Fabio Amato

Fabio Amato is a Full Professor of Geography at the University of Naples 'L'Orientale', where he has been teaching since 2002. He was appointed Associate Professor in November 2014 and became a Full Professor on December 30, 2021. He teaches Social and Cultural Geography for undergraduate programs and Urban Geography and International Migration for graduate programs across multiple departments including Humanities and Social Sciences, Asian, African and Mediterranean Studies, and Comparative Literatures and Cultures.

Amato earned his Political Science degree from the Istituto Universitario Orientale in Naples in 1992, followed by a DEA in Nature, Environment, Sociétés from the University of Caen, France in 1994, and a PhD in Economic Geography from 'La Sapienza' University of Rome in 2000. His academic journey began with administrative work at the University of Naples from 1998-2002, heading the External Relations and Media Relations Office, before transitioning to academic research and teaching.

His research focuses on urban and social geography with particular emphasis on Naples, Southern Italy, and disadvantaged areas. Migration flows and urban space transformation are central themes in his work, as evidenced by his publications and national research projects. Over the past decade, he has expanded his research to explore social geography evolution, especially cultural geography, through the lens of popular geopolitics. His work bridges theoretical frameworks with empirical research, often incorporating fieldwork and direct observation.

Amato's publication record shows consistent scholarly output since the late 1990s, with a clear focus on migration studies, urban geography, and Mediterranean geopolitics. His work demonstrates a progression from local Naples-focused studies to broader Mediterranean and international migration patterns. The publications reveal strong engagement with both theoretical developments in geography and practical applications to contemporary urban challenges, particularly regarding immigrant integration and urban space transformation.

As an academic advisor, Amato has supervised numerous theses at both undergraduate and graduate levels since 2002. He has served as research director for doctoral theses on topics including gentrification, international migration in Istanbul, migration in the Mediterranean, and geopolitics of water. He has also participated in selection committees for doctoral programs at multiple Italian universities and served as president of a thesis jury at the University of Paris Créteil in November 2020.

Amato has been actively involved in numerous research projects, including European initiatives like Mila (Equal) on undeclared work in agriculture, regional projects on immigrant housing conditions, and national research programs of interest (PRIN). Since 2023, he has served as Principal Investigator for the Naples Unit of the PRIN 'Next cities for whom? Imaginaries, resources and inequalities in urban fragments (NEXT-CITIES)'. He has also organized international conferences and been a member of scientific committees for annual Italian-French meetings of social geography since 2009.