SOLEIL – Interregional Legal Career Guidance and Empowerment Services
“SOLEIL – Interregional Legal Career Guidance and Empowerment Services” is part of the National Program for Inclusion and Fight against Poverty 2021-2027, owned by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policies.
The project
The UNINT project is aimed at young immigrants belonging to the school system or not. In particular, the project's objective is to strengthen tools such as transversal skills and mentalizing, capable of reducing the risk of labour exploitation by promoting self-determination and awareness by placing the migrant person at the centre of the learning and emotional growth process.
Specifically, three teaching methods will be compared: one that involves the application of procedures aimed at strengthening metacognitive aspects; one that involves the strengthening of metacognitive aspects through the use of virtual reality (Virtual Reality – VR); and finally the traditional one.
Principal Investigator
University of Tuscia – Leader of the ATS University of Lazio
UNINT Associated Investigator
Alessandro Frolli
E-mail: alessandro.frolli@unint.eu
DSAid: AI-Driven Solutions for Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities
DSAid: AI-Driven Solutions for Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities is part of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) 2021-2027 funding program – Public notice addressed to the Universities of Lazio for the strengthening of support for students with learning disabilities (DSA) – year 2024.
The project
The project aims to develop and implement Innovative digital tools to facilitate learning for students with Specific Learning Disabilities, improving their autonomy and participation in academic activities. The project includes:
I) Creation of a virtual suite for uploading teaching materials: a platform will be developed within the university portal where teachers can upload handouts, slides and summaries. The contents will be automatically processed to generate concept maps that facilitate understanding and study. Concept maps will be visible to teachers for any corrections and approvals, before being made available to students. The AI algorithm underlying the system will use Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques to identify the key concepts of the materials;
II) Development of AI-based tools for creating flashcards and self-assessment questions: students will have access to interactive materials, such as flashcards and questions, automatically generated based on the content provided by teachers. These self-assessment tools will be useful for revision and exam preparation, improving memorization and comprehension skills through active study;
I Teacher training: an important part of the project will be the training aimed at the teachers of the department on the characteristics of DSA and on the support measures provided by law 170/2010. This training will be provided through workshops and e-learning modules. A practical part will also be provided for the use of the tools made available by the platform;
IV) Implementation of text to speech software: a software will be integrated that allows the conversion of written texts into audio format with the possibility of adapting the reading speed based on the specific needs of the student. This tool will allow students to listen to the teaching materials, overcoming the difficulties related to reading and understanding the text. The speech synthesis will be made available directly on the university portal, accessible to all students with learning difficulties.
The project uses innovative teaching methodologies, with an inclusive approach, based on assistive technologies and advanced digital tools. Artificial intelligence techniques, such as NLP, will allow the automatic processing of educational content, making it more accessible. Teacher training will be oriented towards the practical use of digital tools and knowledge of DSA regulations. The project aims to improve the quality of learning of students with DSA, increasing autonomy and participation in lessons.
Competition between the United States, China and Russia. The consequences in the Euro-Mediterranean perimeter and the policies for Italy (COMPIT)
The project “Competition between the United States, China and Russia. The consequences in the Euro-Mediterranean perimeter and policies for Italy (COMPIT)” is part of the MAECI funding program – Applications for requests for contributions to study, research and analysis projects in the field of foreign policy and the promotion and development of relations – Year 2024.
The project
COMPIT aims to reconstruct the main competition dossiers between the United States, the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation in the fifteen-year period from 2010 to 2024 and the impact that this competition has had on Italian security, with a focus on Europe and the wider Mediterranean.
The aims of COMPIT are both theoretical and empirical. Among the former, the project wants to offer a policy-oriented contribution to the literature on tripolar systems. Among the empirical aims, instead, is the desire to understand the dossiers and the modalities of the competition between the three great contemporary powers.
Principal Investigator
Gabriele Natalizia (Geopolitica.info Study Center)
UNINT Associated Investigator
Antonella Ercolani
Organizational director
Lorenzo Termine
E-mail: lorenzo.termine@unint.eu
WAVE (Pro-Ben Lazio 1)
Pro-Ben Lazio1 is included in the MUR financing programme – Notice for the granting of financing intended for
promotion of psychophysical well-being and the fight against psychological and emotional distress phenomena in the student population – year 2023
The project
The transition from adolescence to early adulthood, which is now identified as “emerging adulthood”, represents a moment of particular vulnerability in which the main developmental tasks, such as the realization of autonomy and vocational projects, the consolidation of a personal identity, relational changes and the process of emancipation from the family, can be associated with moments of crisis linked to the challenges of university life with the pressure to succeed in the academic path and worries related to the future, together with the perception of a lack of social support.
The aim of this project is to systematize all the Universities and Academies of Lazio to intervene with a unitary and shared model on the promotion of well-being and the reduction of psychological distress of students and to implement a new development program starting from the funding provided.
Principal Investigator
Giulietta Capacchione – University of Rome “La Sapienza”
UNINT Associated Investigator
Alessandro Frolli
E-mail: alessandro.frolli@unint.eu
ITAsia. Drivers and obstacles of Italy's Asian rebalancing
A project organized by the University of International Studies of Rome (UNINT) in collaboration with the Geopolitica.info Study Center and the “Cooperation with Eurasia, the Mediterranean and Sub-Saharan Africa” Research Center (CEMAS) of Sapienza University of Rome. Created with the support of the Analysis, Programming, Statistics and Historical Documentation Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, pursuant to art. 23-bis of Presidential Decree 18/1967. The opinions contained in the project are the expression of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the positions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Purpose and expected results
The redistribution of global power in favor of various state actors in the Indo-Pacific, first of all the People's Republic of China, is a structural factor that requires in-depth reflection on the dynamics of interaction, current and potential, of our country with Indo-Pacific actors -peaceful. Understanding these dynamics can help Italy and its allies to manage bilateral and multilateral relations with Indo-Pacific actors in a more functional way to their interests. The Indo-Pacific reorientation of Italian foreign policy would be functional to guarantee the pursuit of national and European interests within the broader political-strategic initiative of US regional interest. The hope for increased Italian commitment in the Indo-Pacific should not be read as an alternative to advancing the country's interests in the wider Mediterranean region. The joint reading of the two scenarios and the consequent harmonization of the policies expressed by Italy is relevant not only from a strategic-security point of view, but also for the commercial aspects on which the interconnection is based, in particular for the safety of the naval routes that connect two growing areas in the geoeconomy of the present. The profound understanding of the drivers and constraints of the Italian commitment in the Indo-Pacific is crucial for the formulation of a foreign policy that strikes the difficult balance between interests and principles, adequately evaluating the positions of the various actors involved in the Indo-Pacific scenario and concerting the areal commitment with the global projection of the country in the plurality of political dimensions affected by Asian developments. Strengthening relationships with traditional partners and managing relationships with emerging players requires careful use of the tools available to the decision maker who cannot fail to be informed by an exhaustive assessment of the Indo-Pacific context.
- Report I - Italian foreign policy between the Euro-Mediterranean center of gravity and Indo-Pacific ambitions
- Report II - Italy's Asian rebalancing: drivers and prospects for security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific
- Report III - Italy's Asian rebalancing: drivers and prospects for economic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific
Scientific lead
Antonella Ercolani
Organizational director
Lorenzo Termine
E-mail: lorenzo.termine@unint.eu
Non-Financial disclosure and Audit Quality: Future perspectives in Italy and Europe (n-FAQ) (PRIN 2022 Project)
Funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU
The disclosure of non-financial (environmental, social and governance-related, herein ESG) information is becoming more and more relevant worldwide.
The assurance of non-financial information is a highly debated topic in the accounting and auditing literature. In particular, the European guidelines (European Directives 2003/51/CE and 2014/95/UE; EC (2021). Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL amending Directive 2013/34/EU, Directive 2004/109 /EC, Directive 2006/43/EC and Regulation (EU) No 537/2014, as regards corporate sustainability reporting) have the main aim to help firms in disclosing high quality, relevant, useful, consistent and more comparable NFI in order to be transparent with stakeholders. Within this framework, procedures and regulations about financial audit are changing as well, since information must be reliable to be valuable for stakeholders to make decisions.
The main aim of this project is to examine how, at the international level, the NFI, as well as the auditing and IT audit procedures are being applied in either a mandatory or voluntary context.
The n-FAQ project has practical implications with regard to a variety of stakeholders, since it helps scholars and practitioners to disclose NFI; it supports auditors and IT auditors in the definition of the tools and procedures used in the assurance of non-financial disclosure and it provides insights to investors in the evaluation of the value relevance of the assurance quality of NFI.
Principal Investigator
Maria Chiara Demartini (University of Pavia)
UNINT Associated Investigator
Sara Trucco
Contact details
E-mail: sara.trucco@unint.eu
Is old really gold? International consumers' perceptions and attitudes towards Italian cultural heritage and long-lasting brands (PRIN 2022 Project)
Funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU
According to the 2021 edition of the Anholt-Ipsos Nation Brands Index (Ipsos, 2021), Italy ranks 4th out of 60 countries in the overall index that measures the strength of a country's perception. However, Italy ranks 1st in the "heritage and culture" dimension, which measures the perception of a country's heritage, art and culture. From a marketing management point of view, the use of cultural heritage as a strategic tool is taking on growing importance, especially among “prototypical” and long-lasting Italian brands, which can use the cultural heritage of their country of origin to provide a set of unique and distinctive associations that are uniquely linked to the relationship between national identity and the image of national products.
However, so far the marketing literature has paid little attention to the conceptualization of the concept of cultural heritage image and its role in the evaluation of national products. Only a limited number of studies have attempted to operationalize the cultural heritage component within the overall construct of country image, and very few have addressed the mechanisms of the effects of a nation's cultural heritage image on the perceptions of international consumers. .
Therefore, although there is no doubt that in countries like Italy the positive reputation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage
plays a crucial role in influencing the perception of the “Made in Italy” brand by foreign consumers, the potential impact of national cultural heritage on the international competitive advantage of a company and its products still remains largely to be discovered.
The research project aims to fill these scientific gaps by pursuing two main objectives:
the development of two measurement scales for the operationalization of the concepts of “Cultural HEritage Image of a country (CHEI)” and “Brand HEritage Image of a firm (BHEI)”;
the proposal of an integrated research model that investigates the interaction between the two constructs – CHEI and BHEI – and their influence on the perception and attitude of international consumers towards national products and services linked to cultural heritage (“cultural heritage effect”).
Principal Investigator
Maria Rosaria Napolitano (University of Naples Parthenope)
UNINT Associated Investigator
Alessandro De Nisco
Contact details
E-mail: alessandro.denisco@unint.eu
Digital lexicographic tools at the service of the IOM (Observatory of Italianisms in the World) (PRIN 2022 Project)
Funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU
The objective of the project is the creation of lexicographic tools and contents for the IOM (Observatory of Italianisms in the World), one of the strategic projects of the Accademia della Crusca, designed as a reference point for the collection, verification and sharing of widespread Italianisms in different languages of the world, in a collaborative effort of national and foreign units that brings together multidisciplinary approaches.
The materials currently available will be the basis of an electronic dictionary relating to English, French and German (the initial nucleus on which to subsequently graft lexicographic cards relating to other languages).
The structure includes sets of lemmari specific to each language, and a lemmarium of Italian etymes that serves as an aggregator. The solution allows us to overcome the problems related to the typology of etymological dictionaries which, starting from the etymology, must account for the results in multiple languages or linguistic varieties. The electronic management of a card system designed in this way will in fact make it possible to overcome the choice between alphabetical ordering of etyms or words in the target languages.
By the Crusca IT Centre, an IT platform has been created for inserting the cards at the basis of future entries in the electronic dictionary. The sample currently available, with appropriate adjustments, is at this point functional to creating the electronic consultation dictionary, which will be dynamic, in the definition that has been given in other digital lexicography projects, such as the Dynamic Vocabulary of Modern Italian. Starting from a "meta-entry" in which all the fields provided are shown, both for the etymology sheet and for the italianism sheet, diversified paths will be identified depending on the user, providing - through an appropriate combination of chosen fields - specific sub- dictionaries tailored to the user, languages or other. Alongside the typologies proposed by the research group, an advanced function will allow users to act directly on the "metavoice" to build their own personalized form, including only the fields of interest.
Interactivity with users, the constant presence of statistical summary data (also via infographics), the possibility of creating detailed zooms or summary tables on the page, navigability within entries of the same language or the possibility of moving with a clicks on related entries in other languages or in other contexts are a further aspect of innovation that characterize the project. The dictionary will be freely available online (including from the Accademia della Crusca website and its social channels). The dynamism will allow you to reach different audiences. An important side effect is to promote the "Italy" brand in the world and also provide useful market information for entrepreneurs in strategic sectors of our economy.
Principal Investigator
Marco Biffi (University of Florence)
UNINT Associated Investigator
Lucilla Pizzoli
Contact details
E-mail: lucilla.pizzoli@unint.eu
AI- and DIP-Enhanced DAta Augmentation for Remote Sensing of Soil Moisture and Forest Biomass (AIDA) (PRIN 2022 Project)
Funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU
The European Union aims to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. The EU is committed to reducing emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The study of climate change is therefore essential to contribute to achieve this objective.
Satellite data and products are a valuable tool for monitoring life on our planet. They have proven effective for the characterization of Essential Climatic Variables (ECV), i.e. the key parameters for understanding climate changes affecting oceans, ice and emerged lands.
AIDA aims to propose advanced procedures driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and digital image processing (DIP) for the augmentation of temporal and spatial data collected during Earth observation space missions. Such augmented data can be used to systematically and globally recover the bio-geophysical variables connected to ECVs, allowing for better extraction of information on soil moisture and forest biomass.
The objectives of the AIDA project are:
- Augmenting Ancillary Data Using Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs)
- Regularize and increase the spatial resolution of GNSS-R data using the Kantorovich (SK) sampling algorithm
- Augment GNSS-R data by considering GANs applied to radar data
- Qualitatively evaluate recovery improvement with state-of-the-art deep learning methods.
The project lasts 24 months. It includes 7 working packages and 2 milestones, in month 12 and month 18.
Principal Investigator
Davide Comite (Sapienza University of Rome)
UNINT Associated Investigator
Domenico Daniele Bloisi
Contact details
E-mail: domenico.bloisi@unint.eu
Promoting Healthy And Sustainable Eating (PHASE). A deep investigation to reduce and replace meat consumption. (PRIN 2022 project)
Funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU
The general objective of this project is to promote healthy and sustainable eating (from now on Promoting Healthy And Sustainable Eating – FASE) by focusing on the most effective dietary change, namely the reduction and replacement of meat.
The current demand for meat consumption is a global threat to both people's health and the planet (Clark et al., 2020). Furthermore, the global problem of malnutrition and food insecurity could be solved by replacing most meat with plant-based foods (Berners-Lee et al., 2018). Finally, excessive meat consumption increases the risk of mortality and numerous chronic diseases, therefore reducing and replacing meat is an urgent and win-win action (Willett et al., 2019).
This overall objective will be achieved from a psycho-social perspective, allowing a deep understanding of the personal, socio-cultural and external factors related to MRR, and thus suggesting the most effective strategies to encourage this behavior.
Firstly, we intend to identify a clear and complete picture of meat consumption and its antecedents in the Italian context (AIM 1).
Secondly, we aim to understand how to promote meat reduction and replacement by focusing on less studied factors (AIM 2) and using methodologies that overcome some limitations of previous studies (AIM 3).
Furthermore, the first scientific attempt to build an ecological and tailor-made intervention to promote the reduction and replacement of meat will be carried out (OBJECTIVE 4).
Finally, a constant effort will be dedicated to disseminating the main results not only to the scientific community but also to interested parties and the general population (AIM 5).
The project will be carried out through constant collaboration between three Research Units (UR): University of Padua (UNIPD), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE), University of International Studies of Rome (UNINT) and 4 Work Packages (WP ). The proposed research will benefit from a multi-method approach, large and heterogeneous samples and a funnel structure that proceeds towards linked and increasingly specific objectives.
Starting from a bird's eye perspective, WP1 will provide a snapshot of meat consumption in Italy by identifying the main contextual and individual antecedents.
Then, looking more closely, WP2 will experimentally test the effectiveness of different communication strategies that promote the reduction and replacement of meat, focusing on personal and socio-cultural factors.
Finally, WP3 will combine the results of previous WPs to build a personalized mobile intervention aimed at promoting meat reduction and replacement.
Overall, the results of these 3 WPs have the potential to significantly increase scientific knowledge on the most effective communication strategies to raise people's awareness of the urgency of adopting this behavioral change.
In conclusion, with WP4 we aim to disseminate our main results through the organization of an international workshop. The current project will finally be able to provide important insights capable of informing social communication experts and political decision makers.
Principal Investigator
Michela Lenzi (University of Padua)
UNINT Associated Investigator
Valentina Carfora
Contact details
E-mail: valentina.carfora@unint.eu
Saving natural resources: an experimental-behavioral approach to intertemporal environmental decisions (PRIN Project 2022)
Funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU
This research deals with a crucial topic in natural resource economics, ie, finding appropriate environmental policies/measures for
governing household consumption of groundwater and fossil energy resources. Differently from these latter, groundwater is a renewable resource, but in many areas of the world the recharge is limited compared to the rate of abstraction. Increasing concerns as to groundwater becoming a “non-renewable” resource (Bierkens and Wada, 2019) has led the United Nations World Water Day 2022 to be entirely focused on groundwater (UN, 2022).
For both fossil energy resources and groundwater interventions on the supply side (mostly resources substitutability) encounter strong constraints for their immediate implementation. That's why demand-side management is of relevance, and the experimental analysis approach reveals a suitable strategy to investigate saving, altruistic behavior, and consumer-targeted environmental policies.
This project discusses the issue of groundwater and fossil energy resources conservation across generations from different and complementary dimensions (empirical, theoretical, and experimental), aiming at identifying effectively implementable policy suggestions, guidelines, informative campaigns, and best practices that can promote the goal of intergenerational environmental solidarity.
The theoretical dimension focuses on a survey of the existing literature in overlapping generation models (OLG). Particular attention will be devoted to endogenous modeling of consumers' preferences and the dynamics of the intergenerational natural resource.
The project is explicitly centered on the Behavioral-Experimental Economics approach because its primary goal is the understanding of the micro-micro foundations of the psychological mechanisms that trigger compliance toward environmentally compatible goals. We aim to investigate the intertemporal dimension of environmental sustainability from an individual perspective, experimentally mimicking overlapping generations' processes within a frame of limitedly reproducing resources. One of the critical instances of the debate about environmental sustainability regards the role of myopic intertemporal preferences pushing decision-makers to behave.
Principal Investigator
Luigi Mittone (University of Trento)
UNINT Associated Investigator
Amedeo Argentiero
Contact details
E-mail: amedeo.argentiero@unint.eu
RETINA: REmote sensing data INversion with multivariate functional modeling for essential climAte variables characterization (PRIN/PNRR Project)
Funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU
The Earth is experiencing tangible climate changes. This is demonstrated by the dynamics of values of essential climate variables (ECVs) that are available from the analysis of data produced by current and next-generation Earth observation missions.
RETINA is a multidisciplinary project that aims to develop new methods for the analysis of data produced by the interaction between electromagnetic waves and the Earth's surface. RETINA focuses on the characterization of surface soil moisture (SM) and freeze/thaw state (FT), which are geophysical variables linked to ECVs.
We propose, for the first time, the use of multivariate neural network (NN) operators in combination with their (approximate) inversion for modeling and estimating these variables from data provided by space missions. The retrieval of NN operators is integrated by a Bayesian inversion performed with Monte Carlo methods.
Principal Investigator
Danilo Costarelli (University of Perugia)
UNINT Associated Investigator
Domenico Daniele Bloisi
Contact details
E-mail: domenico.bloisi@unint.eu
DEMETRA ARTEMED: Adapting, Revising, and Tailoring Evidence-based interventions to enhance Mediterranean Diet adherence (PRIN/PNRR Project)
Funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU
Beyond the indisputable health benefits, the Mediterranean Diet (MeDiet), recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, is one of the most sustainable dietary models in the world. The MeDiet has a lower environmental impact than other dietary models due to its emphasis on local, seasonal plant-based foods (LSPF).
For this reason, the main objective of the DEMETRA project is to improve adherence to the MeDiet. “DEMETRA” reminds us of the cultural value of the MeDiet by referring to the goddess of the harvest and the harvest, as well as the cycle of the seasons. Being heteropalindromic, ARTEMED abbreviates the project title: “Adapting, Revising, and Tailoring Evidencebased interventions to enhance MEditerranean Diet adherence”. The main objective of this project will be achieved thanks to the collaboration of four Research Units (University of International Studies of Rome = UNINT, University of Padua = UNIPD, University of Modena-Reggio Emilia = UNIMORE, University of Naples Federico II = UNINA) thanks to a multi-method research design (i.e., qualitative studies, controlled experiments and digital interventions) characterized by different methodologies (e.g., questionnaires, implicit measures, focus groups, experimental auctions with taste tests, smartphone interventions) and a interdisciplinary approach (social psychology and behavioral economics).
The main objective will be specifically defined by 2 Milestones (Ms) divided into 11 Work Packages (WPs) each with specific Activities (19 studies and 11 dissemination activities). Milestone 1 (M1) focuses on raising awareness of the low environmental impact of MeDiet LSPFs and promoting their consumption. In the first year, UNIMORE and UNIPD will pretest the experimental materials and evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive, emotional, moral and normative appeals promoting LSPF consumption with 10 experimental studies. UNINA will test sensory claims promoting LSPF in 2 studies with a qualitative-quantitative methodology. At the end of the first year, all the Research Units will collaborate on 6 As to disseminate the results collected. Milestone 2 (M2) focuses on the development of a personalized digital intervention to disseminate the cultural heritage of the MeDiet. In the first year, UNINT will implement 3 Activities to engage people in using a mobile app that promotes LSPF consumption and will test the integration of different behavioral strategies aimed at supporting lasting changes. In the second year, UNINT will test tailor-made mobile interventions. The latest wave of dissemination will focus on presenting M2 results to the scientific community through 5 Activities. The overall outcome of the project will be an evidence-based protocol reporting the most effective communication strategies to improve LSPF consumption and their application in personalized digital interventions.
Principal Investigator
Valentina Carfora (University of International Studies of Rome)
UNINT Associated Investigator
Valentina Carfora
Contact details
E-mail: valentina.carfora@unint.eu
Bridge over troubled water (consumption): drivers of consumers' behaviors and policy interventions (PRIN/PNRR Project)
Funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU
The role of individuals' water consumption behaviors is expected to be crucial as climate change, increasing needs and inefficiencies in management may trigger significant water shocks. Indeed, policies from the supply side will have to be complemented by interventions on the demand side. This implies the need for a fully-fledged analysis of the drivers of water consumption behaviors.
Italy is a compelling case study in this respect, as it features significant water related stress (also) linked to consumption. We therefore need to achieve a better understanding of demand side driving forces, both theoretically and empirically. On the theoretical side, we will rely both on economic (neoclassical and behavioral) and socio-psychological literature to understand what may drive water consumption and water savings. On the empirical side, we will focus both on standard macro data (Istat, ISPRA) examined at municipal scale through the use of a stochastic frontier approach, as well as data from existing household sample surveys (Multipurpose Household Survey) investigated by adopting a multi -scale approach; we will also develop an ad hoc survey, aimed at assessing the relevance of specific driving forces that cannot be addressed using existing data. We will adopt, in particular, a structural equations approach to highlight complementarities and indirect effects. Finally, empirical analysis will also rely on experimental results, specifically through a laboratory activity that will foster the measurement of water related behaviors (eg, implicit and stated cognitions and attitudes about green practices; psychological and environmental characteristics etc.).
The main innovative objective of the project is to investigate the relationships connected to water use at different levels of analysis, starting from the individual/household up to regional and national level. This will contribute to Agenda 2030 Goal 6, and in particular to targets 6.4 (Increase water-use efficiency) and 6.6 (protect and restore water-related ecosystems) as well as to Goal 12, in particular target 12.2 (achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources). In relation to PNRR, we will contribute to Target 2.4 (Protection of land and water resources).
The project will feature significant socio-economic and scientific impacts at different levels. The regional and national levels will be the most relevant ones for applied research and policy implementation. At an international level, the project will generate novel research results, to be disseminated in international conferences and submitted to high level scientific journals. The project's results, as conceived by the work planned by the three units, can constitute an important knowledge base for institutions and bodies in charge, on the characteristics of consumption and on the possibilities of saving water resources in the Italian territories.
Principal Investigator
Alessio D'Amato (University of Rome Tor Vergata)
UNINT Associated Investigator
Amedeo Argentiero
Contact details
E-mail: amedeo.argentiero@unint.eu
Italian language, global language market, Italian business in the world: new linguistic, socio-cultural, institutional, economic-productive dynamics
The project Italian language, global language market, Italian business in the world: new linguistic, socio-cultural, institutional, economic-productive dynamics is part of the PRIN 2017 funding stream with the University of Siena Stranieri as leader (national coordinator: professor Massimo Vedovelli) and the participation of three other research units: University of Florence (professor Marco Bellandi), University of International Studies of Rome – UNINT (teacher Laura Mori), IUL Telematic University (teacher Barbara Turchetta).
The project is aimed at studying the linguistic space of Italian in the world, focusing on the relationship between economic networks and social networks of Italian origin, on the positioning of Italian in the language market, on the identification of the symbolic and cultural values of Italianness conveyed from the Italian language in the economic-productive realities abroad and on the presence of cultural and commercial products connected to Italy and in the linguistic landscapes of the global world.
Each unit will focus on representative case studies of historical Italian migration and flows linked to neo-migration, making use of its specific skills in the following fields: applied economics, teaching Italian as a second language, educational linguistics, landscape linguistics, sociolinguistics, contact linguistics.
The work will be carried out by the four units in a complementary way and foreseeing synergies between them for the development of research products and for the dissemination of results and it will be oriented towards achieving a single general objective: a strategic repositioning of Italian in the global market of languages and a strengthening of the attractiveness of Italian cultural and commercial products abroad.
Scientific lead
UNINT unit components
Sandro Caruana, external project contact, professor at the University of Malta;
Manuela Frontera, research fellow, UNINT;
Laura Mori, UNINT lecturer;
Iride Valenti, lecturer at the University of Catania.
Contact details
E-mail: prin2017@unint.eu
International SMART project (Shaping Multilingual Access through Respeaking)
The project SMART (Shaping Multilingual Access through Respeaking), funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) of the national research agency in the United Kingdom, sees the participation of the University of Surrey as lead partner (Principal Investigator Professor Elena Davitti, Co-Investigator Professor Simon Evans) and the participation of three other research units: University of Roehampton (Co-Investigator professor Lucile Desblache), University of Vigo (International Co-Investigator professor Pablo Romero-Fresco) and UNINT (International Co-Investigator professor Annalisa Sandrelli). Three research fellows complete the academic team: Dr Hayley Dawson (PhD in Translation Studies), Dr Louise Fryer (PhD in Experimental Psychology) and Dr Zoe Moores (PhD candidate in Translation Studies). Ai-Media, Sky and Sub-ti Ltd also participate in the project as corporate partners active in the sector of accessibility and audiovisual services: the input of the corporate partners will be fundamental to define the market's needs and expectations regarding this new service.
Interlingual respeaking is a hybrid translation method that combines aspects of simultaneous interpretation and subtitling, and which exploits speech recognition technology. Thanks to this technique, television broadcasts and live events such as conferences, festivals, press conferences and so on can be subtitled in real time, simultaneously overcoming sensorial and linguistic barriers and promoting accessibility to content and social inclusion. However, it is an experimental and still not widespread service that is based on a complex human-machine interaction.
The project SMART aims to study the feasibility of interlingual respeaking through a series of experiments with the participation of subjects active in various linguistic professions (interpreters, subtitlers, respeakers, translators). The data collected will allow us to define the skills, abilities and cognitive aspects involved in this complex technique, in order to create professional refresher courses adaptable to the needs of the participants.
SMART it began on 1 July 2020 and ended in September 2022 and included a series of research activities and some dissemination initiatives which were announced on the specific website, currently under development.
UNINT scientific manager
E-mail: annalisa.sandrelli@unint.eu
Contact details
E-mail: smartproject@surrey.ac.uk