Massimo Leone and Mirco Tonin reconfirmed at the head of the FBK-ISR and FBK-IRVAPP research centres

On 7th November 2024, during the meeting of the Board of Directors of the Fondazione Bruno Kessler  (FBK), the renewal of the three-year mandate of Massimo Leone and Mirco Tonin was confirmed at the head of the Centre for Religious Studies (ISR) and the Institute for Evaluative Research on Public Policies (FBK-IRVAPP) respectively.

With their reappointment, the two directors will continue to lead ISR and Irvapp, collaborating with the Foundation’s other research centres, thus contributing to excellence and innovation in the humanities and social sciences.

Massimo Leone: an international profile between Semiotics and religion

Massimo Leone, Director of the Centre for Religious Studies since 2021, is a leading name in Semiotics and Philosophy of Communication. Full Professor at the University of Turin and Visiting Professor at numerous international universities, Leone is also Principal Investigator of an ERC Consolidator Grant. His research focuses on cultural dynamics, with particular attention to images and religion, and he is editor-in-chief of prestigious academic journals such as Semiotica and Lexia.

Mirco Tonin: expert in public policy and behavioral economics

Mirco Tonin, Director of the Research Institute for the Evaluation of Public Policies, is a leading economist in the field of Behavioral Economics, with a focus on education, discrimination, labor and public policy. A full professor of Economic Policy at the Free University of Bozen/Bolzano, Tonin has an international academic career that includes roles at prestigious universities and consulting for global institutions such as the World Bank. His research has a significant impact on public debate, and he is regularly featured in national and international media.

The renewal of the mandates of Leone and Tonin testifies to the trust and recognition for their work at the head of their respective centres, and to the growing importance of Fondazione Bruno Kessler in the national and international scientific research scene.