Research interests:

-Political Parties and Foreign and Defense policy.
-The transformation of Italian and European Armed forces in the post-Cold War era
-Parties, parliaments, leaders, and foreign and defense policy.
-The evolution of Italian, German, and European foreign and defense policy 
-Italian Military Missions abroad
-Foreign Policy Change
-Defense Policy paradigms
-Strategic narratives, peace movements, and security issues
-Active learning and international relations 

Teaching Methods:
-Simulation and activity-based learning

CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS

October 2023 – October 2025
PRIN Bando 2022 Prot. 2022J9Z53N “Lessons learned? The past and future of Italian defense policy”


PARTICIPATION IN NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PROJECTS

​March 2019 – August 2022
“Divergent paths: Understanding post-Cold War Italian and German defense policy”, grant by University of Genova, “Curiosity Driven”, for assistant professor under 40. 5thout of 100 proposals submitted. 

2017 - 2021
Deploymentvotewatch (http://deploymentvotewatch.eu)
Deploymentwatch collects and shares data on parliamentary votes on the deployment of armed forces. My unit of analysis (with V.Vignoli) focuses on the case of Italy

June 2019 - July 2020
“Quale politica di inclusione? Opinione pubblica e politiche di accoglienza in Liguria fra potenzialità e criticità”, Bando CARIGE 2018.

June 2017 – November 2017
CeMiSS-Military Centre of Strategic Studies, Roma. Research activities on Italian armed forces and instability in the NATO’s Southern periphery. “Vincere le sfide complesse: strategie e cambiamenti che consentiranno allo Strumento Militare nazionale, con particolare riferimento alla componente terrestre, di confermarsi quale strumento efficace per la gestione della crisi del fianco sud della NATO” CEMISS 2017- AM-SME-05. 
2016
"M/HSB 1/GW 018 – Strategic narratives in Afghanistan", University of the Bundeswehr, Munchen
 
2016
“Conflicts and Institutions”, research workshop programme funded by Compagnia San Paolo, NASP and DISPO (University of Genoa)

2015
Research Coordinator, "Irregular Warfare - Approccio della Difesa ed efficacia del coordinamento interforze a interministeriale nelle attività/operazioni condotte per sconfiggere/neutralizzare tali tipologie di minaccia (asimmetrica ed ibrida)", Cemiss - Roma 

2013-2016
Research Fellow, PRIN (Project of significant national interest): “The Italian Foreign Policy in front of the new challenges of the international system: actors, institutions and policies”, Research Unit: Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna.

2013-2015
Research Coordinator, "The Transformation of Italian Armed Forces in comparative perspective", Scuola Superiore Sant'anna

2015
“L’Italia e la gestione di crisi migratorie nei paesi di ‘transito’: lezioni del passato e spunti per il semestre di Presidenza dell’Unione Europea’”, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Research Unit: Forum per i Problem della Pace e della Guerra – Firenze.

2010-2012
Research Fellow, EU project DPE (Drug Policy Evaluation), “New methodological tools for policy and programme evaluation. DG Justice, Freedom and Security.  Research Unit: Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna.
Research Activities in the Worsktream 2: Analysis of the supply chain and its criminal enterprise  (http://www.drugpolicyevaluation.eu/web/workstream/2).

2010-2013
Project Designer and Project Officer of the Jean Monnet Modules: “Debating European Security”, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna.

2011
Research Assistant, Regional Research Project: “Studio Preliminare per la Definizione e la Gestione da parte della Regione Toscana degli Interventi in Situazioni di Emergenza”, Regione Toscana/ Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna

2009-2011
Project Designer and Project Officer of the Intensive programme: “IPESS Spring School, The European Dimension of Soft Security”, Erasmus – Intensive Programme (Life Long Learning Programme). Bruxelles.

2011-2012
Project Designer and Project Officer of the Intensive programme: “ESDAS - European Summer School on Development and Security”, Erasmus – Intensive Programme (Life Long Learning Programme). Follonica (2012)

June 2009 - September 2009
Researcher. CeMiSS-Military Centre of Strategic Studies ROMA. Research activities on the protection of means and personnel in counterinsurgency operations. 
                  
2005-2008
Research Assistant, PRIN (Project of significant national interest) n. 2005144341. “La Politica Estera Italiana: Concezioni di Ruolo, Sistemi di Alleanza e Performance Internazionale”, Research Unit: University of Bologna.

February 2007-November 2007
Research assistant. CeMiSS-Military Centre of Strategic Studies ROMA. Research activities on protection of means and personnel in Peace Support Operations.

 
Phd Supervised
  • Valerio Vignoli, “At the Water’s Edge?”: Italian Political Parties and Military Operations Abroad”, Nasp, University of Milan (February 2020). Thesis later published as a manuscript by “Il Mulino” (V.Vignoli, “Conflitti consensuali”, 2022)
  • Mariana Dos Santos Parra, “Unpacking Peacebuilding – Assessing Political Legitimacy amidst International Intervention in Haiti in Comparative Perspective”, Nasp, University of Milan (February 2020)
  • Elana Dal Santo, “An analysis of the Islamist radicalisation process. Individual patterns, experts and institutional perspectives and media narrative in the Italian context”, University of Genoa, Corso di PhD in Scienze Politiche e Sociali (May 2021). “Tesi segnalata” for the award “Premio Doria 2022”. 
  • Francesco Baraldi, “The cooperation dilemma in counterterrorism operations. An Analysis of the Role of Threat Perception and Ideology in Bilateral Counterterrorism Cooperation”, Nasp, University of Milan (November 2022)
  • Edoardo Corradi University of Genoa, “L’impatto dei foreign fighters nelle guerre civili: il caso dei combattenti transnazionali nelle YPG/YPJ in Siria” Corso di PhD in Scienze Politiche e Sociali (December 2022) 
 
Phd Supervising:
 
  • Andrea Novellis (2019-) “Ruling with minorities: rebel governance and hybrid power-sharing”, Nasp, University of Milan
  • Maria Amjad (2020-) “Understanding the Rebel Groups Participation in the Formal Negotiations”, Phd Security, Risk, Vulnerability, University of Genoa
  • Giulio Levorato (2020-) “Cambiando paradigma? Policy Change e Peacebuilding, drivers e inibitori lungo i tre ordini del cambiamento politico”, University of Genoa, Corso di PhD in Scienze Politiche e Sociali
  • Matteo Mazziotti di Celso (2021-) “Abusing the military: internal security operations and the failure of civilian control”, Phd Security, Risk, Vulnerability, University of Genoa
  • Jean Marie Reure (2022-) “Humanitarian Aid: Relieving Suffering or Buying Consent? How Aid Can Influence Warring Parties’ Behavior”, Phd Security, Risk, Vulnerability, University of Genoa