I was honoured to be a Visiting Professor for the Mobility Programme for Incoming Professors at the Giacomo Leopardi School of Advanced Studies, University of Macerata. Invited as a visiting scholar, I contributed to the university’s international academic initiatives within the Educating Future Citizens (EFC) project, funded by the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) under Ministerial Decree 291/2024 – Mission 4 “Education and Research”, Component 1, Investment 3.4 “Advanced University Teaching and Skills”. The programme provides a valuable platform for cross-border collaboration, innovative teaching, and the development of long-term research and educational synergies.
Deliverables: (1) two seminars on ‘just war’ theory; one in 24 April 2026; the second in 6th of May 2026. The first seminar offered a comparative perspective that bridged Western medieval, Orthodox, and Islamic traditions, fostering rich intellectual dialogue among students, researchers, and faculty; the second emphasised Dante Alighieri and al-Farabi, shedding light on the way both understand leadership and war; (2) educational diplomacy: built bridges between the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) and the School of Humanities of the University of Macerata (UniMC) for joint programmes (this includes MOUs and the potential for future Erasmus based student exchanges); (3) laying the foundations for the development and expansion of a research network to attract external funding while bringing together scholars from the NKUA and the UniMC. In particular, professors from UniMC will participate in the Ethical Leadership and Perspectives on Just War volumes, in an attempt to improve the research visibility, standing, and ranking of the Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici of the UniMC.
Academic and Cross-Cultural Impact
My participation brought diverse philosophical and ethical traditions into direct conversation, enriching the academic community at Macerata and opening new avenues for comparative studies. The experience strengthened international ties within the EFC network, promoted innovative approaches to teaching political theory and history of ideas, and laid the groundwork for future collaborative projects between European and global academic partners. This exchange continues to shape my research and teaching, while contributing to the broader mission of educating future citizens through intercultural understanding and critical reflection.