The Phd programme in Political Studies aims at a deep understanding of modern and contemporary Politics, analysed using a variety of primary and secondary sources, with an interdisciplinary method. The many links between political ideas and political events, between theory and action, are the focus of the course, and its students are encouraged to develop a critical vision of politics and at the same time to build it on a precise historical and philological method. The PhD programme has a strong multidisciplinary vocation. Its goal is to encourage high level research in the following main research fields: History of political thought and political philosophy; Modern and contemporary history; History of political institutions; History, theory and law of international relations and European integration; International cooperation; Political and social theory; Sociology of political, legal and cultural processes; Economics; Language and Politics. The main research topics addressed are: integration process and conflicts in Europe; transformations of democracy in contemporary world; political participation and organization in the “Global Age”; new forms of communication, with particular reference to mass communication, political communication and the role of public opinion; political identity in multicultural societies; trends of international cooperation in contemporary world. The PhD programme is divided in two main courses: - History of doctrines and political institutions; - Theory of socio-cultural-political processes and international cooperation The courses intend to offer an in-depth knowledge of the constitutive and evolutionary dynamics of modern and contemporary politics, investigated through a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach. Specific training objectives of the courses are: - The deepening of the study of historical processes and scientific theories in the political, philosophical, sociological and legal disciplines. - The acquisition of a sure command of the methodologies of empirical research. - The development of a solid theoretical awareness in the thematic areas pertaining to the doctorate; - The attainment of competences and professional skills necessary to interpret and "govern" the evolutionary dynamics of contemporary social, political, economic and institutional phenomena, also with regard to equal opportunities and international cooperation processes.