About our School

The School of International Studies (SIS) is the only Graduate School of International Studies in Italy offering advanced courses for students who have completed a three-year undergraduate degree. Established in 2001 by four participating faculties – Economics, Humanities, Law, and Sociology – as well as five departments of the University of Trento, the School of International Studies offers a two-year Master’s programme in European and International Studies –  Laura Magistrale in Studi Europei e Internazionali - 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 in the area of European and International Studies. Students, faculty and visiting professors from all over the world participate in the School’s teaching and research activities, which are by nature multidisciplinary. As an advanced institute of interdisciplinary studies, the Graduate School of International Studies of Trento 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.
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 and professional training in the field of international studies.
 

On 27 October 2012 the University of Trento approved the School of International Studies as a Centre, according to Article 26.1b of the new University Statutes, which says: "The University may create entities called Centres for the attainment of the following objectives: b) the development of interdisciplinary academic and scientific programs involving two or more Departments."

The Departments involved are:

Economics and management

Faculty of Law

Arts and humanities

Sociology and Social Research

The Director of the School of International Studies is Luisa Antoniolli, Full Professor of Comparative Private Law.

The Memorandum on the foundation of the Centre and a list of the academic staff involved at the time of the Centre's foundation can be downloaded from the site.