Versione in italiano
English version
IRPPS is an Interdisciplinary Research Institute that conducts studies on demographic and migration issues, welfare systems and social policies, on policies regarding science, technology and higher education, on the relations between science and society, as well as on the creation of, access to and dissemination of knowledge and information technology.
It groups together analyses and theoretical and empirical studies, facilitating collaboration among different disciplinary frontiers, to form three main research lines:
- Study of the relations between population trends and social and economic development
- Study of the social dynamics and policies in welfare systems
- Study of changes in society linked to the spread of knowledge and information technology
Italy is 150 years old. In 1861 the population of Italy exceeded by little 22 millions, life expectancy at birth did not surpass 35 years, infant mortality was very high, in the first year of life about 1 in 4 children died, the illiterates were about 75 % of the population aged 5 years and older, only a small elite, about 2 %, spoke standard Italian, the others could express themselves only in dialect or local languages. About 70 % of the economically active persons worked in agriculture, about 18 % in industry and about 12 % in the service sector. Society was already concerned by its condition, as the 1861 Italian census volumes reveal. Auguste Comte invented the term sociology, but a real sociology did not yet exist, even less a science policy, or the awareness and knowledge of the strong links between science and society. Many more decades had to elapse before something was invented that could be called informatics. Irpps celebrates Italy’s 150th anniversary with its research activity, reasoning about Italy as it was then and as it is today, about the past and future changes, by publishing data and comments regarding the trends of the main phenomena the Institute is interested in. Irpps will organise several initiatives dedicated to the anniversary of the Italian Unity. To start some statistical information regarding the demographic change from the Italian Unity to today. (pdf 210Kb)
IRPPS' strategic objectives:
To adapt the corpus of research performed to suit the needs of society in its specific areas of competence, which comprise:
population dynamics, migration policies and dynamics, social and demographic behaviour, gender studies, welfare, social integration, research, innovation and training policy, teaching and public communication of science, globalization, models and systems of access to information and technology, electronic health care.
To provide tools and cognitive methods for applying research results in a broad socio-economic context
It carrying on its activity as a research Institute it can draw on numerous national and international collaborations, also in the form of conventions and consortia, with Italian and foreign universities and entities and also participates in policy and research networks (OECD, EU, Unesco, European Science Foundation). The Institute is currently party to a number of contracts and benefits from funding from the European Commission, public agencies and local authorities, as well as from private corporations and bodies.