CARBONE GIOVANNI MARCO

ACADEMIC POSITIONS AND DIRECTION OF / AFFILIATIONS TO RESEARCH PROJECTS

Full Professor of Political Science from April 2017
Università degli Studi di Milano

Head, Africa Programme from January 2015
Italian Institute for International Political Studies (Ispi, Milan)

Programme Chair, B.A. in Political Sciences Oct. 2017 - Sept. 2020
Università degli Studi di Milano

Associate Professor of Political Science Nov. 2010- Mar. 2017
Università degli Studi di Milano

Lecturer in Political Science Dec. 2002 - Oct. 2010
Università degli Studi di Milano

Principal Investigator Nov. 2010 - Oct. 2015
ERC Starting Grant, European Research Council

Principal Investigator 2013, 2018-2026
Africa Reports, commissioned by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale

Visiting Fellow/Senior Visiting Fellow Nov. 2002 - Oct. 2010
Crisis States Research Centre, London School of Economics

National Coordinator / Principal Investigator Mar. 2010 - July 2011
PRIN 2008 Grant,
Italian Ministry for Universities and Research

National Coordinator / Principal Investigator Feb. 2007 - Gen. 2009
PRIN 2006 Grant,
Italian Ministry for Universities and Research

Post-Doc Research Fellow Oct. 2001 - Sept. 2002
ESRC Research Fellowship
Development Studies Institute, London School of Economics

Senior Associate Research Fellow from February 2002
Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale (Ispi, Milan)

Associate Fellow June 2007 - Dec. 2010
Penn Program in Ethnic Conflict, University of Pennsylvania


EDUCATION

PhD in Political Science/Development Studies Sept. 2001
London School of Economics

Master of Science in Development Studies (Politics) Sept. 1997
London School of Economics

B.A. in Political Sciences (four-year ‘Laurea’ degree) June 1996
Università degli Studi di Milano

Diplôme Européen Histoire des Idées et des Doctrines Politiques March 1994
Université Jean Moulin, Lyon


MAIN FELLOWSHIPS, GRANTS AND PRIZES

Linea 2 Grant 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Università degli Studi di Milano

ERC Starting Grant (Principal Investigator) 2010-2015
European Research Council

Frank Cass 2012 Prize for Best Article on Democratization 2013
Routledge/Taylor & Francis Publishers

PRIN 2008 Grant (Principal Investigator) 2010-2011
Italian Ministry for University and Research

PRIN 2006 Grant (Principal Investigator) 2007-2009
Italian Ministry for University and Research

University Programme for Research (PUR) 2008-2009
Università degli Studi di Milano

Internal Technological and Scientific Research Fund (First) 2003-2007
Università degli Studi di Milano

Post-Doc Research Fellowship (voluntarily suspended) Nov. 2002 - Dec. 2002
Università degli Studi di Milano

Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship Oct. 2001 -Sept. 2002
Economic and Social Research Council

Young Researchers Programme 2000
Università degli Studi di Milano

LSE Research Scholarship (Intermediate/High Fee Scholarship) 1999 and 2000
London School of Economics

Central Research Fund Grant 1999
University of London

Scholarship for Studying Abroad 1997 and 1998
Università degli Studi di Milano

Erasmus scholarship Oct. 1993 - Feb. 1994


LANGUAGES

Italian (native speaker), English (fluent), French (good)


FIELD RESEARCH EXPERIENCE (various years)

Uganda, Ghana, Kenya, Cameroon, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa


PUBLICATIONS

MONOGRAPHS AND EDITED VOLUMES
G.Carbone – L.Ragazzi (eds.), Is Africa turning against the West?, Milan, ISPI, 2023
G.Carbone – C.Casola (eds.), Sahel: 10 years of instability. Local, regional and international dynamics, Milan, ISPI, 2022
G. Carbone (ed.), Europe and Africa. The long search for common ground, Milan, ISPI, 2021
G. Carbone – Alessandro Pellegata, Political leadership in Africa. Leaders and development south of the Sahara, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2020
G. Carbone, L’Africa. Gli stati, la politica, i conflitti, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2021 (4th ed., 1st ed. 2005)
G. Carbone (ed.), Africa’s thorny Horn. Searching for a new balance in the age of pandemic, Milan, ISPI, 2020
G. Carbone (ed.), Leaders for a new Africa. Democrats, autocrats and development, Milan, ISPI, 2019
G. Carbone (ed.), A vision of Africa’s future. Mapping change, transformations and trajectories towards 2030, Milan, ISPI, 2018
G. Carbone (ed.), Out of Africa. Why migrants flee the sub-Saharan region, Milan, ISPI, 2017
G. Carbone (ed.), South Africa: the need for change, Milan, ISPI, 2016
G. Carbone (ed.), Africa: still rising?, Milan, ISPI, 2015
G. Carbone – Marta Montanini, Leoni d'Africa. Come l'Italia può intercettare la crescita subsahariana, Milan, Università Bocconi Editore, 2015
G. Carbone, Gianpaolo Bruno, Gian Paolo Calchi Novati, Marta Montanini, Scommettere sull’Africa emergente. Opportunità e scenari della presenza italiana nell’Africa subsahariana, Milan, ISPI, 2013
G. Carbone, No-party democracy? Ugandan politics in comparative perspective, Boulder (Co), Lynne Rienner, 2008 (shortlisted for the 2008 best book award on African politics by the African Politics Conference Group)
G. Carbone, L’Africa. Gli stati, la politica, i conflitti, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2012 (3rd ed.; 1st ed. 2005)

ARTICLES IN INTERNATIONAL PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS
G. Carbone (with Marco Giuliani and Massimo Chignoli), “Italy’s bilateral agreements with sub-Saharan countries: A quantitative exploration of intensity, timing and drivers”, Rivista Italiana di Politiche Pubbliche, 2026, 1, pp. 31-59
G. Carbone, “Anti-Westernism in Africa: meanings, roots and reach of a growing aversion”, Third World Quarterly, 2025
G. Carbone (with Alessandro Pellegata), “Better days to come? Military coups, economic growth, and the restoration of democracy in sub-Saharan Africa”, African Security, 18(4), 2025, pp. 320-344
G. Carbone (con Andrea Cassani), “Africa’s lame ducks: second-term presidents and the rule of law”, Government & Opposition, 59(2), 2024, pp. 543-565
G. Carbone, “Italy’s return to Africa: between external and domestic drivers”, Italian Political Science Review, 53, 2023, pp. 293-311
G. Carbone – Alessandro Pellegata, “Researching the dynamics of leaders’ replacement: The Africa Leadership Change (ALC) dataset”, European Political Science, 17(2), 2018, pp. 187-210
G. Carbone – Alessandro Pellegata, “To elect or not to elect. Leaders, alternation in power and social welfare in sub-Saharan Africa”, Journal of Development Studies, 53 (12), 2017, pp. 1965-1987
G. Carbone – Andrea Cassani, “Nigeria and the jigsaw puzzle of democratization by elections in Africa” Africa Spectrum, 3, 2016, pp. 33-59
G. Carbone – Vincenzo Memoli – Lia Quartapelle, “Are lions democrats? The impact of democratization on economic growth in Africa, 1980-2010", Democratization, 2016, 23 (1), pp. 27-48
G. Carbone – Andrea Cassani, “Citizen wellbeing in African competitive authoritarian regimes”, Zeitschrift fuer Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft / Comparative Politics and Governance, 10 (1), 2016, pp. 191-213
G. Carbone – Vincenzo Memoli, “Does democratization foster state consolidation? Democratic rule, political order and administrative capacity”, Governance, 28 (1), 2015, pp. 5-24
G. Carbone, “Democratization as a state-building mechanism: a preliminary discussion of an understudied relationship”, Political Studies Review, 13 (1), 2015, pp.11-21
G. Carbone, “Do new democracies deliver social welfare? Political regimes and health policy in Ghana and Cameroon”, Democratization, 19 (2), 2012, pp.157-183 (Winner of the 2012 Frank Cass Prize for Best Article awarded by Routledge/Taylor & Francis Publishers)
G. Carbone, “Democratic demands and social policies: the politics of health reform in Ghana”, Journal of Modern African Studies, 49 (3), 2011, pp.381-408
G. Carbone, “Las consecuencias de la democratización”, Journal of Democracy en Español, 2, 2010, pp.139-156
G. Carbone, “The consequences of democratization”, Journal of Democracy, 20 (2), 2009, pp. 123-137
G. Carbone, “Political parties and party systems in Africa: themes and research perspectives”, World Political Science Review, 3 (3), 2007, pp.1-29
G. Carbone, “Comprendre les partis et les systèmes de partis africains: entre modèles et recherches empiriques”, Politique Africaine, 104, 2006, pp. 18-37
G. Carbone, “Partiti politici e sistemi di partito in Africa. Temi e prospettive di ricerca”, Italian Political Science Review / Rivista Italiana di Scienza Politica, 36 (1), 2006, pp. 57-86
G. Carbone, “Continuidade na renovação? Ten years of multiparty politics in Mozambique: roots, evolution and stabilisation of the Frelimo-Renamo party system”, Journal of Modern African Studies, 43 (3), 2005, pp. 417-442
G. Carbone, “Political parties in a 'no-party democracy'. Hegemony and opposition under 'Movement democracy' in Uganda”, Party Politics, 9 (4), 2003, pp. 485-502
G. Carbone, “Constitutional alternatives for the regulation of ethnic politics? Institution-building principles in Uganda’s and South Africa’s transitions”, Journal of Contemporary African Studies, 19 (2), July 2001, pp.229-252

ADDITIONAL PUBLICATIONS IN JOURNALS, BOOKS AND WORKING PAPER SERIES
G. Carbone, “Sudafrica. La democrazia dopo l’apartheid”, in Salvatore Vassallo (ed.), Sistemi politici comparati, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2026 (III ed.), pp. 381-399
G.Carbone (with Lucia Ragazzi), Rebooting Italy’s Africa policy: making the Mattei Plan work, Milan, ISPI, 2024 [Italian version: Il Piano Mattei: verso nuove relazioni Italia-Africa?, Milan, ISPI, 2025]
G. Carbone (with Andrea Cassani), “Electoral Authoritarianism: Persistence and innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa”, in Natasha Lindstaedt – Jeroen Van den Bosch (eds), Research Handbook on Authoritarianism, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2024, pp. 25-41
G. Carbone (with Andrea Cassani e Tiziana Corda), “Sub-Saharan Africa”, in Luca Tomini - Aurel Croissant (eds), Routledge Handbook of Autocratization, Routledge, 2024, 548-563
G. Carbone (lead author), Il Piano Mattei: rilanciare l’Africa policy dell’Italia, Position Paper Comunità Italiana di Politica Estera, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rome, 2024
G. Carbone (lead author with Lucia Ragazzi), L’Africa al centro della riorganizzazione del sistema internazionale, Position Paper Comunità Italiana di Politica Estera, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rome, 2024
G. Carbone (with Federico Donelli, Lucia Ragazzi, Valeria Talbot), La Turchia in Africa: ambizioni e interessi di una potenza regionale, Approfondimenti n. 208, Osservatorio di Politica Internazionale, Camera dei Deputati – Senato della Repubblica – Ministero degli Affari Esteri, Roma, 2023
G. Carbone, “Africa Rising: Against the West?”, in G.Carbone – L.Ragazzi (eds.), Is Africa turning against the West?, Milan, ISPI, 2023, pp. 13-26
G. Carbone (con Lucia Ragazzi), “The return of poverty and hunger“, in A. Colombo – P. Magri (eds), Back to the future, Milan, ISPI, 2023, pp. 107-121
G. Carbone, “Conclusions and policy implications”, in G.Carbone – C.Casola (eds.), Sahel: 10 years of instability. Local, regional and international dynamics, Milan, ISPI, 2022, pp. 129-134
G. Carbone, “Major external players in Africa: A ‘competitive chain’", in A. Colombo – P. Magri (eds), The great transition, Milan, ISPI, 2022, pp. 175-185
G. Carbone, “The Going Gets Tough: Will Europe and Africa Get Going Together?”, in G. Carbone (ed.), Europe and Africa. The long search for common ground, Milan, ISPI, 2021, pp. 17-32
G. Carbone – A. Pellegata, “Leaders, multiparty elections and developmental performances in sub-Saharan Africa”, in Gordon Crawford and Abdul-Gafaru Abdulai (eds), Research Handbook on Democracy and Development, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, 2021, pp. 194-211
G. Carbone, “The EU’s New Africa Strategy: Brussels’ proposal and African responses”, in A. Colombo – P. Magri (eds), The world and the pandemic: Europe’s hour?, Milan, ISPI, 2021, pp. 161-174
G. Carbone, Europe: Team Play in Africa? The Africa Policies of EU Member States, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Berlin, 2020
G. Carbone, “A new Horn. Still thorny”, in Giovanni Carbone (ed.), Africa’s thorny Horn. Searching for a new balance in the age of pandemic, Milan, ISPI, 2020, pp. 13-30
G. Carbone, “Africa”, in Alessandro Colombo and Paolo Magri (ed.), Work in progress. The end of a world - Part II, Milano, ISPI, 2020, pp. 109-119
G. Carbone, “African leaders. A changing landscape and its implications”, in Giovanni Carbone (ed.), Leaders for a new Africa. Democrats, autocrats and development, Milan, ISPI, 2019, pp. 10-25
G. Carbone, “Nigeria and contemporary African migration”, in Torelli, Stefano (ed.), The great Mediterranean challenge What pushes people from Africa northwards, Reset-Dialogues on Civilizations, Milan, 2019, pp. 43-55
G. Carbone, “Mapping change in Africa”, in Giovanni Carbone (ed.), A vision of Africa’s future. Mapping change, transformations and trajectories towards 2030, Milan, ISPI, 2018, pp. 15-40
G. Carbone, “Between a rock and a hard place: why Africans migrate”, in Giovanni Carbone (ed.), Out of Africa. Why migrants flee the sub-Saharan region, Milan, ISPI, 2017, pp. 13-29
G. Carbone – A. Cassani, “Citizen wellbeing in African competitive authoritarian regimes.” In Matthijs Bogaards and Sebastian Elischer (eds.) Democratization and Competitive Authoritarianism in Africa, Springer, New York, 2016, pp. 191-214 (previously published in Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft / Comparative Governance and Politics, 10(1), 2016, pp. 191-214)
G. Carbone, “Sudafrica”, in Salvatore Vassallo (ed.), Sistemi politici comparati, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2016 (II ed.), pp. 385-408
G. Carbone, “Big shoes to fill: the ANC and Zuma’s leadership deficit”, in Giovanni Carbone (ed.), South Africa: the need for change, Milan, ISPI, 2016, pp. 17-34
G. Carbone – Camillo Casola, Dal Sahel al Corno d’Africa: l’arco di instabilità e le aree di crisi in Africa subsahariana, Osservatorio di Politica Internazionale ISPI (Commissioned by the Italian Parliament and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), n. 122, August 2016
G. Carbone, “The end of emerging Africa? Prospects for sub-Saharan frontier markets”, in Giovanni Carbone (ed.), Africa: still rising?, Milan, ISPI, 2015, pp. 111-135
G. Carbone, “Opportunità e strategie per le imprese italiane”, in Gian Paolo Calchi Novati - Marta Montanini (eds), La Nigeria in Africa e la politica dell’Italia, ISPI Report for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Milan, ISPI, 2014, pp. 68-74
G. Carbone, “Economic and social trends in sub-Saharan Africa”, in Federico Casprini, Sonia Lucarelli, Alessandro Marrone (eds), Flexible frameworks, beyond borders. Understanding regional dynamics to enhance cooperative security, NATO, Brussels, 2014, pp. 78-89
G. Carbone – Pietro Grilli di Cortona, “Democrazia e democratizzazioni”, in Gianfranco Pasquino, Marta Regalia, Marco Valbruzzi (eds), Quarant’anni di scienza politica in Italia, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2013, pp. 49-63
G. Carbone, “Leadership turnovers in sub-Saharan Africa: from violence and coups to peaceful elections?”, ISPI Analysis, no.192, 2013
G. Carbone (co-editor of the Italian edition with Fabio Franchino, Luigi Curini, Luciano Fasano, Francesco Zucchini), Clark, William Roberts – Golder, Matt – Golder, Sona N., Principi di scienza politica, Milan, McGraw-Hill, 2011
G. Carbone, “L’alba di un tramonto? La guerra in nord Uganda e le prospettive di pace e giustizia”, Afriche e Orienti, 10 (1), 2008, pp. 113-120
G. Carbone, “La nuova generazione dei partiti politici africani”, Afriche e Orienti, 8 (3-4), 2006, pp. 124-135
G. Carbone, “Partiti politici e sistemi di partito in Africa. Temi e prospettive di Ricerca”, Rivista Italiana di Scienza Politica, 36 (1), 2006, pp. 57-86
G. Carbone, "Populism" visits Africa. The case of Yoweri Museveni and no-party democracy in Uganda, Crisis States Programme Working Paper Series 1, No.73, Development Research Centre, London School of Economics, 2005
G. Carbone, “Africa sub-sahariana”, in Atlante geopolitico mondiale, Milan, Touring Club Italiano – Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale, 2004
G. Carbone, “State and conflict in Africa: lessons from the Congo wars (1996-2003)”, in Alessandro Gobbicchi (ed.), Globalization, armed conflicts and security, Roma, Rubbettino, 2004, pp.171-184
G. Carbone, Developing multi-party politics: stability and change in Ghana and Mozambique, Crisis States Programme Working Paper Series 1, No.36, Development Research Centre, London School of Economics, 2003
G. Carbone, Transizioni di regime e tentativi di consolidamento in Africa, 1990-2002, Working Paper no.1/2003, Dipartimento di Studi Sociali e Politici, Università degli Studi di Milano, 2003
G. Carbone, Emerging pluralist politics in Mozambique: the Frelimo-Renamo party system, Crisis States Programme Working Paper Series 1, no. 23, Development Research Centre, London School of Economics, 2002
G. Carbone, “Fragili tentativi di democratizzazione in Africa”, ISPI-Relazioni Internazionali, 10 (10), 2002, pp.31-33
G. Carbone, “Le elezioni 2001 in Uganda: evoluzione o involuzione del regime?”, Afriche e Orienti, n.3-4, 2001, pp. 106-111
G. Carbone, “Lo stato dei partiti in uno ‘stato senza partiti’. L’organizzazione delle opposizioni nella ‘democrazia del movimento’ ugandese”, Africa (Roma), 61(1), marzo 2001, pp. 46-68
G. Carbone, “Disguising partisanship and hegemony: A new type of democracy in Uganda?”, Il Politico, 65(4), 2000, pp.517-538
G. Carbone, “Regolazione dei conflitti etnici: le transizioni di Uganda e Sudafrica”, Politica Internazionale, 28 (3), maggio-giugno 2000, pp. 243-256


TEACHING

Università degli Studi di Milano, Facoltà di Scienze Politiche, Courses: Political science; Comparative Politics; Comparative politics and development; Politics, institutions and development; Democracy and development; Geopolitics, 2002-2026
Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi, Convener and Lecturer for the short course: Geopolitics and development in Africa, 2020 and 2021
Università Luigi Bocconi, Comparative Politics, 2010-2013
Graduate School in Social, Economic and Political Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, PhD courses and PhD Supervisor, 2003-2020
Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale, Convener and Lecturer for Winter/Summer School courses: Africa: politics, economics and development, 2002-26
Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale, Convener and Lecturer for Winter/Summer School courses: Democracy and autocracy in developing countries, 2008-26
Nuovo Istituto di Business Internazionale (NIBI), Lecturer for the Executive Course Business in Africa, Milan, 2014-2016
Scuola di Studi Superiori ‘Giacomo Leopardi’, Università degli Studi di Macerata, Geopolitics Seminar: Resources, conflicts and development in sub-Saharan Africa, 26-27 October 2010
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Milan), Course: Politics and institutions, Master in Management for Development, Alta Scuola Impresa e Società (Altis), Castelgandolfo, 2006
Università Luigi Bocconi (Milan), Convener and Lecturer for short courses: Africa at the beginning of the XXI century: economy and conflicts, reforms and cooperation, 2005-06
Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale, Convener and Lecturer for Winter School courses: Geopolitics of conflicts in Africa, 2008-09
Collegio di Milano, Convener and Lecturer for the course: Africa at the beginning of the XXI century, Milan, November-December 2005
Università degli Studi di Milano, Lectures, Master in Strategic Studies and the Master in Environmental Policies, Facoltà di Scienze Politiche, 2003-06
London School of Economics, Department of Government, Teacher, Democracy and democratisation, 1998-1999
Università degli Studi di Milano, Facoltà di Scienze Politiche, Teacher, Workshops: Modernization, Democratisation and Comparative Political Institutions in Africa, 1998-2002


CONFERENCES, SEMINARS AND OCCASIONAL LECTURES (since 2020)

Discussant, L’Africa australe, Aseri, Milan, 17 March 2026
Speaker, Come le partnership cambiano forma: aiuti, investimenti e il Piano Mattei, ISPI Workshop su Il Piano Mattei a due anni dal lancio: Cosa cambia per la cooperazione e gli investimenti?, ISPI, Milano, 5 March 2026
Lecturer, Italy in Africa: between the Mattei Plan and geopolitical dynamics and geopolitical dynamics, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, 21 January 2026
Lecturer, L’Italia in Africa: tra Piano Mattei e dinamiche geopolitiche, Lombardy Regional Administration, Milan, 15 January 2026
Lecturer, Nelson Mandela: la leadership, il Sudafrica, l’Africa, “I grandi leader del Novecento”, Collegio Universitario Luigi Lucchini, Brescia, 27 November 2025
Speaker, Trade and aid? Balancing national interests in foreign policy/development cooperation towards Africa. The case of Italy, “New Approaches towards Africa in a changing world order”, 6th Annual Gathering of European Think Tanks and Academic Institutions with a Focus on Africa, Villa La Collina, Cadenabbia, 16-19 Novembre 2025
Speaker, The geopolitical landscape of sub-Saharan Africa, Conference on “International University Cooperation for equitable and sustainable partnerships. Theories and good practices”, University of Parma, 13 November 2025
Speaker, Sudan sul baratro: verso una nuova secessione?, ISPI Conference, Milan, 6 November 2025
Speaker, Italy’s Mattei Plan for Africa, Conference on “Polish Interests and Strategy towards Africa” of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, University of Warsaw, 29-30 October 2025
Speaker, Somalia oggi: sfide interne, relazioni esterne, A meeting on “Somalia: fragilità e resistenza”, Caritas, Rome, 21 October 2025
Lecturer, Somalia oggi: sfide interne, relazioni esterne e il ruolo dell’Italia, AICS Nairobi (online), 17 October 2025
Speaker, Commenti sulla 2a Relazione sullo stato di attuazione del Piano Mattei, Foreign Affairs Commission, Camera dei Deputati – Italian Parliament, Rome, 9 settembre 2025
Speaker, Il Piano Mattei: una nuova linea di cooperazione tra Itaila e Africa (con Lucia Ragazzi), Regione Emilia Romagna, Bologna, 22 May 2025
Lecturer, L’Africa subsahariana nelle dinamiche economiche e politiche internazionali, Rome, 20 May 2025
Speaker, Security and stability in sub-Saharan Africa, NATO Defense College (NDC), Rome, 17 April 2025
Speaker, L’Africa di fronte agli altri: più assertiva e sovrana?, Dialoghi sull’Africa, Milano, 29 March 2025
Lecturer, Gli africani scappano verso l’Europa? I migranti tra espansione demografica, conflitti e sviluppo, Associazione Creare il Domani (online), 27 March 2025
Speaker, Il Piano Mattei: l’Italia in Africa in un contesto che cambia, EY Milan, Milan, 20 February 2025
Lecturer, L’Occidente decide per l’Africa?, Carcere di Opera, 18 February 2025
Speaker, Il Piano Mattei in Costa d’Avorio, Dialoghi Europei - Centro Studi Economici e Sociali, Trieste, 14 February 2025
Speaker, Democrazia e neocolonialismo: l’Africa contro l’Occidente?, Circolo Dossetti ACLI, Milan, 8 February 2025
Speaker, Africa’s development: striving to catch up, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, 16 January 2025
Speaker, Africa subsahariana: Quali traiettorie verso il 2025?, Banca UBAE, 13 December 2024
Speaker, Security and stability in sub-Saharan Africa, NATO Defense College (NDC), Rome, 26 November 2024
Speaker, Ci sarà ancora democrazia? Focus Africa, Festival MolteFedi, Acli, Redona (BG), 22 October 2024
Speaker, Africa e Piano Mattei, Centro Incontri Diplomat. e Federazione Nazionale Diplomatici e Consoli Esteri in Italia, 21 October 2024
Speaker, Sudafrica al voto: l’alba di una nuova stagione?, ISPI Roundtable, Milan, 28 May 2024
Lecturer, Italy in Africa: what changes with the Mattei Plan?, Part of ISPI & ENEL Foundation course for Italian diplomats, 7 and 14 May 2024
Speaker, Il continente fragile: dal Sahel al Corno d’Africa, Salone del Libro, Torino, 13 May 2024
Speaker, Come cambia l’Africa: dinamiche economiche, politiche e sociali in corso, Bergamo Next Level, Bergamo, 19 April 2024
Speaker, Dove va l’Africa? Macro-trends e sfide nei paesi africani e Dove andare in Africa? I paesi su cui puntare, Confartigianato, Rome, 11 April 2024
Lecturer, Africa subsahariana: tra processi di sviluppo e competizione internazionale, ACLI, Milano, 24 February 2024
Speaker, L’Africa non sopporta più l’Occidente?, Libreria Il Gabbiano, Trezzo d’Adda, 23 February 2024
Speaker, Italy-Africa relations, Political talk/Executive Briefing, ENI Oil & Gas, Milan, 20 February 2024
Lecturer, L’Africa fra prospettive di cambiamento e vulnerabilità sistemiche. Le sfide di sicurezza, sviluppo e immigrazione, Part of ISPI course for Italy’s Guardia di Finanza, Rome, February 2024
Coordinator, Africa subsahariana: i contesti, le opportunità imprenditoriali, la cooperazione, ISPI short course for Chiesi Group (pharmaceutical), January 2024
Speaker, Anti-Western narratives in Africa, Panel, “Africa and the West: Drifting Apart?, ISPI Conference in cooperation with South African Institute for International Affairs and Wathi, Milan, 27 November 2023
Speaker, L’Africa occidentale (focus Camerun) e l’Africa australe (focus Sudafrica), Regione Emilia-Romagna, 21 September 2023
Panel Chair, The Sahel: the changing landscape of politics and development, MED Panel, ISPI in cooperation with Africa Center for Strategic Studies and International Crisis Goup, 19 September 2023
Speaker/Paper giver, L’Africa al centro della riorganizzazione del sistema internazionale, Position Paper Comunità Italiana di Politica Estera, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rome, 16 October 2023
Lecturer, Sub-Saharan Africa: between economic prospects and geopolitical competition, Part of ISPI & ENEL Foundation course for Italian diplomats, 4 July 2023
Chair, Sudan nel caos: l’alba di un nuovo conflitto?, ISPI Conference, Milan, 26 April 2023
Speaker, #INSIDE: La maggior parte dei migranti africani non cerca di arrivare in Europa, Gallerie D’Italia, Turin, 19 April 2023
Speaker/Paper giver, The making of Italy’s Africa policy: between external and domestic drivers, Paper presented at the Centre de recherches internationales (CERI), SciencesPo, Paris, 17 April 2023
Speaker, Il risentimento anti-occidentale e la necessità di ripensare le nostre relazioni con l'Africa, Dialoghi sull’Africa, Milan, 17 April 2023
Speaker, The future of international security: Ethiopia, 4x4 Directors Forum. African-European Think Tank Dialogue, Rabat, 2 February 2023
Lecturer, Africa in the global scenario: between economic interests and geopolitical dynamics, Collegio Universitario Luigi Lucchini, Brescia, 18 October 2022
Chair, Meddling or helping? Foreign players in the Sahel, ISPI Conference, Milan, 5 October 2022
Lecturer, Sub-Saharan Africa: between economic prospects and geopolitical competition, Part of ISPI & ENEL Foundation course for Italian diplomats, 4 October 2022
Speaker, Geopolitical competition, the evolution of political regimes, and impact on Africa’s development, AIG Political Risk Talk, 12 September 2022
Speaker, Ethiopia without a solution, ISPI Roundtable, Milan, 22 June 2022
Speaker/Paper giver, Italy’s return to Africa: between external and domestic drivers, Paper presented at the NASP Graduate School, Milan, 10 May 2022
Lecturer, Africa: what kind of growth?, Diploma in International Politics, ISPI & Fondazione Sicilia, Palermo, 22 April 2022
Speaker, Changing EU-Africa relations after the AU-EU summit, Political talk/Executive Briefing, ENI Oil & Gas, Milan, 2 March 2022
Chair, War and food security: can Africa feed itself?, ISPI Roundtable, Milan, 9 June 2022
Convener and Speaker of the Executive Briefings series Africa and Italy: market scenarios and economic cooperation, Assolombarda, Milan, December 2021-April 2022
Lecturer, Political leadership and development in Africa. The project, the dataset, the findings, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Delft, 17 November 2021
Chair, Europe and Africa: Searching for Common Ground and a New Partnership, ISPI & Policy Center for the New South (PCNS), Milan, 16 November 2021
Convener and Lecturer for Farsi Prossimo Onlus short course: Nigeria: social complexity, political instability and economic dynamics behind migration and human trafficking, Milan, October 2021
Speaker, Italy’s Africa policy, Political talk/Executive Briefing, ENI Oil & Gas, Milan, 21 October 2021
Lecturer, Sub-Saharan Africa: between development prospects and geopolitical competition, Part of ISPI & ENEL Foundation course for Italian diplomats, 14 October 2021
Chair, Development Challenges in a Post-Pandemic Africa, ISPI & Policy Center for the New South (PCNS), Milan, 15 September 2021
Chair, Ethiopia: Tigray, the war the world does not see, ISPI Roundtable, Milan, 1 July 2021
Chair, Ethiopia: Too big to fail. What role for the international community in the Tigray crisis?, ISPI Conference, Milan, 26 May 2021
Lecturer, Conflict and instability in Africa, Diploma in International Politics, ISPI & Fondazione Sicilia, Palermo, 21 May 2021
Chair, Between Africa and the Middle East: geopolitical competition in the Red Sea, MED-Mediterranean Dialogues, ISPI, 28 April 2021
Speaker, Sub-Saharan Africa: regional developments, Executive Briefing, Allianz, Milan, 26 April 2021
Lecturer, La competizione internazionale in Africa e l’Italia, Executive Diploma in Strategic Affairs, Università LUISS Guido Carli, Rome, 23 April 2021
Speaker, Il coinvolgimento strategico della Turchia in Africa, Roundtable, Centro Studi di Politica Internazionale (CESPI), Rome, 21 April 2021
Lecturer, Regional focus, sub-Saharan Africa, Contemporary Geopolitics: players, challenges and global trends, Università Bocconi, Milan, 12 April 2021
Speaker, Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa: regional developments, Political talk/Executive Briefing, ENI Oil & Gas, Milan, 8 April 2021
Chair, Asia’s power games in Africa: is time up for the West?, ISPI Workshop, 5 March 2021
Chair, Congo: terra senza pace?, ISPI Roundtable, Milan, 25 February 2021
Chair, 10 years of Sahel: an endless crisis? A dialogue with Emanuela Del Re, EU Special Representative for the Sahel, Luca Attanasio Lecture, ISPI, February 2021
Speaker, EU-Africa relations, 4x4 Directors Forum. African-European Think Tank Dialogue, IFRI (Institut Français des Relations Internationals), 1 February 2021
Speaker, EU-Africa relations, Executive Briefing, Intesa SanPaolo Banking Group, 24 March 2021
Speaker, Oltre il Mediterraneo: una prospettiva strategica per la cooperazione tra Italia e Africa, Think Tank Agenda - Treccani, 26 January 2021
Chair, Africa’s thorny Horn, ISPI, Milan, 17 December 2020
Lecturer, Political leadership in Africa, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, Delft, 24 November 2020
Speaker, Political leaders and development in Africa, Centre of African Studies, University of Edinburgh, 18 November 2020
Chair, Verso la guerra in Etiopia: torna l'instabilità nel Corno d'Africa?, ISPI, Milan, 19 November 2020
Chair, Europe-Africa. What chances for the EU New Strategy?, ISPI Roundtable, Milan, 29 October 2020
Speaker, Africa’s anomaly: the most resilient continent to the pandemic, Sustainable Development Festival, Rome, 5 October 2020
Speaker, Regional Competition and the Maritime Challenges in the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa, MED-Mediterranean Dialogues, 21 September 2020
Lecturer, La competizione internazionale in Africa e l’Italia, Executive Diploma in Strategic Affairs, Università LUISS Guido Carli, Rome, 20 September 2020
Lecturer, Great powers in the new Africa, Diploma in International Politics, ISPI & Fondazione Sicilia, Palermo, 8 June 2020
Speaker, Il virus in Africa: tutta un'altra storia?, Executive Briefing, ISPI, Milan, 27 May 2020
Lecturer, Leadership politica e sviluppo in Africa: il progetto Africa Leadership Change e i risultati empirici, Collegio Carlo Alberto, Turin, 18 May 2020
Speaker, South Africa. Country presentation, Executive Briefing, Intesa SanPaolo Banking Group, Milan, 24 March 2020
Speaker, Kenya and Ethiopia. Country presentations, Executive Briefing, ISPI, 24 February 2020
Speaker, Nigeria and Ghana. Country presentations, Executive Briefing, ISPI, 14 February 2020
Lecturer, Europa e Africa: UE, potenze europee e Italia, Corso Formazione RAI: “Africa/Afriche/Italia Raccontare un continente”, Rome, 5 February 2020
Chair (Panel), Future challenges of EU-Africa relations, 4x4 Directors Forum. African-European Think Tank Dialogue, IFRI (Institut Français des Relations Internationals), Paris, 3 February 2020


MISCELLANEOUS

Technical Scientific Expert (TSE) for the assessment of Transnational Education initiatives (TNE), Italian Ministry for Universities and research, 2026
Member of the Scientific Committee and Supervisor of PhD students of the PhD Programme in Political Studies, Graduate School in Social, Economic and Political Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 2003-2025
Consultant/Author (various projects), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Italy, 2013-2026
Consultant/Member, Africa Board of Experts, LEIDOS (Reston, VA – United States), 2021-2026
Consultant, I sistemi di pubblico impiego in Costa d’Avorio, Etiopia, Kenya e Tunisia, SDA Bocconi, Università Bocconi, Italy, 2025
Consultant, Italy-Africa Business Forum (IABW), Rome/Milan, 2019
Scientific Coordinator, Africa Watch, ISPI, Milan, 2017-2021
Member, Editorial Board, Rivista Italiana di Scienza Politica, 2014-2017
Expert (African politics and geopolitics), International Criminal Court, The Hague, 2007-2019
External evaluator of research projects for:
Italian Ministry for Universities and Research (2026), Trans European Policy Studies Association-TEPSA (2023-2026), University of Milan – Audit PRIN 2022 (2026), Fondazione Cariplo/Fondazione Sardegna/Università di Cagliari (2022), Università del Piemonte Orientale (2020, 2018), German Institute of Global and Area Studies-GIGA (2020), Fondazione CARIGE (2019), Università degli Studi di Torino (2018), Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata” (2018), Università degli Studi Roma Tre (2017-2018), Ministero italiano dell’Istruzione, delle Università e della Ricerca (2012-2017), Research Foundation Flanders (Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek – Vlaanderen FWO, 2012), Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Research Agency of the Ministry for Education and Science, Portugal, 2012), Thalis Programme (Ministry for Education, Training and Religious Affairs, Greece, 2011), Consultative Research Committee for Development Research FFU (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark, 2010)
External reviewer for the academic journals American Political Science Review, Comparative Political Studies, Perspectives on Politics, Democratization, Studies in Comparative International Development, Political Studies Review, Journal of Modern African Studies, Development Policy Review, Swiss Political Science Review, Contemporary Italian Politics, Rivista Italiana di Scienza Politica, Stato e Mercato and others.
External reviewer for the academic publisher Il Mulino, Bologna, 2009-2024
Member of the Examination Committee, PhD programme in Political Studies, Graduate School, Università degli Studi di Milano, May 2026
Chair of the Committee for the assessment of Dr Andrea Cassani for promotion from lecturer to Associate Professor in political science (SPS/04), Dipartimento di Scienze Sociali e Politiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, 2024
Chair of the Committee for the recruitment of lecturer in political science/RtdA (SPS/04), Dipartimento di Scienze Sociali e Politiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, 2023
Member of the Committee for the recruitment of a full professor in political science (SPS/04), Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche e Sociali, Università degli Studi di Trento, 2023
Chair of the Committee for the recruitment of a full professor in political science (SPS/04), Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche e Sociali, Università degli Studi di Bologna, 2022
Member of the Committee for the assessment of Dr Michela Ceccorulli for promotion from lecturer to Associate Professor in political science (SPS/04), Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche e Sociali, Università degli Studi di Bologna, 2022
Member of the Committee for the recruitment of lecturer in political science/RtdB (SPS/04), Dipartimento di Sociologia e Ricerca Sociale, Università degli Studi di Trento, 2022
Member of the Committee for the recruitment of lecturer in political science/RtdB (SPS/04), Dipartimento di Scienze Sociali e Politiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, 2021
Member of the Committee for the assessment of Dr Andrea Ceron for promotion from lecturer to Associate Professor in political science (SPS/04), Dipartimento di Scienze Sociali e Politiche, Università degli Studi di Milano, 2019
Member of the Committee for the assessment of Dr Andrea Carati for promotion from lecturer to Associate Professor in political science (SPS/04), Dipartimento di Studi Internazionali, Giuridici e Storico-Politici, Università degli Studi di Milano, 2019
Member of the Committee for the promotion of a lecturer to the position of Associate Professor in political science (SPS/04), Dipartimento di Studi Linguistici e Culturali Comparati, Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia, 2019
Chair of the Committee for the recruitment of an Associate Professor in political science (SPS/04), Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche e Sociali, Università degli Studi di Milano, Nov. 2018-Jan. 2019
Member of the Committee for the recruitment of a lecturer in political science (SPS/04), Dipartimento di Studi Politici, Università degli Studi di Torino, June-July 2007
Member of the Examination Committee, PhD programme in Political Science – Comparative and European Politics, Graduate School, Università degli Studi di Siena, January 2011
Member of the Examination Committee, PhD programme in Political Science, Dipartimento di Studi Politici, Università degli Studi di Torino, February 2009
Member of the Società Italiana di Scienza Politica (SISP)
Member of the International Political Science Association (IPSA)
Member of the African Politics Conference Group (APCG) of the African Studies Association (ASA)
Member of the Scientific Committee of the Progetto Afro
Member of the Advisory Board, Fondazione Aurora, 2019-2025
Consultant, Consultancy Africa Intelligence (South Africa)
Consultant, Why Africa today?, SACMI (Industrial plants) Annual Meeting, Desenzano del Garda (Italy), 13-14 February 2012
Consultant, Internal Democracy of Political Parties project, International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA, Stockholm), 2007-08
Consultant for Ispi, International Relations Structure, Lombardy Regional Administration, 2002-03 and 2023
Representative of ISPI, Organising Committee, Conference Milano con l'Africa. Il ruolo della città nei progetti di collaborazione, jointly organised by the Comune di Milano and the Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale, 2003
Editorial contributions to La Lettura (Corriere della Sera), Domani, Euractiv.com, laVoce.info, Il Manifesto, VitaNoProfit, Nigrizia, Africa & Affari, Economia & Management, Afriche e Orienti, and a number of African newspapers