Joan-Andreu Rocha Scarpetta

Joan-Andreu Rocha Scarpetta, Dean of the Pere Tarrés Faculty of Social Education and Social Work at Ramon Llull University, is a research professor whose work bridges history, communication sciences, and intercultural studies. He simultaneously serves as visiting professor at the Gregorian University (Rome), the European University (Rome), and the University of Tehran, and has been a member of the Advisory Council for Religious Diversity of the Generalitat de Catalunya since 2012.

Dr. Rocha Scarpetta earned two doctorates—in History from the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome and in Communication Sciences from Abat Oliba University of Barcelona—and holds two master’s degrees in Arab and Islamic Studies (Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, Rome) and in Institutional Communication (Barcelona). His undergraduate degree in History was completed in Rome.

His research is anchored in intercultural communication, interreligious dialogue, geopolitics of communication, geoculture, and the intersection of culture and media. Recent projects focus on cultural diversity management in childhood and adolescence, third-sector social innovation, and intercultural education in educational leisure centers.

Between 2021 and 2024 he has co-authored key publications that analyze (i) the critical factors enabling social innovation in the third sector, (ii) expert-driven intercultural intervention models for migrant children, and (iii) participatory strategies for integrating vulnerable families. These works collectively advance evidence-based approaches to fostering social cohesion through culture-sensitive educational programs.

Dr. Rocha Scarpetta is actively involved in several externally funded research projects (2021-2025), including:

• ACM COEDsion: Cultural diversity in educational leisure centers – Aristos Campus Mundus & Agencia Estatal de Investigación
• GIAS: Grup de Recerca Innovació i Anàlisi Social – AGAUR
• Evaluation of educational leisure projects from an intercultural education perspective – multiple national and European alliances

He coordinates the Filmographic Fund of Religions of the Department of Religious Affairs of the Generalitat de Catalunya and contributes to the Innovation and Social Analysis Research Group within his faculty.