Donatella della Porta

Donatella della Porta is a Professor of Political Science and Dean of the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences at Scuola Normale Superiore in Florence, where she also directs the PhD Program in Political Science and Sociology. She leads the Center on Social Movement Studies (COSMOS) and has held a WZB Fellowship at the Center for Civil Society Research. Her research focuses on social movements, political violence, corruption, and democratization processes, including a major ERC-funded project on civil society participation in transitions across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America.

Education details include honorary doctorates from five universities. She has been recognized with the distinguished Mattei Dogan Prize in Political Sociology (2011). Her work integrates empirical studies on protest dynamics with analyses of institutional contexts, emphasizing global governance and comparative political systems.

Notable projects include the ERC 'Mobilizing for Democracy' initiative, which examines civil society’s role in democracy-building. She previously served as a Visiting Researcher in the Global Governance department at WZB. Her research bridges theoretical contributions with applied policy analyses on policing strategies and societal transformations.