The Department, founded in 1982, addresses all forms of politics-related issues, using an approach that blends historical, political and juridical analyses, applying a comparative method of enquiry to its research activities.
The Department of Politics, Institutions, History of the University of Bologna was set up in 1982 by a group of lecturers of the History and Politics Institute of the Faculty of Political Science. It was founded within the context of a reform of the Italian university system allowing for the establishment of legally and financially independent university research institutes.
At that time the History and Politics Institute was headed by Roberto Ruffilli, who played a central role in formulating the cultural premises of the Department.
These constituted the basis of an organisation that brought together scholars from different disciplinary backgrounds, united in the common goal of analysing politics in all of its variegated forms and manifestations. To attain this objective, the decision was taken to establish a relationship among diverse areas of expertise and methodologies, combining historical, political and juridical analyses, and applying a comparative method of enquiry.
The Department therefore provides a framework within which diverse disciplines and methodologies co-exist. The different areas represented include history of political doctrines and political philosophy, political science and international relations, national and area histories, public and international law. The internationalist and comparative dimension is an essential feature of the various fields of enquiry, with particular emphasis laid on the comparison between Europe and the main non-European areas.
The Department’s active role in research and scientific debate is also expressed through its organisation of national and international conferences, and the publishing of reviews.
It is, moreover, the fulcrum of intense teaching activities that cover three three-year degree courses and a two-year specialist degree for the Faculty of Political Science, three Masters and three PhD programmes. The Department has its own library and computer workshop.
The Department has 47 affiliated lecturers, distributed among the Faculties of Political Science of Bologna and Forlì, and the Faculty of Cultural Heritage Conservation in Ravenna, as well as 17 members of technical and administrative staff.
Since its foundation, there have been the following Heads of Department: Gianfranco Pasquino (1982-1983), Tiziano Bonazzi (1983-1985), Paolo Pombeni (1985-1988 and 1992-1997), Anna Maria Gentili (1988-1992), Umberto Romagnoli (1997-1998), Raffaella Gherardi (1998-2001), Tiziano Bonazzi (2001-2004) Fulvio Cammarano (2004-2010), Stefano Zan (2010-2011).
The current Head of Department is the dean Paolo Pombeni.
