Interuniversity Research Centre on Sustainable Development - CIRPS

CIRPS is an Interuniversity Research Centre counting 300 professors, researchers and experts as Ordinary Members belonging to the eleven Italian universities joining the centre, besides 40 other professors, researchers and experts as Associate Members belonging to universities which have not yet finalised their membership, and 50 further experts with high-level specialisation not belonging to the academic world but involved in projects promoted, coordinated or carried out by the Centre.
CIRPS coordinates and participates in networks of excellence, research projects, and activities for local development at international level, and carries out its work through collaborations and agreements with Universities, Research Centres, Enterprises as well as National and International Institutions.

CIRPS activities are aimed at conducting research, developing and disseminating scientific knowledge, technological solutions and working methods, including organisation or social life that can allow sustainable development.
Since 1988, through research activities and projects, teaching and direct assistance on the territory, CIRPS has applied and disseminated the internationally acknowledged principles needed to implement social, economic and technological development able to ensure the increased and shared well-being without discriminating against the environment or any social group, geographic area or future generations.

The Interuniversity Research Centre on Sustainable Development (CIRPS) was established in April 1988 thanks to the joint initiative of the Italian Universities of Cassino, "Della Tuscia" of Viterbo and the "Sapienza" of Rome. The Centre was created under the name of "Interuniversity Research Centre on Developing Countries", later modified in the light of the changing international situation (new Emergent Countries, Newly Industrialised Countries and large migrations). Then the Universities of Lecce, Macerata, Palermo, Perugia, Sassari and Turin officially joined the Centre through a supplementary deed to the Convention. The membership of the University of L'Aquila and the Polytechnic of Turin are being ratified.

The official premises of the Centre are located in Valmontone (40 km from Rome) at Palazzo Doria Pamphilj. At present the historic palace is being restored - restoration works are already under way and some CIRPS members are also involved. In the meantime, CIRPS has its administrative and organisational premises in Rome, namely piazza San Pietro in Vincoli, via della Polveriera, piazza del Colosseo, and via Tommaso Grossi, as well as at Departments, Faculties and Laboratories of the member Universities. CIRPS has also operating offices abroad: Argentina, China, Ethiopia, Kosovo, Morocco and Uruguay.

CIRPS carries out Research, Education, Training and Updating activities, and supplies Technical-Scientific Services also thanks to the joint contribution of relevant Universities to promote sustainable development, with special attention to Developing Countries (DC), but also Newly Industrialised Countries (NIC) or Quasi-Newly Industrialised Countries (QNIC) as well as Emergent Countries, in collaboration with Industrialised Countries and International Organisations.

More in detail, CIRPS:

• promotes, coordinates and/or directly carries out activities, performed by member Universities, also in collaboration with similar Bodies and Centres, Universities, National and International Organisations, especially from Developing Countries, European Union and UN (Unesco, Unicef, Unitar, UNDP, etc.);

• gives assistance to Institutions, in particular Italian Ministries, Regions, Provinces and other Local Governments as well as national and international Small and Medium Enterprises, and Governmental and Non-Governmental Organisations, in selecting and analysing the feasibility of cooperation programmes, in their implementing and also identifying the potential contributions that may be provided by the Operating Units and Sections of CIRPS and, more generally, by the associate Universities;

• promotes initiatives for scientific dissemination and interdisciplinary collaboration (i.e. Forums, Workshops, etc.) and raises the attention and awareness of Degree Courses, Faculties, Institutes and Departments, and PhDs of Italian Universities on topics related to sustainable development at local, regional, national, European and international level;

• fosters and enhances a balanced coordination between the University staff and the non-academic world for development cooperation, providing both consulting services for the parties co-interested in the single programmes, and assistance in feasibility studies, ex-ante and ex-post evaluations of programmes;

• promotes the dissemination of information on cooperation activities through the creation of Data Banks, Documentation Centres and the publication of periodical newsletters;

• promotes coordinated exchanges of University staff at European and international level;

• promotes, coordinates and directly carries out activities related to research and interdisciplinary collaboration at local, regional, European and international level in all the environments dealing with sustainability and Science of Sustainability and development cooperation.