PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

The Department of Business and Law (DISAG) has established the doctoral programme in  “Diritto e Management della Sostenibilità – DiMaS” (“Law and Management of Sustainability”), availing itself of faculty from academic fields 12 (Law) and 13b (Business Administration).

The choice of sustainability as the central theme of the study and research programme stems from the department’s longstanding interest in this topic. This is evidenced by both scientific papers and funded research projects on the topic, headed by faculty members, as well as by the availability of a dedicated infrastructure (NFD Observatory – Observatory of Non-Financial Disclosures (NFDs) and Sustainable Practices). Moreover, the topic is fully in line with directives in the University’s Strategic Plan.

The doctoral programme is cross-disciplinary within the individual academic fields, it has an international focus and has links with institutions and research centres. These characteristics distinguish the new course from other doctoral programmes in the field at the international, national and local levels.

With regard to cross-disciplinarity and interdisciplinarity, the courses and research topics covered by the programme relate to areas 12 and 13b of the DISAG, which have long discussed and collaborated in the planning of undergraduate and postgraduate course offerings, the organization of annual departmental conferences and the conduction of research projects.

As for internationalization and external collaboration, the Doctoral programme benefits from the significant number of foreign students completing DISAG bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes (Erasmus students or those enrolled in degree programmes): these represent a significant pool of prospective doctoral students. Teaching and seminar activities shall be in part assigned to foreign lecturers, either members of the faculty or within the framework of collaborative relationships with foreign universities and research institutions, to be established on a permanent basis.

In addition, the international character of the new programme will be guaranteed through two lines of action: alignment of the doctoral programme with international standards and in particular its compliance with qualitative-quantitative requirements for the mutual recognition of the degree, and the inclusion of the new programme in Marie Sklodowska- Curie doctoral networks.

The doctoral programme’s study and research topics fall within four main areas: 1. The legal and economic/business framework of sustainability; 2. Sustainability and business; 3. Sustainability and finance; 4. Sustainability and public administrations.

These topics, detailed below, will be addressed during the three-year doctoral programme according to the following plan.

First year doctoral students remain in Siena. The courses, with compulsory attendance, focus on subjects included in the first two main areas and are addressed through an interdisciplinary approach, i.e.: a) as far as legal profiles are concerned, through a critical approach to the analysis of national, European and international legislation, doctrine and jurisprudence; b) as far as business economics and corporate finance profiles are concerned, through qualitative analysis (single case study, multiple case studies), systematic analysis of the literature and bibliometric literature analysis. A total of 60 CFUs are acquired during the 1st year: these are assigned to teaching (compulsory lectures and seminars), research (writing academic papers and interviews) and University courses (20 hours).

During the 2nd year, subjects in areas 3 and 4 are studied and researched adopting an interdisciplinary approach. Doctoral students acquire 60 CFUs by attendance at scheduled lectures and seminars, research activity, a mandatory period of study abroad, and completion of university courses (20 hours).

In the 3rd year, the doctoral student is supervised by an internal tutor who is a member of faculty and who may be joined by an external tutor from another university, institution, research organization or even company. Participation in seminars, conducting a period of study and research at foreign universities, and attending University courses (20 hours) are planned. The last 60 CFUs are assigned on completion of these activities, especially research, which leads to the presentation of a thesis.