The DACS PhD programme offers outstanding graduates the opportunity to undertake advanced training in conducting original ethnographic research of an international standard. Established in 2013 and building on a long-standing tradition of excellence, the programme proposes a qualified scientific approach to analyzing the new cultural and social realities of our age.
We focus on the intense cultural contacts generated by global migration, transnational information flows, technological expansion, and shifting political economies. Key features of DACS include a strong emphasis on interdisciplinarity—placing anthropology in dynamic tension with other humanities and social sciences—and a robust international network of collaborations with research institutions, non-profits, and third-sector organizations.
Contacts
Director: Prof.ssa Alice Bellagamba
Deputy Director: Prof. Mauro Van Aken
AQ and Responsible for Teaching Activities: Prof. Luca Rimoldi
The scientific vision of DACS encourages a bottom-up ethnographic approach, emphasizing the lived experience of subjects and cultivating a comparative perspective that connects cultures and societies often considered distant. Our goal is to prepare young researchers to contribute to the advancement of anthropological knowledge through original, scientifically grounded research projects, fostering creative autonomy and flexibility of thought.
DACS welcomes innovative proposals in all fields of cultural and social anthropology. Students join an active research community engaging with topics such as political and economic change, religion, gender, health, art, migration, labor, and environmental transformation.
While open to all inquiries, the programme has particular expertise in research shedding light on transformations in: Africa, North and South America, Central, Southeast, and East Asia Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania.
Our objective is to mold professionals whose skills are highly valued beyond the academic sphere. A DACS PhD graduate possesses a "learning to learn" mindset, combining a holistic vision with the critical reflexivity essential for a globalized, rapidly changing job market.
The advanced skills acquired open doors to roles in research, consultancy, and management across diverse sectors:
- Research & Education: Knowledge creation and educational projects.
- Social Sector & Development: Migration policies, social integration, sustainable development, and rights promotion.
- Health: Socio-sanitary structures, healthcare access, and health education.
- Culture & Heritage: Museums, art environments, and cultural heritage management.
- Corporate & Business: Consultancy on cultural diversity and intercultural communication for companies operating globally.
The Teaching Board is designed as a collaborative network of scholars fostering a vibrant intellectual exchange.
Interdisciplinary Dialogue: In addition to anthropologists, the faculty includes specialists in history, philosophy, geography, literary studies, and education.
Expertise: Our faculty members are specialists in diverse world regions, covering themes such as epistemology, politics, economy, kinship, heritage, and dispossession.
| BARENGHI Mario Luigi | University of Milano-Bicocca |
| BARGNA Leopoldo Ivan | University of Milano-Bicocca |
| BELLAGAMBA Alice | University of Milano-Bicocca |
| BRIVIO Alessandra | University of Milano-Bicocca |
| CASTIGLIONI Marco | University of Milano-Bicocca |
| D'ALOISIO Fulvia | University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” |
| DECLICH Francesca | University of Urbino Carlo Bo |
| DELLA MISERICORDIA Massimo Giuseppe | University of Milano-Bicocca |
| FAVOLE Adriano | University of Turin |
| GRASSI Paolo | University of Milano-Bicocca |
| GRILLI Simonetta | University of Siena |
| MALATESTA Stefano | University of Milano-Bicocca |
| MALIGHETTI Roberto | University of Milano-Bicocca |
| MATERA Vincenzo | University of Milan |
| MATTALUCCI Claudia | University of Milano-Bicocca |
| MAURIZI Andrea | University of Milano-Bicocca |
| RIBEIRO COROSSACZ Valeria | University of Roma3 |
| RICCIO Bruno | Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna |
| RIMOLDI Luca | University of Milano-Bicocca |
| SQUARCINA Enrico | University of Milano-Bicocca |
| TASSAN Manuela | University of Milano-Bicocca |
| VAN AKEN Mauro Ivo | University of Milano-Bicocca |
| VIETTI Francesco | University of Turin |
| VIGNATO Silvia | University of Milano-Bicocca |
| CASCIARRI Barbara | Université PARIS 8 (Vincennes, Saint-Denis) |
| CIAVOLELLA Riccardo | CNRS (FR) |
| MAFFI Irene | University of Lausanne (CH) |
| OSELLA Filippo | University of Sussex (GB) |
| SCHNEIDER ARNDT | University of Oslo (NO) |
| SINISCALCHI VALERIA | EHESS (FR) |
| SOPRANZETTI Claudio | CENTRAL EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY (AT) |
The DACS PhD is a three-year full-time research programme that demands intellectual rigour and strong individual commitment. It centres on the completion of a substantial doctoral thesis based on independent fieldwork and critical analysis. The training pathway views the doctoral student as a "researcher in training," prioritizing learning through the practice of research under personalized supervision.
Program Timeline:
Year 1: Transversal training on theoretical models and methodologies. Under a tutor's guidance, students refine their project, define a detailed work plan, and launch bibliographic and archival research.
Year 2: Dedicated to empirical research. It is mandatory to spend a research and training period abroad for at least six months.
Year 3: Focus on writing the doctoral thesis, a challenge demanding inspiration, discipline, and organization.
Key Activities:
Doctoral Training: Workshops and seminars on methodology, research ethics, academic writing, and dissemination.
Internationalization: Seminars with renowned foreign scholars, joint degree agreements, and international mobility.
Doctoral School: Participation in interdisciplinary teaching activities to build a tailor-made course (3 CFU).
Teaching activities are available on e-learning platform