Fabio Perocco is an Associate Professor at the Department of Philosophy and Cultural Heritage at Ca' Foscari University of Venice. His work focuses on migration, social inequality, racism, and labor precarity. He has conducted extensive research on racialized welfare discourses, migrant labor conditions, and Islamophobia in Europe. Key research interests include the intersection of migration and social policy, structural violence against migrants, and the precarization of labor in the digital economy. His studies often highlight systemic discrimination within welfare systems and analyze the socioeconomic impact of migration policies. Recent publications examine topics such as the racialized discourse on social welfare, gig economy labor dynamics, and the structural roots of torture against migrants. He is affiliated with the Research Institute for Social Innovation, contributing to projects addressing territorial inequalities and global migration challenges.
Mara Ferreri is a Fixed-term Assistant Professor at the Interuniversity Department of Territorial Sciences, Planning and Policies (DIST) at Politecnico di Torino, where she teaches Global Urban Geographies. She is also affiliated with multiple prestigious institutions including the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers (2022-present) and the London School of Economics, Department of Geography and the Environment (2022-present). Her academic career spans multiple European institutions, with previous appointments at Northumbria University (2019-2022), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (2016-2019), Durham University, and the London School of Economics. Ferreri's research focuses on housing precarity, temporary and platform urbanism, and struggles for housing alternatives. She employs qualitative methods to investigate the precarization of urban space and living, collective resistance, and self-organization. Her interdisciplinary work bridges urban and cultural geography, spatial planning, visual culture, and housing studies. She is particularly known for her monograph The Permanence of Temporary Urbanism: Normalising Precarity in Austerity London (Amsterdam University Press, 2021), which examines the normalization of precarious living conditions in London. Her recent publications reveal a consistent focus on urban commons, housing movements, platform economies, and the politics of care in urban contexts. Ferreri's work increasingly examines the intersections between digital platforms and housing precarity, feminist approaches to housing commons, and transnational solidarity in housing struggles. Her research demonstrates a methodological commitment to collaborative and militant research approaches that prioritize community knowledge and activism. Queen Mary PhD Studentship (2009) Urban Geography Research Group Event Fund (2012) Antipode Foundation Scholar-Activist Project Award (2012) Arts and Humanities Research Council - Creativeworks London (2014) Marie Curie Fellowship (2016) Antipode International Workshop Award (2019) British Academy Virtual Sandpit Follow-on Funding (2021) Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei and British Academy Knowledge Frontiers Symposium (2022) Ferreri supervises PhD students Matteo Beltramo and Tommaso Cosentino in the Urban and Regional Development program. She leads the ERC-funded EnactDECOM project (2025-2030) on decommodified housing in Southern Europe. As an active member of the European Network for Housing Research (2020-present), she serves on editorial boards for PLATFORMS & SOCIETY (2024-present), HOUSING AND SOCIETY SERIES (2023-present), and RADICAL HOUSING JOURNAL (2019-present), demonstrating her significant contribution to shaping housing research discourse.
Francesca Coin is a Fixed-term researcher in the Department of Systems Engineering and Industrial Technologies (DISTI) at the University of Parma. She teaches courses including Sociology of Work for the Master's Degree in Organizational, Digital and Administrative Innovation in the Public Administration, as well as Work and Society in the Digital Age and Economic Sociology of Work for the Bachelor's degree in Management Engineering. Dr. Coin's research focuses on the sociology of work, particularly examining precarious labor, digital transformations of work, social reproduction, and the impact of neoliberalism on contemporary labor relations. Her work explores how workers navigate changing economic landscapes, with special attention to desertion from undesirable jobs, class recomposition, and the ambivalent relationship between workers and the digital revolution. She investigates how technological changes have reshaped work identities and created new forms of exploitation while simultaneously offering potential avenues for resistance. Her publications span multiple theoretical frameworks including Marxist feminism, post-structuralist analyses of subjectivity, and critical examinations of digital capitalism. Analysis of Coin's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on contemporary labor issues across multiple dimensions. Her work spans theoretical examinations of precarity and neoliberal subjectivity alongside empirical studies of specific sectors like the restaurant industry. A notable trend is her attention to how workers respond to changing conditions—whether through desertion, reorganization, or resistance. Her research bridges sociology, political economy, and cultural studies, creating a multidimensional understanding of work in the 21st century. The temporal progression of her work shows an evolution from broader theoretical frameworks toward more specific case studies while maintaining a critical perspective on power relations in labor contexts. Francesca Coin has mentored numerous students through her teaching roles in Management Engineering programs at the University of Parma. Her courses on the sociology of work, economic sociology, and work in the digital age provide students with critical perspectives on contemporary labor markets and organizational dynamics. While specific grant information is not detailed in the available materials, her extensive publication record across multiple decades suggests sustained research activity supported by institutional and potentially external funding mechanisms. Her methodological approach appears to combine theoretical analysis with empirical investigation, particularly evident in her recent case study of the Italian restaurant industry, and she demonstrates engagement with oral history through her 2024 publication 'The Terkel Method: Work, Social Inquiry and the Art of Astonishing'.
Osvaldo Costantini is a Researcher at the Department of Developmental and Socialization Psychology at Sapienza University of Rome. His work focuses on the intersection of anthropology, migration studies, and religious practices among marginalized communities, particularly Eritrean and Ethiopian migrants in Italy. He employs ethnographic methods to analyze how religious institutions, spatial practices, and social dynamics shape migrant experiences. Key research areas include: Ethnography of Pentecostal congregations among Eritrean/Ethiopian diasporas Religious management of migration conditions Spatial contestation through housing occupations Refugee mental health and institutional neglect Modernization conflicts in healing practices Notable publications (2016–2023) explore topics like exorcism practices as political resistance, the role of intergovernmental agencies in migrant documentation, and the temporal dimensions of academic precarity. His work bridges Marxist theory with contemporary migration realities, emphasizing how marginalized groups negotiate identity and belonging through religion and spatial practices. No scientific awards or grants are explicitly mentioned. His academic contributions focus on documenting underrepresented migrant voices through detailed ethnographic research.
Francesca Governa is a Full Professor in the Interuniversity Department of Territorial Sciences, Planning and Policies (DIST) at the Polytechnic University of Turin , where she plays a central role in urban research and doctoral education. She is a member of the Future Urban Legacy Lab and actively contributes to academic governance through her role in the Commission for the Promotion of Library, Archive and Museum Heritage. Her research interests span critical urban theory , urban geography , global infrastructure , and socio-technical urbanization . She investigates the political, social, and spatial dynamics of contemporary urban transformations, with a particular focus on logistics, digital nomadism, and knowledge production in the Global South. Her work is grounded in critical geography and emphasizes equity, inclusion, and civil engagement. The recent publications of Prof. Governa reflect a strong engagement with themes such as the geopolitics of urban knowledge, the critical analysis of global infrastructure (e.g., the Belt and Road Initiative), housing struggles, and the role of visual media in urban research. Her work appears in leading journals and books, often in collaboration with international scholars. Scientific awards and recognitions: Transport and Culture Award (2002) by Trasporti e Cultura magazine, Italy. Advising and grants: She is a dedicated mentor, supervising PhD students like Caterina Ciarleglio and Emanuele Sciuva. She has led major research projects funded by national (PRIN) and EU (H2020) programs, including NEXT-CITIES and SURGE , as well as commercial research initiatives. Her leadership as Scientific Director underscores her significant contributions to funded research. Labs and teams: She is a key member of the Future Urban Legacy Lab , an interdepartmental center fostering interdisciplinary research on urban futures. Her collaborative work is evident in her editorial roles for New Geographies and URBAN TRACES , and her participation in the AGeI Steering Committee.
Michele Lancione is Professor of Economic and Political Geography at the Polytechnic University of Turin and Visiting Professor of Urban Studies at the University of Sheffield. As Corresponding Editor for IJURR and co-founder of the Radical Housing Journal , he bridges critical urban theory with grassroots housing justice. Co-director of the Beyond Inhabitation Lab , he leads major projects like the 5-year Inhabiting Radical Housing ERC-funded initiative and the 4-year Precarious Housing in Eastern Europe (FARE). Current research explores housing justice history in Naples. International research in Romania (racial dispossession ethnography), India (smart cities), Lebanon, Nigeria, Jakarta Key methodological focus on visual/narrative methods and minor ethnographies Research Themes include: Critical analysis of housing/homelessness Racial capitalism and structural violence Post-socialist urbanism Urban undercommons Radical epistemic practices Visual ethnographic documentation Scientific Contributions span 18+ publications in 2023-2025, including the 2023 book For a Liberatory Politics of Home (Duke UP). His work appears in Antipode , Radical Housing Journal , Environment and Planning D , and Urban Studies . Keynote speaker at major conferences since 2015, including EUGEO Congress and Urban Observatory events. Honors : 2019 ERC Starting Grant 2022 FARE Award 2021 Polito Starting Grant Antipode Foundation awards (2018-2019) Postdoc Fellowships (UTS, Urban Studies Foundation) As PhD supervisor at Politecnico di Torino, he oversees research on post-asylum geographies, intersectional urbanism, and radical resilience. Collaborates with institutions in Italy, UK, Australia, and EU.
Federico PICERNI holds the position of Adjunct Professor at Ca' Foscari University of Venice. His research focuses on Chinese migrant worker literature, urban dynamics, and transculturality. He explores themes such as labor movements, rural-urban migration, and marginalized voices through poetry, comics, and comparative studies. His work bridges literary analysis with sociological and cultural critique, emphasizing the intersection of identity, space, and labor. His publications span academic articles, edited volumes, and translations, including works on worker poetry, queer spaces in the Sinosphere, and transcultural narratives. Key themes include the aesthetics of labor, precarious migration, and the role of literature in social recognition. He has contributed to interdisciplinary dialogues on class, globalization, and cultural heritage through critical editions and comparative studies. PICERNI’s research often intersects with contemporary social issues, such as economic precarity and urban marginalization. He has published in journals like Positions and Sinosfera , and his translations of Chinese literature highlight underrepresented voices. His work reflects a commitment to analyzing cultural and social transformations in both local and global contexts.
Eriselda Shkopi is a Research Fellow at the Department of Philosophy and Cultural Heritage of Ca' Foscari University of Venice , specializing in migration-related research. Her work focuses on migrant labor rights, housing precarity, political integration, and community-driven social initiatives. Current affiliation: Department of Philosophy and Cultural Heritage Research themes: Migration policies, labor exploitation, housing justice, community activism Her research spans interdisciplinary fields including migration studies, public health, political science, and urban sociology. She has published extensively on topics such as migrant agricultural workers' vulnerabilities, cohabitation-based housing solutions, and the role of migrant-led organizations like the Venice Bangla School. Recent collaborations include studies on international migrant support systems (2023), temporal dimensions of labor policy implementation (2023), and critical analyses of Veneto's housing policies (2022). Her work appears in journals like Frontiers in Public Health and Archivio di Studi Urbani e Regionali , as well as edited volumes on solidarity cohabitations and migrant political participation.
Aslı Vatansever is a sociologist of work and social stratification currently serving as a Research Fellow at Bard College Berlin. Her research focuses on precarious labor and labor activism within academic institutions, contributing significantly to labor studies discourse through publications in outlets like Work, Employment and Society. Her research interests include: Work Sociology Social Stratification Precarious Labor Academic Labor Activism Labor Studies Academic Freedom Vatansever's recent publications analyze systemic challenges in academia, particularly examining how precarity intersects with exile and academic freedom in the Global North. Her work reveals patterns of structural inequality and advocates for labor rights reforms within higher education institutions, emphasizing subjective experiences of marginalized scholars. Her research demonstrates consistent thematic focus on power dynamics in academic labor markets, with publications increasingly addressing geopolitical dimensions of scholarly work and institutional constraints on intellectual freedom.
Helga Molbæk-Steensig is a Research Associate in the Department of Law at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence, Italy. She is actively engaged in the ELOQUENCE project, focusing on the ethical and legal dimensions of generative AI. Her research spans human rights, public international law, empirical legal studies, and the impact of technology on justice systems. She has contributed to major reform debates at the European Court of Human Rights and has published widely on judicial independence, the margin of appreciation, and fair trial rights in the age of artificial intelligence. Research Interests: Her work emphasizes empirical legal methods , quantitative research design , and mixed-methods analysis in international human rights law. She investigates how courts like the ECtHR navigate legitimacy under political pressure, how AI affects fair trial rights, and how pandemics challenge fundamental rights protections. Her scholarship critically engages with methodological issues in legal research, particularly case-law sampling and doctrinal interpretation. The recent publications highlight a strong trajectory in AI and law , human rights in crisis contexts , and institutional legitimacy . Themes include algorithmic accountability in healthcare, judicial deference, dynamic interpretation, and the politicization of enlargement in the Western Balkans. Her editorial work supports early-career researchers in navigating academic publishing ethics and challenges. Scientific Contributions: Co-authored entries in the Companion to The European Convention on Human Rights (Brill, 2023) Contributed to Human Rights and Artificial Intelligence (Oxford University Press, 2023) Published in European Journal of International Law , Leiden Journal of International Law , European Health Law Journal , and Utrecht Journal of International and European Law Regular contributor to leading blogs such as EJIL:Talk! , Strasbourg Observers , and Verfassungsblog Teaching and Academic Engagement: She has taught courses on legal philosophy, fundamental rights, and populism at the University of Copenhagen and delivered guest lectures at the University of Messina and Leipzig University. Her international outreach includes summer schools on human rights and transitional justice in Sarajevo and Leipzig. She mentors early-career scholars and advocates for methodological rigor and ethical publishing practices. Labs and Research Groups: She is affiliated with the ELOQUENCE project at EUI, which investigates generative AI’s legal and ethical implications. She also contributes to the Human and Fundamental Rights Working Group and the Expert Knowledge and Authority in Transformative Times initiative, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach to law, technology, and democracy.
Mario Marasco serves as a Research Fellow at Sapienza University of Rome within the DICEA Department and contributes as teaching staff at UniCamillus University of Rome, where he instructs Demoethnoanthropological Disciplines (SDEA-01/A) for the BSc Nursing program. His dual institutional engagement centers on urban social dynamics through Sapienza's LabSU-Laboratory of Urban Studies and field-based anthropological research. His scholarly work investigates youth marginality, housing precarity, and squatting in urban environments, with extensive ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Mekelle, Tigray (Ethiopia) under the Italian Ethnological Mission in Tigray (MEITE). Key research areas include youth gang formation, microcredit systems, gender construction processes, and prison policy analysis, culminating in his 2021 monograph "Spacciati rabbiosi coatti. Periferia romana e costruzione del panico morale" examining moral panic construction in Roman peripheral communities. Marasco maintains active affiliations with Sapienza's LabSU-Laboratory of Urban Studies and the Italian Ethnological Mission in Tigray (MEITE), integrating development anthropology frameworks with contemporary urban sociology to address social exclusion phenomena across Italian and East African contexts.
Giorgio Pirina is a Research Fellow at the Department of Philosophy and Cultural Heritage, Ca' Foscari University of Venice. His work intersects digital platform labor, ecological transition, and territorial inequalities. Current Role: Research Fellow in Horizon Europe project "EXIT" (2022–present) Previous Roles: Junior Researcher at University of Coimbra (2021), Research Fellow at Ca' Foscari (2022) Research Networks: Member of Keep the City Ticking (2024–), Laris (2022–), CRIAR (2022–), C.I.Do.S.Pe.L. (2020–) Research Interests: Focus on gig economy dynamics, migrant labor in digital platforms, ecological contradictions of digitalization, and territorial inequalities. Key themes include platform capitalism, extractivism, and the socio-ecological impacts of AI. Teaching: Contract lecturer for Sociology Laboratory and Social Research Methodology courses at Ca' Foscari and Padua University. Editorial Roles: Responsible for the editorial committee of Inequalities journal and member of scientific committees for "Ecologia Politica" and "Ritratti" book series.
Viviana Meschitti, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the Department of Management, University of Bergamo. Her academic journey includes a Doctorate in Communication Sciences (2012) and an MSc in Communication with a major in Media Management (2006), both from Università della Svizzera italiana. She serves as the Delegate for Internationalization in the Department of Business Management Sciences and co-directs a Master's program in Human Resource Management and Development with the University of Milan. Research Focus: Organization studies, leadership, team management, gender equality, and gender disparities in academic career progression. Published in journals like Leadership , Studies in Higher Education , and Gender in Management . Professional Roles: Co-chair for the 2025 EGOS Colloquium at Unibg; external examiner for Sheffield Hallam University. Key Publications (2019–2025): Explore topics such as HRM in Italian textile SMEs, gender discrimination in academia, informal workload allocation in UK universities, and the impact of funding schemes on academic careers. Her work bridges organizational ethics, gender equity, and institutional change.
Donatella Alessandra Della Porta is Full Professor of Political Science at Scuola Normale Superiore in Florence, where she serves as Director of the PhD program in Political Science and Sociology and leads the Center on Social Movement Studies (COSMOS). Formerly Dean of the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, her research spans social movements, political violence, corruption, and democratic theory across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. She directs major international projects including the €2 million Horizon Europe initiative 'Feminist Movements Revitalizing Democracy in Europe'. Her research program investigates contentious politics through methodological innovation including protest event analysis, life histories, and transnational comparisons. Current work examines climate activism's organizational dynamics, digital labor conflicts, pandemic-era mutual aid networks, and resistance to right-wing populism. She pioneered the 'Mobilizing for Democracy' ERC project analyzing civil society's role in democratization, and her theoretical contributions bridge social movement studies with democratic theory. Recent publications reveal evolving focus on emergency contexts: political contention during pandemics, algorithmic management in platform labor, and transnational diffusion of protest tactics. These works demonstrate how movements adapt repertoires across digital and physical spaces while confronting democratic backsliding through innovative solidarity practices and institutional experimentation. Her scientific recognition includes: Alexander von Humboldt Forschungspreis (2021) Mattei Dogan Prize (2011) John D. McCarthy Lifetime Achievement Award (2024) Membership in American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2022) Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei (2023) Seven honorary doctorates Professor Della Porta has supervised 43 PhD students on topics including social movements, political violence, and democratic theory. Her research is funded by €15+ million in grants including ERC Advanced Grants (€1.8M), Horizon Europe projects (€2M), Volkswagen Stiftung (€500K), and national ministries. Current projects address climate politics, migrant solidarity, and corruption with teams across 15 European institutions. As Director of COSMOS, she oversees research networks like AUTHLIB (authoritarianism and liberalism), TraPoCo (transnational political contention), and FIERCE (feminist movements). The center hosts annual Summer Schools on global conflicts, COSMOS Talks lecture series, and the 'Movimenti del Mondo' publication platform connecting academic research with activist knowledge.
Annalisa Murgia is Associate Professor of Sociology at the State University of Milan and scientific coordinator of the GENDERS research center. She leads the ERC project SHARE on hybrid self-employment and previously coordinated the EU GARCIA project addressing gender asymmetries in academia. Her research examines precarization, gender inequalities, and transformations in collective action, with focus on self-employment and gig economy. Methodologically, she specializes in qualitative approaches to work subjectivity and organizational change. Recent publications explore solidarity economies among platform workers, relational organizing of freelancers, and hybrid methodologies. Work emphasizes policy implications for labor rights in non-standard employment contexts.
