Given the Department of Sociology and Social Research's well-established teaching and research areas, the institutional mission of interacting with society and the local area has always been fruitful and relevant, both in terms of social and cultural promotion and in relation to the enhancement of knowledge.

Among the most relevant Third Mission activities promoted by the DSRS are

  1. the Master's courses offered by the Department, also in collaboration with other University Departments and/or other Universities;
  2. initiatives in collaboration with local and national authorities;
  3. consultancy and participation in ministerial commissions; 
  4. the promotion of professional congresses and conferences or those open to a wide public;
  5. activities that are carried out individually by members of the department, as publicists for local or national newspapers, as evaluators for agencies or foundations or as leaders of civic and social promotion initiatives. 

In the three-year period 2022-2024, particular attention will be paid to enhancing the numerous activities carried out by the Department's individual lecturers and Research Units in support of the country's social and civic development. To this end, a census aimed at systematising third mission activities was launched in 2022. Moreover, for the first time, the Department can count on a Third Mission Delegate.

Programming

The planning of Third Mission activities for 2022-2024 is based on the following main objectives taking stock of the Third Mission activities underway at SRS; valorise the census activities in a unified manner; motivating its own and its members to experiment new forms of third mission; elaborate, in collaboration with other social science departments and analysing the experience of other universities, a vision of third mission activities congruent with the nature and variety of activities typical of the social sciences.

The contact point for this set of actions is primarily the structure's management, mainly through the Third Mission Delegate.

Other important contact persons within the Department are the heads of the Research Units.