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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

José Luis Rhi-Sausi

José Luis-Rhi Sausi, an economist, former Director at Rome based CeSPI (Centre for International Political Studies), is a senior expert at the Italo-Latin American International Organization (IILA), where he focuses on international cooperation and socio-economic issues. He has contributed to numerous studies and initiatives centered on Latin American integration, human rights, and migration policies. He is the author and co-author of academic publications and policy papers, as well as a speaker at international conferences and seminars. He has actively participated in multilateral projects and collaborated with academic institutions, international organizations, and research centers. His work has made a significant contribution to strategic studies and programs aimed at promoting regional Latin American integration, human rights, the governance of international migration, and the strengthening of political, economic, and cultural ties between Europe and Latin America. Thanks to his experience and expertise, he is now regarded as one of the most authoritative and influential voices in the dialogue between the two continents.
Kristina Stoeckl

Kristina Stoeckl is full professor of sociology at the Department of Political Science at Luiss. She holds degrees from the European University Institute and the Central European University. Her areas of expertise are political sociology, social and political theory, sociology of religion, and the sociology of human rights and social movements. The focus of her research lies on politics and religion, state-religion relations in Russia, Orthodox Christianity, norm- and anti-gender mobilizations and transnational religious actors. Among her recent publications are “The Moralist International. Russia in the Global Culture Wars” (Fordham 2022) (co-authored with Dmitry Uzlaner) and “The Global Fight against LGBTI-Rights” (New York University Press 2024) (co-authored with Phillip Ayoub).
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Luciano Monti

Adjunct Professor of European Union Policies at Luiss Guido Carli in Rome, where he has been teaching since 1999, and one of the national coordinators of the ASviS SDG 8 Working Group “Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all” of Agenda 2030 for sustainable development. Senior Fellow of Luiss School of Government (IT) and Fellow of the Geneva Graduate Institute (IT). Member of several scientific committees in Italy and abroad. Author of over 120 scientific publications and papers on European Union policies focusing mainly on youth policies and cultural heritage development. He is member of the public policies’ youth impact evaluation committee promoted by the Italian Council of Ministers.
Luigi Giorgi

Luigi Giorgi is a finishing PhD candidate in History of Islamic Countries at University of Rome “Tor Vergata,” Rome. Between 2018 and 2022, he has been working as Research Fellow at the department of Political Science of Luiss University, Rome. His research interests include history, politics and economics of the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, and socio-political mobilizations in the region. He is currently developing a research on the history of bilateral and multilateral relations among the Gulf States. He gained work and research experiences in Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq and Tunisia. Among his publications: Giorgi L. & Cherubini, F. (2023) Fine della guerra infinita? Afghanistan 2021. Storia, Geopolitica, Diritto, Sicurezza. FrancoAngeli, Milano (in corso di pubblicazione); Giorgi, L. (2021) Mashreq monarchies’ role in the Mediterranean Sea. The evolution of the role of Qatar in the Mediterranean crises, in “States, Actors and Geopolitical drivers in the Mediterranean. Perspectives on the New Centrality in a Changing Region” (edited by F. Corrao & R. Redaelli). Palgrave Macmillan, Londra, pp. 324-335; Giorgi, L (2015) Sidi Bouzid e la rivoluzione ripudiata, in “Limes, rivista italiana di Geopolitica”, n. 8, pp. 209-214.
Manfredi Marciante

Manfredi Marciante is a Research Fellow at LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome, focusing his academic research on individuals’ access to justice in environmental matters. He earned his Ph.D. in Law and Business and was a Visiting Scholar at the Cambridge Centre for Environment, Energy, and Natural Resource Governance and the Department of Land Economy at the University of Cambridge, where he conducted research on the modernization of the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) within the realms of climate change policy, sustainable development, and international investment. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor at LUISS Guido Carli, teaching various subjects related to international law.
He regularly participates in international conferences and seminars.
Manfredi Valeriani

Manfredi Valeriani earned his PhD at Hamburg University and Luiss University with a thesis on “Funding Instruments to Italian NGOs” is a Post-Doctoral Researcher at Luiss where he also teaches Political Risk Analysis and International Politics and Businesses. He has been Adjunct Professor at the University “L’Orientale” in Naples and at the American University of Rome. His research currently focuses on Structured Analytic Techniques, Scenario Analysis, and Italian Foreign Policy.
Manuel Anselmi

Manuel Anselmi (Civita Castellana, 1975) is an Associate Professor of Political Sociology at the University of Bergamo. He has obtained the National Scientific Habilitation as Full Professor in Political Sociology. His research areas include political ideologies, theories of populism, penal populism, and Latin American politics, with a particular focus on revolutionary Bolivarianism. He is the editor of the “Lessico Democratico” series for Mondadori Università and “Democrazie e Conflitti” for Meltemi Editore. He has conducted research and taught at numerous foreign universities, including the University of Kentucky, FLACSO Ecuador, Universidad de Salamanca, the London School of Economics, and Loyola University in New Orleans.
Marco Martino

Ph.D. candidate in History at Scuola Normale Superiore (Pisa) and teaching assistant at LUISS Guido Carli (Rome), my research interests focus on political history and history of ideas of modern Europe and Latin America, which I analyze through political anthropology and microhistory, exploring the implications of socio-political, cultural, and intellectual phenomena on individual and collective human experiences, especially during revolutions and political transitions of the contemporary period. I am currently working on the end of the Italian Communist Party, and the anthropological and existential implications that the period 1989-1991 had on its grassroots militants.
Maria Helena Semedo

Maria Helena Semedo, former FAO Deputy Director General (Climate and Natural Resources) between 2013 and 2024, is an economist and politician from Cape Verde. As leading expert in global development issues, she has worked in public service for over thirty years. She was FAO’s representative in Niger, then Deputy Regional Representative for Africa and Sub-regional Coordinator for West Africa. She also worked as an economist for the Cabo Verde Ministry of Planning and Cooperation, became Secretary of State for Fisheries, and then Minister for Fisheries, Agriculture and Rural Affairs – the first-ever woman Minister in her country. After serving as Minister for Tourism, Transportation and Marine Affairs from 1995-1998, she became Member of Parliament until 2003.