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RusLab

The Russia Observatory (RUSLAB) is a dedicated research hub for the study of Russia, its domestic politics, historical trajectories, and international role, combining academic rigour with policy-relevant analysis and public-facing outputs. The research is situated within the broader debate on post-liberal contestation and the transformation of the international order.

RuLAB’s work aims to integrate close analysis of domestic governance, political economy, and social dynamics with a strong historical perspective rooted in Soviet and imperial legacies. It also examines how past institutional configurations, political cultures, and identity narratives continue to shape contemporary Russian politics and society.

Thematically, the Observatory covers four main interconnected areas:

Domestic politics and society — governance structures, center–periphery relations, regional identities, social stratification, ideological, religious and cultural evolutions, and the interaction between elites and the Russian society.
Russia–Europe relations — historical entanglements, energy interdependence, security architecture, and the reconfiguration of ties under war and sanctions.
The Eurasian space — relations with neighboring states, regional integration, and alignments involving China, Turkey, India, and other major Global South actors.
Global footprint — Russia’s political, economic, and security presence in Africa, the Middle East, and Russia’s role in reshaping the broader international order.

Head of Unit

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Alfonso Giordano

Alfonso Giordano is an associate professor of Economic and Political Geography at Niccolò Cusano University of Rome and an adjunct professor at LUISS University, where he teaches “Exogeography, Astropolitics, and Space Economy”. His research focuses on population geography, political demography, and human-environment interactions, with a particular emphasis on border studies. Recently, he has investigated the geographical, political and economic dimensions of space exploration, analysing its implications for governance, resource allocation, and territoriality beyond Earth.
Angelo Mario Taraborrelli

Angelo “Mario” Taraborrelli has held strategic senior roles for over three decades in the national and international energy sector, significantly contributing to the definition of industrial and corporate policies in the oil & gas field and, more recently, in the electricity sector. With a strong background in international law and oil economics, he began his career at Eni in 1973, progressively taking on top positions, including that of CEO of the Refining & Marketing division, where he led a thorough strategic restructuring program and important international M&A operations. As Senior Vice President of Strategic Control, he directly influenced capital allocation decisions and key investments for the entire Eni group. Subsequently, he expanded his influence in the energy sector by joining the Board of Directors of Enel SpA, where for years he chaired the Internal Control and Risk Committee, contributing to the evolution of corporate governance in the context of the energy transition. Since 2015, he has been an Adjucnt Professor of Energy and Climate Policies at Luiss University, combining managerial expertise and academic vision in the global political-energy field.
Antonio Leandro

Antonio Leandro (Law Degree, Bari; PhD, Rome-La Sapienza) is a Full Professor of International Law at the Department of Law of the Aldo Moro University of Bari, where he teaches public and private international law, international law of the sea, and international trade law. Expert for the European Commission and UNIDROIT, member of the Italian Foreign Policy and Security Laboratory at the CISS, he has been appointed as Scientific Advisor to the Italian Navy. He served as a director of a short-term master’s program on safety and security at sea in cooperation with the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza).

Author of five monographs and several scientific papers, he is also editor or co-editor of six collective volumes. He serves on the editorial boards of several academic journals and co-directs an international law book series. His research interests range across private international law, public international law, and their intersections with European Union law.

As regards maritime topics, he particularly focused – through scientific publications, workshops and lectures – on the Exclusive Economic Zone, maritime security, piracy, criminal jurisdiction at sea, migration by sea, maritime labour safety standards, naval peace-keeping, maritime spatial planning, underwater normative and regulatory framework, foreign direct investments in port and maritime environment, economic warfare in maritime activities, GHG emissions, and sustainable development in ocean governance.
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Emiliana De Blasio

Emiliana De Blasio is Advisor to the Rector for Diversity, Inclusion and Sustainability and Professor of Sociology of Cultural and Communicative Processes at LUISS, where she teaches Sociology of Communication, Open government, Political participation and governance and Gender politics. She has been awarded research grants such as FIRB and PRIN and coordinated several research projects throughout her career.

She has taught at Italian and foreign universities, including New York University, SciencesPo, Pontifical Gregorian University, University of Molise. She regularly teaches at LUISS Masters, Executive Masters and School of Journalism on topics related to inclusion, diversity and sustainability. She is also part of the Italian Open Government Forum and member of several scientific associations such as SISCC, AssoComPol, ECPR, ESA, SISP.
Francesca Maria Corrao

Francesca Maria Corrao is Full Professor of Arabic Culture and Language in the Department of Political Science in LUISS University of Rome, director of MISLAM Program (Master in Economics and Institutions of Islamic Countries) of the School of Government at the same university. Previously she was Professor at the University of Naples “L’Orientale” (1996-2011), and visiting professor at the Alsun Faculty of the ‘Ayn Shams University in Cairo (2004), École Pratique des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (Paris 2007), at Fudan University (Shanghai 2017), Science Pò (Menton 2017/19). She held conferences and seminars at the Universities of Cairo, Beirut, Amman, Rabat, Tunis, Cambridge, Oxford and Harvard. The main focus of her scholarly activity is on Arabic Literature, Islamic Culture and History, Mediterranean Studies, Intercultural dialogue.

In “L’Orientale” University of Naples, Corrao was in charge of the Socrates European Projects: “Les Communautés Africaines en Europe” ( Paris 2000), Les Communautés Musulmanes en Europe” (Paris 2001). She is the “contact person” for the “Manifesto” for Inclusive University” (http://manifestouniversitainclusiva.unhcr.it/), Universities network for peace (RUniPace http://www.runipace.org/ ) and for the University Corridors for Refugees UNICORE 3.0 (http://universitycorridors.unhcr.it/ ); the latter is promoted by Italian universities with the support of UNHCR, in cooperation with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other partners. Corrao chairs the Scientific Committee of the Fondazione Orestiadi in Gibellina (Sicily); She is Overseas Research member of the Institute of Oriental Studies (Soka University, Tokyo); and is also Member of the European Union of Arabist and Islamist (UEAI), the Scientific Council of the Cortile dei Gentili (Pontifical Coucil for Culture, Vatican), International Affairs Institute IAI-Rome, the European Teachers of Modern Arabic Literature (EMTAR), Member of the Scientific committee of the Journals: Rivista Africa e Orienti, Semicerchio, ARABLIT, Journal of Arabic Literature, Dialoghi Mediterranei, open access e-journal of the Istituto Euro-Arabo.

Her most recent books include: Corrao F.M., Redaelli R., States, Actors and Geopolitical Drivers in the Mediterranean, Palgrave 2021; I cavalieri, le dame e i deserti. Storia della poesia araba (Istituto per l’Oriente, 2020); In guerra non mi cercate. Poesia araba delle rivoluzioni e oltre, with O. Capezio, E. Chiti e S. Sibilio (Le Monnier, 2018); L’Islam non è terrorismo, with L. Violante (Il Mulino, 2018); Islam, Religion and Politics (LUP, 2017); Islam, State and Modernity. Mohammed Abed Al-Jabri and the Future of the Arab World, with Z. Eyadat and M.Hashas (Palgrave, 2017); Le Rivoluzioni Arabe. La transizione Mediterranea, (Mondadori, 2011); Poeti Arabi di Sicilia (Mesogea, 2002); Giufà il furbo, lo sciocco, il saggio (Sellerio 2001, Nawādir Juhā, in Arabic 2020).
Francesco Cherubini

Francesco Cherubini is Associate Professor of EU Law at the Department of Political Science, Luiss “Guido Carli”, Rome. He is also the Director of the Luiss intensive course for the diplomatic career and the coordinator of the Luiss Master in Art Law. From 2022, he is UNCHR independent expert at the Rome Commission for asylum. Among his recent publications: Decisions under the Law of European Union: ‘You May Be Six People, but I Love You’, in YEL, 2022, pp- 1-60. 
Gianfranco Pellegrino

Gianfranco Pellegrino is an Associate Professor at LUISS Guido Carli Rome, where he teaches Political Philosophy. His interests are in the history of political thought (mainly Jeremy Bentham and Henry Sidgwick), distributive justice theories, migration, and environmental ethics. He wrote on global justice, the ethics of climate change and the Anthropocene. Among his publications: The Handbook of the Philosophy of Climate Change (edited with M. Di Paola), Springer, Switzerland, 2023, “Sidgwick and the Many Guises of the Good”, Philosophical Explorations, 2021; “Robust Responsibility for Climate Harms”, Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, 2018, “Climate Refugees: A Case for Protection”, in G. Pellegrino e M. Di Paola, eds, Canned Heat. Theoretical and Practical Challenges of Global Climate Change, London/Delhi: Routledge, 2014.
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Researcher

Claudio Christopher Passalacqua

Claudio Christopher Passalacqua is currently a teaching assistant in international relations at Luiss Guido Carli. He earned a Ph.D. in international studies from the University of Trento, with a focus on power shifts in standard settings. His research interests include Foreign Policy Analysis, EU-China relations, and the competition between great powers over digital connectivity plans. Claudio holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from John Cabot University, as well as a Double-Master Degree in International Relations from LUISS Guido Carli and China Foreign Affairs University. In addition, he worked as a lecturer and teaching assistant at the University of Trento, as a Schuman trainee at the European Parliament, and as an intern at the Italian Trade Agency in Beijing.
Corrado Giustozzi

Corrado Giustozzi is a cybersecurity strategic advisor and public speaker. He is a professor of Cybersecurity at Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, member of the ICT Authority of the Republic of San Marino, and member of the Scientific Committee of Clusit. He served as a super-senior cybersecurity expert at the Agency for Digital Italy (AgID) and as a member of the Advisory Group of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA). His current interests are cybersecurity in AI systems, in cyber-physical environments and in future space settlements. He holds a degree in ICT Engineering from Tor Vergata University of Rome.
Cristoforo Romanelli

Cristoforo Romanelli is an electrical engineer and industrial manager with extensive experience in planning and strategic control. He has worked with AGIP, SIP, STET, IRI, and FINSIEL, holding key roles in corporate affairs, external relations, and executive management. Since 2001, he has been active in the aerospace sector, serving at Alenia Aeronautica, as CEO of Quadrics (UK), and as General Manager of ALTEC. He is a professor of Space Economy at the University Guglielmo Marconi, a staff consultant to the CEO of MBDA Italia, and event manager of the New Space Economy ExpoForum.
Dalva Raposo

Dalva Raposo is a Master’s student in Global Management and Politics at LUISS Guido Carli, where she is an ENI Scholar and serves as President of the African Student Association. She holds a dual BSc in Foreign Service and International Politics from Georgetown University. Her academic interests include African regional politics, the political economy of development, and Gulf–Africa relations within the broader field of Global South international relations. She has held research roles at the Center for Regional and International Studies (Qatar) and the Euro-Gulf Information Center (Italy), contributing to projects on Gulf migration regimes, civil society under authoritarianism, and energy diplomacy. She is contributing a chapter on youth to African Regional Organizations. In 2025, she has served as Assistant Director at Ivy Camps USA in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and she has been an intern at the Embassy of Mozambique in Rome. She speaks Portuguese, MSA Arabic, English, and Spanish. Dalva focuses on how emerging powers and alternative finance are reshaping Global South partnerships, especially in Lusophone energy diplomacy and shifting alliances in Francophone Africa.
Daniela Irrera

Daniela Irrera is Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the School of Advanced Defence Studies, CASD, Rome. She is also Visiting Professor of Political Violence and Terrorism and Civil Society and Sustainability at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. She currently serves as Chair of the ECPR, associate editor of the Journal of Contemporary European Studies, co-editor of the Springer book series on Non-State Actors in International Relations, together with Marianna Charountaki. She is a member of the EU Research Committee of the Knowledge Hub on Prevention of Radicalization and is consultant for the UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries.
Donatella Selva

Donatella Selva is Associate Professor and teaches Crisis Communication and Political Communication at LUISS. She graduated in Political Science at LUISS and holds a PhD in Sociology of Communication from the University of Urbino. She previously held teaching and research positions at the University of Florence, the University of Tuscia and the Pontifical Gregorian University. Her research topics focus on disinformation studies and journalism, AI, digital technology and social media, and the interplay between politics and culture. She is the PI of a three-year project about news avoidance funded by the Italian Ministry of Research (FIS 2).
Donato Di Carlo

Donato Di Carlo is senior researcher at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, in Cologne, and lecturer at Luiss University. Prior to joining Luiss, he has been Max Weber Fellow at the European University Institute, in Fiesole. His research interests revolve around the study of comparative political economy, with a focus on growth models and the role of the state in economic development and industrial policy. His current research project analyses the steady expansion of the international tourism industry in Southern Europe, investigating the determinants and properties of governments’ developmental policies undertaken to foster tourism-led growth.
Donato Greco

Donato Greco is Junior Assistant Professor of International Law at the LUISS Guido Carli (Rome), Department of Law, where he lectures on International Law, International Organisation and Human Rights, and International Legal Education.
In January 2021, he earned a PhD at the University of Naples Federico II, with a thesis on the normative relevance of soft law in the international legal system. Over the years, he has completed his academic education abroad at the Universities of Amsterdam (2014), Freiburg im Breisgau (2014-2015) and at the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law (University of Cambridge) from January to June 2022. At The Hague Academy of International Law, he attended the 2019 Winter Courses on Public and Private International Law and the 2022 Summer Courses on Public International Law, the latter having been awarded a scholarship funded by Dame Rosalyn Higgins.
He authored several papers published in specialized international law journals and book chapters in collective works, both in Italian and English. His research interests mainly focus on legal sources and their interpretation, the relationship between international and municipal law, global health, international economic and environmental law, immunities, and human rights.
Elvira Simonelli

Elvira Simonelli is a master student in International Relations at LUISS University in Rome, with an academic experience at the University of Exeter, UK. She holds a B.A. in Political Science, culminating in research centred on US Foreign Policy analysis towards Israel.

Her academic interests lie at the intersection of strategic studies and communication, with a specific focus on the Middle East and the evolving dynamics of geopolitical security.
Emanuele Vincent