Institute for Global Challenges

International Studies

Research Institute for International Studies

Cross cultural and area studies

Comparative cultural and area studies provide the theoretical and conceptual basis to address some major challenges at the beginning of the 21st century, such as radicalisation, migration, and integration within increasingly multicultural and multilingual societies, both within and outside the boundaries of the European Union. The cross-fertilization of language and cultural studies with international relations, institutional and regional economics provides innovative solutions to societal and political challenges, based on deeper insights on intercultural and international relations, economic modelling and policy analysis. International studies is therefore flourishing at Ca’ Foscari and constitutes an area of research and teaching supporting a number of research projects and fellowships.

Keywords

Cultural sustainability, Institutional economics, Integration, Intercultural relations, International studies, Knowledge brokering, Migration, Radicalisation, Regional economics, Science and cultural diplomacy, Translation studies, Transnational history

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Coordinators

Matteo Legrenzi

Research facilitator

Elena Grandi

High-impact and award-winning projects

Chinese Labour in a Global Perspective

In the past few years, much has been written about a “rights awakening” allegedly undergoing among internal migrant workers in China.
But how do Chinese workers perceive their rights? What role do Chinese state and non­state actors play in shaping this perception? And, more important, how will these shifting dynamics of Chinese labour activism affect the future of China as a “world factory”? This research, a Marie Curie Global fellowship won by Ivan Franceschini, will not only give a meaningful contribution to the academic debate, but will also provide European policy- makers, companies, trade unions and labour NGOs with much needed knowledge on how to address Chinese labour issues in this new phase of the globalization process.

Researcher: Renzo Cavalieri
Duration: 01/12/2015 - 30/11/2018

Mental Mapping and Historical Imagination in the Baltic Sea and Mediterranean Region

The Baltic and the Mediterranean Seas are focal areas of regional imagination that have been affected by the new post­-1989 geography.
The project analyses the meanings attached to these areas, their political uses as well as migration, island identities and mental maps.
The program contemplates workshops on area studies, mental maps, conceptual history, and other related topics.
It is a cooperation of Ca’ Foscari University with Södertörn University Stockholm financed by Swedish Östersjöstiftelsen.

Website
Researcher: Rolf Petri
Duration: 01/01/2014 - 01/01/2019