Area and Global Studies for International Cooperation - AGIC

Go to AGIC Study plan (Study guide)

Academic Year 2024/2025

Students wishing to enrol in the Master's Degree Program in Area and Global Studies for International Cooperation must hold a Bachelor's Degree or a three-year university degree, or any other qualification obtained abroad that is recognized as equivalent in accordance with the legislation in force. Students must also fulfil the curricular requirements and the adequate personal preparation, since enrolment is not allowed in the case of a training deficit.
An adequate ability to use the main IT tools (word processing, use of spreadsheets, design and management of databases, use of presentation tools) is assumed.
The Master's Degree in Area and Global Studies for International Cooperation is not limited in number, but access is determined by the Course. Enrolment is only possible after passing an interview aimed at verifying the adequacy of the candidate’ personal preparation.
To apply for the Master's Program in Area and Global Studies for International Cooperation, candidates must have:

The new Master's Degree in Area and Global Studies for International Cooperation aims to provide the skills required to operate in the context of international cooperation, with a solid background in the interdisciplinary field of area studies and special competencies concerning a specific geographic/cultural area (Africa, Asia, and the Americas).

The curriculum includes activities aimed at the acquisition of:

- advanced knowledge in the fields of international politics and cooperation, in-depth knowledge of the political, economic and social organization of specific geographic areas, with adequate concern for the juridical, historical, cultural, linguistic and anthropological dimensions, as well as interdisciplinary understanding of global processes.

- the methodological and theoretical tools required to interpret social, economic, territorial, environmental and cultural transformations, and the relevance of the gender dimension in such processes.

- the skills required to develop projects of international cooperation, as well as to assess the results and effectiveness of a project, plan or strategy.

The course is based on a general profile and three areas of specialization (Africa, the Americas and Asia). After the first year (general profile), with the highest number of teaching and exam credits (6 compulsory courses for all students), students approach the second year with the stock of knowledge required to make a conscious choice regarding the area of specialization (Africa, the Americas and Asia).

The structure of the course also allow students the possibility to devote part of the second year to internship activities and the writing of the dissertation. Laboratory activities are distributed over the two years, and contribute to integrating the theoretical and practical dimensions. The Master's degree includes additional practical programs and internships opportunities (research centres, central and local administrations, international organizations and non-governmental organizations operating in Italy and abroad, working in the field of cooperation, territorial policies, immigration policies and cultural integration).

Exploiting experiences and best practices of the best universities in the world, the course aims to prepare specialists in: a) international cooperation activities; b) the analysis of local and global political and cultural processes; c) the analysis of the institutional and socio-economic conditions of the areas in which cooperation activities are carried out.

The Master's Degree uses interactive forms of teaching, such as: laboratories and workshops (students having to develop a specific product like country studies, sector studies, guidelines for public policies, project evaluation processes), multidisciplinary seminars on global processes and applied-in-nature seminars (students having to apply the methodologies presented during classes to concrete case studies and to the analysis of public policies); international exchanges in the context of Erasmus+ and other cooperation agreements with other universities, that allow students the possibility to prepare their final dissertation abroad and/or to profit from work experiences in institutions and firms operating in other countries.

The Master's Degree aims to transmit articulated knowledge in the field of international cooperation having theoretical, methodological and applied nature. Students will acquire in-depth knowledge of the different approaches of international cooperation, of global challenges, as well as of the areas of specialization (theoretical). They will acquire technical knowledge required for the collection and analysis of qualitative (ethnographic surveys, interviews, focus groups, interpretative analysis of texts) and quantitative (computer techniques and statistical packages to carry out market surveys, set up and manage secondary databases and analyze economic and social data with specific IT programs) data of social processes (methodological).

Finally, they will acquire knowledge and skills required to illustrate the social and cultural phenomena of the areas of specialization, as well as to design, evaluate, and monitor (the effectiveness of) international cooperation activities (applied).

The course is structured around four learning areas.

Mandatory for all students enrolled in the Master's Degree, the "General" profile is aimed at providing the basic knowledge and multidisciplinary skills (of the specific social, cultural, economic and institutional characteristics that shape concrete activities of international cooperation, as well as of actors in international cooperation) to operate - having also learnt how to compare different cooperation models - and conduct research in the field of international cooperation and development. The knowledge and skills gained in the general profile is a prerequisite to successfully undertake one of the three proposed area profiles (Africa, Americas, Asia), which frame problems of international cooperation into specific geographical contexts.

The "Africa" profile aims to provide the multidisciplinary skills necessary for the understanding of the economic, political and cultural dynamics common to several countries of the African continent and at the same time of the specificities of particular areas. Using a multidisciplinary approach, the profile centers on the study of countries such as Libya and those of the Horn of Africa (former Italian colonies), (African) Mediterranean countries and the Great Lakes region. The focus is on the pre-colonial, the colonial and the post-colonial periods; core issues at stake are the way countries react to Europe's cultural, economic and military influences; migratory flows to Europe; the new external influences on the continent (especially the Chinese one); urban growth; poverty; desertification and the consequences of climate change. Student will be able to understand the links between the processes of globalization and the transformation of African areas, with consequent reconfiguration of relations between states, markets, international institutions, local and transnational organizations and movements.

The "Americas" profile aims to provide the multidisciplinary skills necessary for understanding the economic, political and cultural dynamics that characterize the American continent both in the north and in the south. The multidisciplinary approach here proposed, which combines the study of history, law, anthropology and political analysis, the study of languages and literature in the North American and Latin American areas allow students to gain adequate knowledge of the colonial heritage and of the North American influence on the rest of the continent. In consideration of both the extreme heterogeneity of the American area and of teachers' research interests and fields, the profile focuses in particular on some strategic countries (United States, Mexico, Brazil, and the Andean countries) and on some particular transversal themes of interest such as environmental issues, cultural heritage, and racial issues.

The "Asia" profile focuses particularly on Russia, Central Asian countries, China, India, and the islands of the Pacific Ocean. Colonial legacy and European influences, a strong role of the State (until a few years ago at least), complementary energy interests, urbanization processes, much accentuated and concentrated in recent years, strong economic growth and ability to expand on foreign markets: these are the main characteristics of these areas. The links between these countries, and between them and the rest of the world, have drastically changed since closed countries, such as the communist ones, have opened up to the market and migration. Thanks to the profile's multidisciplinary approach, students will gain the knowledge required to identify and analyse the slow and long-term processes that these countries are experiencing, as well as to observe (in their complexity) the changes underway to understand their effects on the ways of life.

In general, students will learn to understand the connections between the processes of globalization and the transformation of such areas, with consequent reconfiguration of the relations between states, markets, international institutions, local and transnational organizations and movements. They will gain useful notions for a non-simplified understanding of the cultural changes in progress, also taking into account "gender" and "generations" aspects, and learn to apply models and cooperation practices that are most appropriate to specific contexts. Student will also acquire tools enabling them to develop adequate inter-cultural communication.

After passing all the tests of the training activities included in the study plan and having acquired at least 102 credits, the student, regardless of the number of university years, is allowed to take the final exam, which consists of the discussion of a dissertation.
Dissertation, which should have a certain original character and constitute a first approach to scientific work, can consist of:
a) the framing of the state of a question and the critical review of scientific literature concerning a well defined topic;
b) an original research essay;
c) a preliminary project concerning the setting up of an investigation, be it sociological, economic, etc., or to develop an international cooperation project.
The dissertation must be prepared under the guidance of a supervisor from the Course, unless specifically authorized by the CCLM, justifying and specifying the nature of the dissertation.
The final evaluation of the student's career will have to take into account the evaluations on the previous training activities, the final examination as well as any other relevant element.

Specialists in international cooperation with a solid background of area studies can direct and coordinate the realization and management of cooperation projects in different fields, including culture and education, environment, human rights, gender issues, humanitarian action and economic development.

AGIC graduates will work for non-governmental organizations (NGOs), third sector organizations, public administrations, private companies. They will:

-          identify and manage funding lines (at the local, national, or international level) for cooperation initiatives, and monitor the use of such funds;

-          detect and analyze critical elements in cooperation development projects;

-          evaluate projects' effectiveness by making or supervising reports and studies;

-          collect and process (local) information, cooperating with local associations and institutions, and thereby contribute to the identification of desirable and feasible policy objectives;

-          suggest lines of intervention consistent with these targets and identify new possible areas of intervention;

-          assist development cooperation actors and international institutions in elaborating projects of cultural cooperation, development aid and peace-keeping missions;

-          prepare and evaluate public information and awareness-raising campaigns as regards expected and actual results of cooperation projects;

-          conduct research and prepare specialized or area reports, with a view to analyzing and interpreting political, cultural and socio-economic issues and contexts, or transformations underway, on the bases of which they can provide consultancy and mediation services for public and private bodies.

Job opportunities:

-          Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs),

-          international organizations,

-          public companies engaged in decentralized cooperation (Regions, large Municipalities, consortiums of Municipalities),

-          offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, of the Italian Agency for Cooperation and Development, of the Italian Trade Agency,

-          research institutions and think tanks,

-          Chambers of Commerce,

-          diplomatic missions,

-          private companies,

-          multinationals enterprises,

-          market analysis, marketing,

-          consulting firms,

-          military and civilian missions,

-          conservation of cultural heritage,

-          tourism.

Professions, ISTAT coding:

Management Specialists in the Public Administration - (2.5.1.1.1)
Management and control specialists in private companies - (2.5.1.2.0)
Specialists in economic systems - (2.5.3.1.1)
Experts in the study, management and control of social phenomena - (2.5.3.2.1)
Specialists in political science - (2.5.3.4.3)
Researchers and technicians graduated in political and social sciences - (2.6.2.7.2)

Information in the Other Activities section of the site.

(art. 10, paragraph 5, letter a, DM 22 October 2004, n°270)

All students are required to fill in the online study plan for each year of enrolment according to the specified rules.

In the rules dedicated to free credits, Taf-D, the student may insert one or more of the following training activities:

•  Exam(-s): Select one or more subjects of the same level or cycle from the entire educational offer of the University, provided they are coherent with the educational project;
• Laboratory(-ies): Select one or more of the laboratories of the same level from the educational offer of the Department, provided they are coherent with the training project;
• Work placements and internships: Select one or more of the activities of the work placement (3, 6 or 9 credits), only if there are no more credits available, in the context of Other Activities, Taf F. The internship is subject to the rules published on the page of the Office of Job Placement.

• Registration form for the activities (only for workshops and work placement) in a paper mode

For more information, please contact the administrative representative of your Course: Help Desk Service.

It is not permitted to insert Other Activities/Altre attività among the Free Choice credits (TAF D): see the notice "Compilazione piano carriera - Esami a scelta libera (non inserire "Altre Attività") in Italian.

• Master's Degree Introduction - May, 28, 2018

Course Organization

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