The Department of Political and International Sciences (DISPI) is the direct successor of the Faculty of Political Science, which was established in Siena in 1997, building upon a tradition of studies and research that originated many decades earlier and became consolidated between the 1960s and 1970s. Compared to that tradition, which primarily focused on the training needs of personnel for the Public Administration, DISPI, in its research perspectives and educational offerings, has changed significantly today. It is now aimed not only at students interested in careers in the public sector – particularly in the Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs, international organizations, European institutions, local authorities – but also at the private sector, the world of business, politics, journalism, communication in general, non-governmental organizations with a special focus on development cooperation, tourism, the third sector, social welfare, human resource management, and industrial relations.
The educational offer consists of a three-year Bachelor's degree program in Political Science (L 36) divided into three curricula: Historical-Political Studies, International Studies, and Governance and Administration. This is followed by Master's degree programs in International Relations (LM 52) – with curricula in International and Diplomatic Sciences, Development and International Cooperation, and European Studies, the latter taught entirely in English. 1 Then there are the Master's degree programs in Administrative Sciences (LM 63) – with two curricula in Taxation, Law and Economics; and Communication, Territorial Marketing and Tourism – and in Social Sustainability and Welfare Management (LM 87).
I would like to emphasize that DISPI is very active in Erasmus exchanges, providing students each year with the opportunity to study abroad, in Europe and worldwide, both to take exams and to work on their degree theses, as well as for internship experiences. The entire educational offer as a whole – both in Italian and in English – is characterized by internships and workshops, aimed at fostering initial contact with the world of work. I also want to underline that the teaching activities are normally accompanied by seminar and conference initiatives of national and international level, which have always been important opportunities for enrichment for students.
I also recall that those who enroll in DISPI have the opportunity to study in spacious and comfortable environments, those of the Mattioli complex, and to use a library, the Circolo Giuridico, which stands out for the richness of its collections and the efficiency of its staff. It should also be remembered that enrolled students can take advantage of efficient academic secretariats and the support of student tutors who can be contacted in case of any problems related to the organization of teaching. Particular attention has been paid starting this year to working students, who will be able to benefit from a specific tutoring service provided by professors.
Topics such as inclusivity, immigration, gender issues, sustainability, relations between states in the new (dis)order, solidarity, and demographic policies, approached with different disciplinary perspectives – economic, legal, historical, socio-political – are an integral part of DISPI's educational offer as a result of the research activities of our faculty.
Interdisciplinarity, internationalization, and a constant focus on the world around us are the salient features of the Department of Political and International Sciences, whose objective has remained unchanged over the years: to educate conscious and responsible citizens, that is, to train the next generation of leaders.
Gerardo Nicolosi
