Studying in Siena
Siena is not just a city with historical and artistic traditions, though. Being the seat of one of the largest Italian banks, the Monte dei Paschi di Siena, the city has developed important connections with other financial centres.The very special relationship between the city and this bank must be underlined.The bank, which has an outstanding business record, is owned by a Foundation which distributes its profits to the city not only for the maintenance of the old city centre, but also to the University and to a variety of cultural and sport associations, contributing significantly to the city’s well being.
The faculty of Political and Social Sciences
The teaching staff of the Faculty has both general and specialist interests, from political science to sociology to contemporary political history, with a special emphasis on interdisciplinarity.The Faculty moved in 2001 to a new building designed by one of the best-known Italian architects.
Spacious rooms provide teaching staff and students with a modern environment, respectful of the traditional architectural style of Siena.The area offers also plenty of space for leisurely strolls, informal meetings and rest after lectures.
The Library
In the same building is the largest and oldest of the University libraries of Siena, the “Circolo Giuridico”, with a rich collection of books and journals in the field of social sciences and law (more than 500.000 books), many of them in English. A special reading space is reserved
there for graduate students.
The centre for the study of Political Change
The Centre for the Study of Political Change (CiRCAP), which co-ordinates the Master and PhD programmes, was established in 1997. Its main aims are to promote research activities and support programmes of advanced training. The main research projects which it currently sponsors concern the adaptation of domestic politics to the constraints resulting from but also the opportunities provided by European integration and the extent to which national identity is thereby affected. Other projects concern public opinion attitudes to foreign policy, the comparative study of elite recruitment, and the comparative study of legislatures and executives. The Centre also collects and makes available data in these fields. The Department of Historical, Legal, Political and Social Sciences, to which the Centre is attached, participates in the administrative organisation of the Master and PhD programmes.
[Last Updated: lug 4, 15:30]