The Department promotes theoretical, applied and experimental research projects in the areas of educational and formative processes, in history, in social and philosophical sciences, in intercultural communication and in different kinds of intellectual productions (literary, cinematographic, artistic). The Department scholars conduct research both individually and as part of national and international groups.
The principal areas of research developed at the Department include:
- Educational and formative systems;
- Problems connected to organizational innovation and learning;
- The development of historical, philosophical, artistic, and social contemporary cultural and linguistic systems;
- Communication between cultures;
- Promotion of local cultural heritage;
- Comparative literature studies.
RESEARCH NETWORKS
INCH-International Network for Comparative Humanities
The INCH network, funded by Princeton University, is an international consortium dedicated to research and teaching that unites university and research centers in the United States and Europe (Princeton, Notre Dame, Siena, SUM Firenze, Lisbon, Madrid, University College London, Geneva). The project will last three years (2013-2016), and its principal theme is ‘Emotions’. The activities of the network involve the organization of intensive graduate seminars with the participation of students from the universities within the consortium; a key moment in the development of the project is the summer school of comparative studies Synapsis. The last session, dedicated to the theme of ‘Rebellion’ was held in Siena in September 2014.
Network Directors: Maria DiBattista (Princeton), Laura Caretti (Siena), Barry McCrea (Notre Dame University).
Local network coordinator for the University of Siena: Simona Micali.