhetoric: A Critical Analysis of Argentina's Position in the EU-Mercosur Agreement in Light of Dependency Theory
Carlo Busini
Armenia as a Benchmark Test Case in the Global East: The Nexus between Loss, Defeat, and Transition

Chair:
Emidio Diodato, University for Foreigners of Perugia
Discussant:
Federico Niglia, University for Foreigners of Perugia

15:30-17:00 – SESSION III
Democracy, Conflicts, and Challenges of Modernity

Leonardo Scacchi
From Democratic Interventionism to American Neoconservatism: Building Legitimacy for Military Interventions
Giorgio Tabani
The Five Star Movement as a Laboratory of Participation: “Nova – Parola all’Italia,” A Return to Roots?
Leonardo Dani
Protection of the Individual and Changes to the Human Germline: The Limits of Genetic Editing Admissibility
Flavio Orecchio
Modernity and the Anthropocene: Continuity or Rupture?

Chair:
Alessandro Albanese Ginammi, University for Foreigners of Perugia
Discussant:
Luca Alici, University of Perugia

17:00-17:30 – FINAL DISCUSSION
Interdisciplinary Research for Understanding Global Change
 

14-15 October 2026 | Palazzo Gallenga, Aula Magna

In recent years, the world has undergone rapid and profound transformations: we are experiencing what has been called the "age of force," a period marked by wars, international tensions, and the use of force as a means of domination in political, economic, symbolic, and military spheres, challenging the very principles of democracy and the rule of law. This conference aims to provide an opportunity for in-depth interdisciplinary discussion and analysis of these phenomena, to understand their causes, implications, and possible future outlooks.

Go to the event page

Wednesday, 14 October

16:00 - Institutional Greetings and Introduction to the Conference
Valerio De Cesaris, Rector of the University for Foreigners of Perugia
Paolo Morozzo Della Rocca, Director of the Department of International Human and Social Sciences

16:15 - Panel 1 | Conflicts, the Crisis of Democracy, and Peace: Intellectuals and Scholars in Dialogue
Anna Foa, Historian
Tommaso Greco, Legal Philosopher
Maria Concetta Mattei, Journalist
Valerio De Cesaris, Rector of the University for Foreigners of Perugia
Massimiliano Marianelli, Rector of the University of Perugia
Moderator: Federica Guazzini, University for Foreigners of Perugia

Thursday, 15 October

09:30 - Panel 2 | War, Peace, and International Institutions
Alessandro Albanese Ginammi
The Unsustainability of War: Economic, Social, and Environmental Costs in Historical Perspective
Salvatore Cingari
From the Great War to the "Great War". The Militarization of Culture and Society from One Century to the Next
Francesco Duranti
Peace and Democracy through Law: The Role and Work of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe

11:00 - Coffee Break

11:30 - Panel 3 | Conflicts, Rights, and New Power Balances
Paolo Morozzo della Rocca
Sources of Law and the Conflict Between Powers. With the Decline of the Norm, Will New Principalities Arise?
Ottavio Quirico
The Growing Threat of Nuclear Weapons: Limits in International Law?
Filippo Sbrana
Cohesion Policies and Territorial Conflict in Republican Italy
Alessandro Simoncini
In Systemic Chaos. Concepts on the New (Dis)Order in the World

13:15 - Lunch Break

14:30 - Panel 4 | Language, Narratives, and Imaginaries
Antonio Allegra
Forms of Conflict. Imaginaries of Difference between Separation and Transformation
Alberto Azara
The Power of Artificial Appearance: Deepfakes
Toni Marino
The Symbolic Narrative of Power and the Construction of Consensus. The Pandemic Narrative as a Creation of Pre-Attitudinal Anti-Democratic Behaviors
Stefania Tusini
The Use of the Concept of Madness as a Political Tool in Conflict Situations

16:00 - Panel 5 | Environment, Resources, and New Conflicts
Luna Aristei
Outer Space in the Era of Force
Chiara Chiatti, Francesco Asdrubali
The European Green Deal: Momentum and Reconsiderations
Tommaso Pacetti, Chiara Biscarini
Water Management in Times of Disasters and Conflicts

Closing Discussion | Envisioning the Future in the Age of Force

18:00 - End of Proceedings