The International Joint PhD in Social Representations, Culture and Communication is an international, inter/trans-disciplinary and cross-sectoral PhD program aimed at advanced training in the social sciences. The Doctorate's area of interest lies at the intersection of Social Representation Theory, Cultural Studies and Communication Studies. The Doctorate was created to respond to the challenges posed by the so-called wicked problems to the social sciences in relation to some of the main processes of global transformation underway: environmental sustainability and ecological transition, intercultural relations and changes in health and education, processes of democratization and construction of citizenship, diversity communication and inclusion, with a particular interest in the role of the media and innovation. The PhD promotes research on the symbolic and representational dimension at the base of these themes, through a plurality of investigation methods. The aim is to develop interpretative models of change and intervention strategies that are contextually valid and able to affect reality and socio-cultural policies.

The Doctorate, coordinated by Sapienza, is jointly developed with the University of Iasi (Romania) and Pécs (Hungary), and is governed by Inter-Institutional Agreements, as already defined by the MIUR Decree n. 94 (published on February 8, 2013), by the DM 226/2021, at the art. 27 of the Sapienza regulation (International PhDs), and by the most recent ministerial provisions.
Unique experience at the international level, the doctorate involves and relaunches an already consolidated network of prestigious professors affiliated to international Universities and Research Centers, which makes this program a point of reference for a vast scientific community in the social sciences. 
History and materials of the original network and previous projects are available on the external website europhd.



Signatory universities



Co-tutelle:

Scientific board from (partner institutions):
Bournemouth University; El Manar University Tunis; Jakarta Research Centre on Social Representations; Jesuit Worldwide Learning; Nankai University, Tianjin;  Paris Université Eiffel;  San Sebastian University of Basque Countries; Tianjin University of Technology and Education; UFSC - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina; Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana; Universidad de Belgrano; Universidad Nacional de San Martin; Universidade de Uberlandia; Università Ca' Foscari Venezia; Università del Salento; Université Aix-Marseille; Université Lumière Lyon II; Université Paul Valéry - Montpellier III; University of Coimbra; University of Malta; University of Ottawa