The University of Pisa offers several cross-disciplinary courses – subjects of broad, general interest which, due to their multidisciplinary nature, may be included in the study plans of different degree courses.
Global Health: an Interdisciplinary Perspective
Coordinators: Lara Tavoschi, Valentina Mangano, Virginia Casigliani.
In an era of rapid environmental and social change on a global scale, global health represents a cross-cutting area of knowledge of fundamental and urgent importance for all professions involved in developing and implementing health policies. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has highlighted that many public health issues cannot be confined within regions, national borders, continents, or supranational organisations such as the European Union. The global health approach recognises the interconnections not only between populations worldwide but also between human, animal and environmental health; between physical and mental health and socioeconomic wellbeing; and between individual and community health.
The purpose of this course is to train students and professionals who are aware of and equipped to address health-related challenges at all levels of disease prevention and control. Understanding the philosophical and historical foundations of medical sciences is crucial for the ethical framing of health professions, as is acquiring both qualitative and quantitative research tools. The course explores the impact of climate change, land use, warfare, socioeconomic development, population mobility, and challenges to liberal democracy on global health, particularly regarding disease epidemiology and access to health resources at local and global levels. It also addresses how cultural and socioeconomic factors influence individual health behaviours.
As global health is a trans-sectoral, interdisciplinary and international field requiring expertise from the humanities, life sciences, law, economics, social sciences and medicine, the course brings together lecturers from a wide range of disciplines and professional contexts. It draws on the expertise of the Interdisciplinary Centre of Sciences for Peace (CISP) of the University of Pisa and the Global Health Knowledge Hub of the European Circle U community, of which the University of Pisa is a member.
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The 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals
Coordinator: Giovanna Pizzanelli
This course introduces the concept of sustainable development as articulated in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda and aims to provide the foundations for understanding sustainability-related issues through a multidisciplinary approach, essential for grasping the complexity of the topic.
Students learn about the economic, environmental and social dimensions of sustainability and the role of individuals, businesses, technology and public institutions in achieving the SDGs.
The initiative stems from the idea that knowledge should serve not only to understand the world but also to transform it, making new generations – and society at large – agents of change. The course, launched in the academic year 2020/2021, promotes a culture of sustainability in line with the University Statute and strategic planning documents, and is supported by the Sustainability Commission of the University of Pisa in accordance with the guidelines developed by the Education Working Group of the RUS (Italian Network of Universities for Sustainable Development).
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Start-ups and Multidisciplinarity: a Road Map
Coordinator: Corrado Priami
This course introduces students from any discipline to the challenges of creating innovative start-ups and examines the tools needed to address them effectively, enabling participants to make the most of their disciplinary backgrounds.
Through videos and testimonials, successful case studies are presented and discussed to identify the reasons for their success and relate them to key concepts introduced in the course. Multidisciplinarity and creativity are addressed as essential components for successful entrepreneurial initiatives. Students also work on developing communication skills, teamwork and problem-solving abilities.
The course introduces various forms of start-ups (for-profit, non-profit, and cooperative) to cover a broad range of opportunities. A central part of the course focuses on the ethics of responsibility and sustainability, considered fundamental values of the University and increasingly relevant in all professional contexts.
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Gender Studies and Interdisciplinary Perspectives
Coordinator: Elettra Stradella
This course is one of the actions envisaged in the Gender Equality Plan of the University of Pisa. It adopts a range of perspectives and contents, including the sociological and anthropological dimensions of gender; the relationship between gender and law in the European context; the construction of gender stereotypes and their legal and socio-cultural implications; women’s history and the recognition of rights from an intersectional perspective; and the interactions between gender and medicine, and gender and science.
Drawing on sociology and the demo-ethno-anthropological disciplines, the course critically explores the concept of gender, examining its key approaches and developments in gender studies. The gender perspective is used to analyse social processes that construct differences and inequalities, their effects on identity, social organisation, obligations and expectations, both individual and collective.
It reconstructs the structural reasons for women’s exclusion from civil and political rights and critically revisits how citizenship has been conceptualised in modern times, addressing gender issues not only within the Western tradition but also in relation to the Islamic world.
The course also examines the relationship between gender and law in the European framework, the origins of anti-discrimination law and gender equality in Europe, European gender policies and the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court of Human Rights, alongside key issues such as female leadership, family roles and gender-based violence.
Finally, it considers gender challenges in science and medicine, with a focus on the gender dimension in scientific research, the inclusion of gender perspectives in technological innovation, and gender-sensitive approaches to occupational health and safety.
The course is organised within the framework of the Jean Monnet Chair “EUWONDER”, funded by the European Commission.
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