Ca' Foscari Announces Department Directors for the 2026-2029 Term

The recent round of elections has concluded with the appointment of the new Directors of Ca' Foscari's Departments, who will serve from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2029.

Professor Attilio Andreini, Department of Asian and North African Studies (DSAAM). He is a Full Professor of Chinese Language and Literature (Classical Chinese), and graduated in Oriental Languages and Literatures from Ca' Foscari University of Venice with a thesis on the philosophy of classical China, focusing on the thought of Yang Zhu. He then completed a PhD in Oriental Studies at the University of Naples "L'Orientale", with a dissertation on “Interpretation of the Thought of Yang Zhu through Pre-Han Sources”. His main research interests include the Chinese language, palaeography, and the intellectual history of ancient China.

Professor Giovanni Maria Fara, Department of Philosophy and Cultural Heritage (DFBC). He has been a Full Professor of Early Modern Art History at Ca' Foscari University of Venice since 2020. He earned his PhD from the University of Siena and joined Ca' Foscari in 2015. His research focuses primarily on European Renaissance printmaking and builds on his long-standing studies of Albrecht Dürer, which began with his undergraduate dissertation.

Professor Giacomo Pasini, Department of Economics (DEC). He is a Full Professor of Econometrics at Ca' Foscari University of Venice. His main research interests lie in theoretical and applied microeconometric models for analysing individual decision-making, with particular attention to labour supply, insurance and saving choices in relation to family ties and social networks. Since 2008, he has also been a Research Fellow at NETSPAR (Network for Studies on Pensions, Ageing and Retirement) in Tilburg, the Netherlands.

Professor Wilmer Pasut, Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics (DAIS). He is a Full Professor of Building Physics. A mechanical engineer by training, he obtained a PhD in Building Physics from the University of Padua. He began his research career as a postdoctoral researcher and later as a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, before joining the European Academy of Bolzano (EURAC). Since joining Ca' Foscari in 2018, he has played a key role in the Department's organisation, contributing to accreditation and now coordinating both the Bachelor's degree programme in Environmental Engineering for the Ecological Transition and the Master's degree programme in Environmental Engineering for the Green Transition. He also served for several years as the Department's Delegate for Civic Engagement.

Professor Pietro Riello, Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems (DSMN). He graduated in Physics from the University of Padua and went on to obtain a PhD in Chemistry. Since 2016, he has been a Full Professor at Ca' Foscari, where he teaches Physical Chemistry. He has collaborated on numerous national and international research projects with universities and research institutes. The central theme of his research is the microstructural analysis of materials, with particular emphasis on metallic, oxide and hybrid nanostructured materials. Over the past decade, his scientific interests have focused on multifunctional nanosystems for biomedical applications.

Professor Francesca Rohr, Department of Humanities (DSU). She has been Full Professor at Ca' Foscari since 2020 and has taught at the University since 2002. She teaches Roman History, Roman Historiography and the History of Women in the Roman World. From 2015 to 2023, she served as the Rector's Delegate for Academic Guidance and has held several institutional roles within the Department. Her research focuses on political history in the late Roman Republic and early Imperial period, as well as the construction and codification of memory in ancient historiography.

Professor Francesca Santulli, Department of Linguistics and Comparative Cultural Studies (DSLCC). She has been Full Professor of Linguistics at Ca' Foscari University of Venice since 2019, having previously taught at IULM University in Milan. She obtained her PhD in Linguistics from the University of Pisa. Her research interests include sociolinguistics, discourse analysis and reading processes.

Professor Marco Tolotti, Venice School of Management (VSM). A member of Ca' Foscari since 2008, he has served as Deputy Director of the Department since 2020. He is Full Professor of Mathematical Methods of Economy, Finance and Actuarial Sciences. He was a member of the Academic Senate from 2014 to 2017. A mathematician by training, he graduated from the University of Padua and earned his PhD from the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa. He also holds a Master of Advanced Studies in Finance from ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich. He has been a visiting scholar at several universities and business schools, where he has developed research collaborations on complex economic systems, decision-making under uncertainty and social interactions.