10.6092/issn.3034-8544/16903
This paper focuses on the commitment of Italian universities to training on legality and research on mafias. This commitment aims to guarantee students the right to informed knowledge, based on research and scientific reflection, of mafia phenomena. This is particularly important given that public opinion and the media often offer a distorted representation of organized crime phenomena, sometimes even dangerously downplaying their severity. The data underlying our reflections come from a Review of University Teaching and Research, which was created by the Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Research on Mafia and Corruption (LIRMAC) at the University Federico II. This review is a valuable resource that highlights the presence of a dedicated training offer, consisting of experts and research groups active within each university or across universities, which serve as expert channels of access to scientific knowledge of Mafia phenomena.
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Universities and Local Communities: Research, Training and Networking in the Field of Legality and Mafias, for the Right to Informed Knowledge
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Stefano D'Alfonso
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University of Naples, Federico II
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Universities and Local Communities: Research, Training and Networking in the Field of Legality and Mafias, for the Right to Informed Knowledge
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                                                             URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024              208




Universities and Local Communities:
Research, Training and Networking in the
Field of Legality and Mafias, for the Right
to Informed Knowledge
PEER REVIEWED


Stefano D’Alfonso

University of Naples Federico II

stefano.dalfonso@unina.it

Anna Maria Zaccaria1

University of Naples Federico II

annamaria.zaccaria@unina.it


1.       State of the Art.

Despite a broad production from scholars on the topic of mafias, 2 the
issue of where the Italian academic world is positioned in the antimafia
system has not been consistently dealt with to date. In particular, an
interdisciplinary and interinstitutional approach to the matter seems to
be lacking. Therefore, this paper aims to formally outline the role of
Universities as co-protagonists in the areas of contrast and prevention, on
par with antimafia bodies and entities both at institutional level – i.e. the
Antimafia Parliamentary Committee, the National Antimafia Directorate
(DNA), the Antimafia Investigation Division (DIA), prefectures and courts
of law – and at societal and activism level alongside local organizations
and third-sector entities.
The main objective of the research whose results are hereby illustrated is
to investigate the contribution that Italian Universities adhering to CRUI
have given in the field of higher education and scientific research to the
topics of legality and organised crime. The research has been conducted
by 29 scholars from different academic disciplines, across 11 Italian
Universities, in collaboration with CRUI and the Parliamentary
Committee of Inquiry into mafia and other criminal organisations



1
 Corresponding author.
2
  F Dalla Chiesa, Manifesto Dell’antimafia, vol. 92 (Einaudi, 2014); Vittorio Mete, “La Lotta Alle
Mafie. Tra Movimenti e Istituzioni,” in L’Italia e Le Sue Regioni: L’età Repubblicana-Vol. IV Società
(Istituto dell’Enciclopedia Italiana, 2015), 305–22; Rocco Sciarrone, Mafie Vecchie, Mafie Nuove:
Radicamento ed Espansione (Donzelli editore, 2021).
                                                                           Copyright 2024 The Author(s)
                                                       This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.3034-8544/16903                       Attribution 4.0 International License
                                                           URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024           209



including foreign ones, implementing a Memorandum of Understanding
between these two entities.3
This MoU was aimed at enhancing the role of Universities as places of
training in terms of knowledge and skills, but also as ideal social
environments where ethical and cultural principles in defence of
institutions and society may take root.
The data that will be discussed in these pages are part of a Review of
university research and training activities (henceforth Review), produced as
a result of efforts coordinated by the Interdisciplinary Laboratory of
Research on Mafia and Corruption (LIRMAC) of the Federico II University
of Naples. The role played by Universities in the fight against organised
mafias is particularly emblematic in the interpretation of the relationship
between Universities and territories, especially with respect to two
interlinked aspects.
The first aspect relates to the University's forms of engagement, how
diversified these can be and how closely they are linked to the educational
and scientific research mission. In recent decades there has been an
increase in the contribution of academics and Universities to the
processes of change in the economic and social context where these
institutions operate. At the same time, expectations have also grown on
the part of the local communities, for a more institutionalised
involvement of Universities in the processes of economic and social
innovation.4 The umbrella concept of the Third Mission encompasses
many of the actions introduced by Universities in this sense, particularly
those that take the form of a systematic commitment to support the
development of territories. The connection between academia and the
territories increasingly shapes permeable networks, 5 which are more
consistent with the development of innovation understood as a social
construction that develops in dialogues between complementary types of
knowledge. The 'long' links (in spatial and social terms) that Universities
are able to weave allow actors from external contexts to come into contact
with knowledge hot-spots (research centres, laboratories, other
Universities, etc.) and thus to produce significant innovations, as well as
to harness instrumental resources, including economic ones. 6
The second aspect sees the University community at the centre of ethical
commitment, with special regard to younger students considered as the
future leaders of the country. It is clear that every step taken in the
direction of better knowledge of phenomena from different points of



3
  The complete results of this research are illustrated in D’Alfonso & Manfredi (eds.), 2022.
4
  Carlo Trigilia and Marino Regini, “Università e Innovazione. Il Contributo Degli Atenei Italiani
Allo Sviluppo Regionale,” 2019.
5
  Harald Bathelt and Patrick Cohendet, “The Creation of Knowledge: Local Building, Global
Accessing and Economic Development—toward an Agenda,” Journal of Economic Geography 14, no.
5 (2014): 869–82.
6
  Pier Luigi Sacco, Guido Ferilli, and Giorgio Tavano Blessi, Cultura e Sviluppo Locale: Verso Il
Distretto Culturale Evoluto (Bologna: Il Mulino, 2012).
                                                       URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024        210



view, affects the way such phenomena are perceived, understood and
dealt with.
In this framework, mafias as a systemic phenomenon occupy a
prominent place, and must be tackled as such in terms of prevention and
contrast with equal systematicity. In this perspective, the role of the
University stands as complementary (and necessary) to the repressive
and contrasting one undertaken by the judiciary and law enforcement,
while taking the form of a preventive action brought about by training in
informed knowledge and by education to legality. Especially in the last
thirty years there has been an increase in widespread awareness of the
mafia presence in national territories and, in view of the development of
illegal market networks, in international ones. This is thanks not only to
the pressing counter-action (with significant results) of the judiciary, but
also (perhaps above all) to the 'staging' of organised crime: from literary
production (e.g., Gomorra, by Roberto Saviano) to graphic novels;
including television series and film productions, as well as journalistic
reports and media products centred on criminal profiles. While all this
has undoubtedly brought to the fore a universe which had too often been
denied and/or obscured, it has also produced various representations that
do not always adhere to reality, and which have sometimes even run the
risk of altering it or even mythologising certain aspects of it.
In this context, Universities can act as guarantors of the right to 'informed
knowledge', offering cognitive approaches to the mafia phenomenon,
with precise and rigorous theoretical and methodological points of view.
In various areas of Italy, especially in the south, Universities represent for
the younger generations one of the places of educational opportunities
and professional and civil growth. These institutions take on the
appearance of a 'garrison of legality on the territory' in opposition to
criminal phenomena that have long been rooted there; they offer the
tools and skills for knowledge and understanding of these phenomena.
The work undertaken by University researchers in this sense offers the
most appropriate tools. Furthermore, it can boost the effectiveness of
policies, interventions and actions of prevention and contrast.
The Review therefore represents an opportunity that allows us to highlight
the presence of specific training pathways and of experts or research
teams operating in each University or across different Universities, and
who represent the access points for scientific knowledge of the mafia
phenomena.
More generally, the data we will see shortly offer stimulating food for
thought as regards the relationship between teaching and research on the
one hand, and between Universities and geographical-territorial contexts
on the other. Regarding the latter, there are many studies that have shown
the relevance of the spread of tertiary education institutions and their
level of territorial embeddedness in fostering local development.7 We will

7
 John Harrison and Ivan Turok, “Universities, Knowledge and Regional Development,” Regional
Studies 51, no. 7 (2017): 977–81.
                                                          URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024           211



see how some variables, including location and size of Universities,
disciplinary specialisations, the type of relationship with the territory,
available resources, are crucial in defining the forms through which
Universities can express their commitment to legality, in the local
contexts where they are located and beyond.

2.       The Review of Research and Training Activities Methodology.

The Review is the only database available today in Italy that enables us to
draw a map of research, training and third mission activities carried out
by Italian Universities. This database can be queried through the CRUI
website.8 The Review will be constantly updated, especially thanks to the
contribution of LIRMAC.
The idea of investigating the role of Italian Universities in the fight against
mafias, organised crime and corruption was conceived in 2017, in
implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding adopted by the
CRUI and the Parliamentary Anti-Mafia Committee.9
To this end, the CRUI carried out a study, updated to the academic year
2015/2016, aimed at surveying the educational activities offered by Italian
Universities, as well as dedicated facilities and events organised on these
topics. The survey was conducted through the submission of an online
questionnaire for 66 Universities, and the results were presented at a
hearing before the Committee in November 2017.10
During the first phase of the project, three macro-areas of training offer
were identified:
-      Courses delivered and dedicated to the study of mafias and
organised crime, as part of degree programmes or higher education
programmes;
-      Facilities or teams of researchers dedicated to scientific research
on the topic;
-      Events and/or initiatives organised by Universities for the
promotion of the culture of legality.
Taking into account the evolution of studies and research on mafias in the
years following the period covered by the survey presented in 2017, it was

8
   Stefano D’Alfonso and Gaetano Manfredi, L’università Nella Lotta Alle Mafie: La Ricerca e La
Formazione (Donzelli editore, 2021); Stefano D’Alfonso and Gaetano Manfredi, University in the
Fight against Mafias: Research, Teaching and Training (FedOA-Federico II University Press, 2022).
9
   “Parliamentary committee of inquiry into mafia-related and other criminal organisations,
including foreign ones”, established in the 17th legislature by Law no. 87 of 19 July 2013; the
project was then also adopted by the Parliamentary Anti-Mafia Committee established in the 18th
legislature by Law n. 99 of 7 August 2018 and by the Ministry of University and Research.
10
   The results were presented on 7 November 2017 by the then president of the CRUI, Professor
Gaetano Manfredi, and Professor Anna Maria Zaccaria, member of Lirmac. The stenographic
record of the hearing can be downloaded at the link on the website of the Chamber of Deputies,
https://www.camera.it/leg17/1058?idLegislatura=17&tipologia=audiz2&sottotipologia=audizione
&anno=2017&mese=11&giorno=07&idCommissione=24&numero=0230&file=indice_stenografico
The full hearing in video format can be viewed at
https://inchieste.camera.it/inchieste/mafie/video.html?leg=17&legLabel=XVII %20legislatura.
                                              URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024   212



deemed appropriate to proceed with a new survey that, while retaining
the same objectives as the previous one, would allow for an update of the
data and a broader and deeper analytical reflection. Firstly, a
methodological adjustment was necessary. On the basis of the list of
Italian Universities belonging to the CRUI, we proceeded with a thorough
consultation of their websites in order to detect the presence and
activities of bodies or courses of study dedicated exclusively to the mafia
and corruption phenomenon and to check their activation over the five-
year academic period 2016/2017-2020/2021. The reasons for this choice lie
in the timeliness of the information: the direct collection of the data
useful for the survey, in fact, made it possible both to shorten the time
(inevitably longer in the case of using a questionnaire) and to mitigate the
limitations that such a large unit of analysis could have generated (e.g.
drop in the number of answers to the questionnaires, possible ambiguity
of the questions/analytical dimensions, etc.). Thus, the websites and
curricula of all the Universities belonging to the CRUI were consulted,
maintaining a constant comparison with the previous survey. The data
collection was carried out by comparing it with the previous survey and
by querying the search engines of the individual Italian Universities using
the following specific keywords in Italian: antimaﬁa, anticorruzione,
camorra, camorrista, corruzione, Cosa nostra, criminali, criminalità,
criminalità organizzata, crimine, devianza, maﬁa, maﬁe, maﬁoso, maﬁosa,
riciclaggio, ’ndrangheta, violenza. (in English: anti-mafia, anti-corruption,
camorra, corruption, Cosa Nostra, criminals, crime, organised crime,
crime, deviance, mafia, mafias, mafia-related, money laundering,
'ndrangheta, violence).
In particular, the survey focused on the tracking and identification of:
-       Teaching activities: courses and workshops
-       Dedicated facilities: labs, observatories and research centres
-       Higher education: PhDs, MAs and higher-education courses
-       Third mission activities: summer and winter schools.
As a further part of the aforementioned Memorandum of Understanding,
CRUI and LIRMAC created the Review of research through a survey of
scientific publications about mafias. In this case the data collection
method was different. The Universities provided their data by extracting
it directly from the IRIS database, under the guidance of specifications
produced by the CRUI and LIRMAC, thus avoiding manual data entry. The
Universities that responded by indicating products of interest for the
research are 64; two do not have products responding to the submitted
request and two others were entered through autonomous access to the
University IRIS system.
By means of a simple keyword search, this database makes it possible to
identify Universities and faculty who have tackled and/or are tackling - in
various ways - specific issues concerning the mafia phenomenon. This
can be a useful support for scholars themselves, as well as for institutions,
citizens and various stakeholders interested in identifying and
                                                             URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024        213



reconstructing the scientific commitment produced by Universities over
the years. More importantly, however, it is also useful for students who -
regardless of their educational background - wish to gain an in-depth
understanding of the phenomenon. In fact, this platform also allows an
immediate identification of sector experts and teams (e.g., laboratories)
to which they can refer in the presence of the most diverse needs for in-
depth study (e.g., for legislative production). Finally, it makes it possible
to focus on the various research groups present in each University or even
across different Universities: a useful mapping for the promotion of
further interdisciplinary collaborations and activities, which are
increasingly necessary when facing a topic with a high social, economic
and legal impact. This is therefore an important starting point for
building strategies that place the University community at the centre of
ethical commitment, with particular regard to young students, as citizens
and future ruling class of the country.
In this contribution, we will present the main data on the training and
research activities of the Italian Universities surveyed, putting forward
some reflections that emerge from this data on the relationship between
Universities and local communities.

3.       Teaching Activities.

Among the Universities surveyed, there are 37 presenting teaching
activities on the topic of mafias, with 17 located in southern regions, 12 in
the north and 8 in the centre. As far as size is concerned, the 37
Universities are evenly distributed across the 4 size categories with a
slightly greater share of ‘large’ ones.11



                                        8              9




                                    9
                                                      1
                                                      1



                                Mega        Large   Medium
                                            Small

                          Figure 1| Distribution of Universities by size.




11
   These categories have been established on the basis of criteria set out by Censis in 2020,
according to which the Universities with more than 40,000 students are called ‘mega’, while those
with 20,000 to 40,000 students are ‘large’ and those with 10,000 to 20,000 students are ‘medium-
sized’. Finally, ‘small’ Universities are those with less than 10,000 students.
                                                           URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024          214



                         Credits: Stefano D’Alfonso, Gaetano Manfredi.


With reference to the offer of specific activities and courses, in the
Universities considered there has been a gradual increase in the number
of workshops and courses focusing exclusively on the study of mafias and
corruption since the 2016-2017 academic year: in 2020-2021, there was a
positive change of around 47% compared to the 2016-2017 academic year.
In practice, the offer has almost doubled over five academic years. There
are still some territorial differences which had already emerged in the
previous survey, with a higher concentration of availability in the
northern regions.




          Figure 2| Distribution of teaching programmes in Italy as of A. Y. 2020-202112.
                          Credits: Stefano D’Alfonso, Gaetano Manfredi.


In fact, slightly less than half of the total 50 courses dedicated to the
phenomenon are offered in Universities in the North (24 courses),
concentrated in the Universities of Lombardy and Piedmont. As far as
Southern Universities are concerned, the teaching offer increased from
14 teachings in 2016 to 18 in 2021; in the central regions there are 8, of
which 6 in Lazio. The general picture of the time trend by geographic
macro-area of the dedicated teaching offer [Figure 3] shows that in the
northern regions there has been a constant and rather significant
increase over the last three years, while the trend for the Universities of
Central Italy is fluctuating; the Universities of the South record an
increase in teaching concentrated in the last two years considered.




12
   Regions shown in black are those where Universities do not offer any of the three
facilities/activities that form the core of this investigation (laboratories/workshops, higher
education courses or subject-specific programmes). The blue regions (Sardinia and Marche) are
those where at least one of the three aforementioned facilities/activities can be found although,
in this case, they do not offer courses dedicated to the subject of mafias which explains why in
this category they are allocated a value of zero.
                                                             URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024            215




                  Figure 3| Distribution of courses by geographical macro-area.
                          Credits: Stefano D’Alfonso, Gaetano Manfredi.
                             Blue = North; Orange = Centre; Grey = South


Several factors may contribute to explaining these differences, which,
among other things, reveal an incongruous fact: the relatively limited
contribution of Southern Universities, which are located precisely in the
territories where the so-called traditional mafias originated. First of all,
in recent years, the social alarm generated by the presence of mafia
organisations in the northern regions has grown considerably,
questioning various social actors at various levels.13 Such external
solicitation undoubtedly acts as a stimulus for the academic environment,
inasmuch as this 'listens' to the territories and activates itself, with the
tools of its specific competence, in the fight against illegality. This
hypothesis can also be confirmed by the trend of the data referring to the
teaching offer recorded for the Universities of the central regions, an area
in which the risk of mafia presence has long been perceived as negligible;
for instance, lower Lazio has been regarded as a safe haven, despite its
proximity to the Caserta area, which has been a site of Camorra
settlements and encroachments for at least thirty years.14 In contrast to
other regions of Italy, the Mezzogiorno has a long and well-established
history of mafia syndicates, which is widely acknowledged by the public
and civil society. However, simply recognizing the presence of the mafia
and its impact on the region's economy, society, and culture is not enough
to explain the disparity in educational outcomes among Universities.
There are several factors that should be considered, such as structural,
environmental, economic, scientific, and organizational aspects. For
example, the mobility of lecturers and Universities' ability to propose
extra-local training projects can have an impact. To better understand
these issues, further investigation is needed to identify the constraints
that prevent Italian Universities from taking more widespread and
effective action against organized crime.
Looking at the review data again, the courses dedicated to mafia and
corruption are mostly active in mega and large Universities, although

13
   Rocco Sciarrone, “Tra Sud e Nord. Le Mafie Nelle Aree Non Tradizionali,” in Mafie Del Nord.
Strategie Criminali e Contesti Locali (DONZELLI, 2019), 5–43; Gianni Belloni and Antonio Vesco,
Come Pesci Nell’acqua. Mafie, Impresa e Politica in Veneto. (Milano: Donzelli, 2018).
14
   Vittorio Martone, Le Mafie Di Mezzo: Mercati e Reti Criminali a Roma e Nel Lazio (Donzelli editore,
2017).
                                                             URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024            216



their number has been consistently growing over the last two years in
small and medium-sized Universities. Among the mega Universities, the
most significant contribution is given by the ‘Statale’ Universities of Milan
and Turin, where in A. Y. 2020/21 the number of specific courses was 9
and 5, respectively. Courses appear to be rather evenly distributed across
large Universities in Italy and their share seems to follow a stable trend.




                       Figure 4| Distribution of courses by University size.
                         Credits: Stefano D’Alfonso, Gaetano Manfredi.
                 Blue = Mega; Orange = Large; Grey = Medium-sized; Yellow = Small


Courses are concentrated in four scientific macro-areas [Figure 5].15




                    Figure 5| Distribution of courses by scientific sector.
                    Credits: Stefano D’Alfonso, Gaetano Manfredi.
Blue= Law and related courses; Orange= Political and Social Sciences; Grey= Economics; Yellow=
                                        Human sciences


Over the period analysed, their number progressively increased in the
area of Law and above all in that of Political and Social Sciences;
conversely, a more limited diffusion can be found in the sectors of
Economics and Human Sciences. In addition, the courses are mainly



15
  The disciplinary macro-areas considered refer to the Miur classification. On the basis of the
survey, it was possible to trace the subjects to the following macro-areas: a) legal area: law and
related courses; b) area of political and social sciences: political science, international relations,
science of administration and related courses, sociology and related courses, anthropology,
communication sciences; c) area of economic sciences: degree programmes in economics and
business and company organisation; d) area of human sciences: also includes historical sciences,
learning and educational sciences and psychological sciences.
                                                        URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024    217



distributed across MAs and single-cycle degrees, with the former showing
a significant increase over the last three years.
On the other hand, there is a more limited number of undergraduate
degree courses, with the majority of them being concentrated in the area
of historical disciplines. What is also interesting to notice is the figure
relating to optional courses which are interdisciplinary and placed at the
crossroads of various curricula and academic fields. In particular, these
are often represented by interdisciplinary workshops dedicated to
students of social and educational sciences. Despite a significant
production of scientific research, the so-called hard sciences do not show
an offer of courses dedicated to the subject of mafias and corruption.




              Figure 6| Distribution of courses by level of degree programme .
                       Credits: Stefano D’Alfonso, Gaetano Manfredi.
           Blue= undergraduate; Orange= MAs; Grey= Single cycle; Yellow= Electives


As highlighted earlier, the majority of these courses are concentrated in
the north of Italy and in mega Universities. Analysing higher education
we can see how this distribution is rebalanced.
The total number of higher education activities in the Universities
surveyed is 21, i.e., 6 more than the previous 2017 survey. The higher-
education offer is distributed across 14 Universities, with varying figures
depending on the academic year considered. In particular, our data show
that in 2016/17 the most significant concentration of higher education
offer could be found in the South, while in the following academic year
the offer increased in the north, while remaining stable in the centre and
declining in the south. Finally, in the 2018-2020 period, growth could be
observed in higher education offer in the Universities of Central and
Southern Italy. On the other hand, in the two-year period 2020-2021 there
was a similar level of offer across the three geographical areas [Figure 7].
                                                            URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024          218




              Figure 7| Distribution of higher education offer by geographical area.
                          Credits: Stefano D’Alfonso, Gaetano Manfredi.
                           Blue = North; Orange = Centre; Grey = South


Looking at the distribution of higher education courses in relation to
University size, we see that the offer is ample in mega and large
Universities, but rather limited in medium-sized ones. In small
Universities, since 2018-2019, the trend in higher education activities
dedicated to the subject of mafias and corruption has been stable.




             Figure 8| Distribution of higher education actitivies by University size.
                         Credits: Stefano D’Alfonso, Gaetano Manfredi.
                Blue = Mega; Orange = Large; Grey = Medium-sized; Yellow = Small


Another significant piece of information, which also sheds light on the
relationships between Universities and other local stakeholders, is
represented by the partnerships with external organisations or
institutions which are quite frequent in the sector of higher education
[Figure 9].16 Out of the total number of MA courses surveyed, in fact, 10
avail themselves of the collaboration of Anac and/or Inps, Courthouse
departments or law enforcement agencies, foundations and/or citizen
associations, public and private organisations.



16
  We have hereby taken into consideration Master's degrees and higher education courses in
which at least one external partnership was registered. It has to be pointed out that a master's
degree can include more than one partnership from outside the academic world (e.g. the 2 nd level
master's degree on Public tendering and prevention of corruption, University of Ferrara, involves:
Anac, Legacoop Estense, the province of Ferrara, Confartigianato di Ferrara, the Emilia-Romagna
region, Confindustria, Consorzio nazionale servizi (Cns), Associazione italiana trasparenza e
anticorruzione, municipality of Ferrara and Anci Emilia-Romagna).
                                                    URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024   219



The collaboration with "external" players is generally aimed at providing
support both in terms of active training and in economic terms (most
frequently in the form of scholarships for participants).

4.     Scientific Research Activities.

Before analysing the most significant data concerning scientific
production, a methodological note is necessary. As mentioned, our data
were extracted from the Iris research repository, and this choice is not
devoid of criticalities. One such criticality refers to the problem of
uploading products to Iris, an institutional archive that implies a
'selection' of products (e.g. retired and non-regularly employed scholars
cannot upload products; moreover, products by authors from outside the
academic world are not included). A second critical point concerns the
selection by keywords, which undoubtedly has its limitations. This
method only allows us to detect part of the products. Using this procedure
does not give the certainty of surveying the entire corpus of research
products, as some titles may not contain the selected keywords.
The decision to proceed in this way was based on the consideration that
including a wider range of terms would have been far more critical than
the usefulness of the extra information it could have produced. Finally, it
should be borne in mind that the products surveyed are very
heterogeneous and differ significantly in terms of type and scientific
approach. Despite these critical issues, the repository has enabled
interesting reflections on the scientific commitment of Universities in the
field of mafias and corruption. A total of 2,273 original products published
between 1999 and 2018 were identified and collected: the average annual
production is more than 110 products distributed throughout the country.
Across time, the scientific production concerning mafia studies has
significantly increased across all sectors and territorial areas. There was
a leap in the distribution of research products starting in particular from
2009: the incidence went from an average of 6.1 products/year to an
average of 17.1 products/year. The 2013 peak of 196 products was followed
by a slight decrease in production [Figure 9].




                   Figure 9| Annual trend of scientific products.
                   Credits: Stefano D’Alfonso, Gaetano Manfredi.
                                                         URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024      220



As regards territorial distribution, significant differences emerge [Figure
10]. Slightly more than half of the papers, in fact, were published in the
Universities of the South (53%), and about one third in those of the North
(30%), while the remaining 16% were published in central Italy.
Temporally, however, a progressive increase can be observed in the
contributions of northern Universities. Their share grew from 26.7% in
the first five-year period (1999-2003) to 35.3% in the most recent one
considered (2014-2018). This can undoubtedly be attributed to a large
extent to the judicial investigations that have been initiated recently in the
northern regions.




              Figure 10| Percentage distribution of products by macro-area.
                      Credits: Stefano D’Alfonso, Gaetano Manfredi.
         Orange= South; Green= Centre; Blue= North; Totale complessivo= overall total


The most significant contribution in terms of number of products came
from seven regions (two in the South, two in the Centre and three in the
North), who account for over 85% of the total number of products: Sicily
31.3%, Campania 14.3%, Lombardy 12.9%, Lazio 7.4%, Tuscany 7.4%,
Piedmont 7.1%, Emilia-Romagna 5%. The Sicily figure certainly stands
out; in fact, this region accounts for almost a third of the overall number
of products. When including Campania, these two regions cover almost
the entire scientific production of Southern Universities in this field.
Social and Law disciplines together account for more than 50% of overall
scientific production. Psychology, Economics, History also give a
significant contribution, together representing more than a quarter of the
total. Another significant share is accounted for by political and medical
sciences. More than 75% of the production of psychologists, more than
50% of political subjects and about a third of the work of historians and
economists was published in Sicily. Law Studies account for 27% of the
total, while Sociology only reaches 22%. In Campania, the production of
Economics and History scholars stands out, with 30 and 27% respectively
of the total national figure. A significant share of the production of legal
disciplines is also concentrated in Campania’s Universities (14.7%). In
Lombardy and Piedmont, sociologists stand out with percentages above
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20% in the first case and 15% in the second. Political sciences (17%) and
History (17%) are strongly represented in Tuscany.
Articles published in the selected time period were written by 930
authors. Analysis of the data shows that more than one third of the
research products (37%) are the result of collaboration between two or
more authors. Over the twenty years considered, the number of co-
authorships increased by more than twenty percentage points: from 21%
(1999-2003) to 43% (2014-2018). A figure that may reflect the consolidation
of intra/inter-university collaboration networks. Mainly law scholars
collaborate (31% with an average of 2.2 products per author), while
sociologists, the most productive researchers with 6.7 products per
author, are only 14.5% of the total [Figure 11]. This is followed by
economists (11.6%), historians (6.3%) and psychologists (5.3%, with a
production also in this case above the average of 5.6 products per author).




 Figure 11| Percentage distribution of products with one or more authors by academic macro-
                                                  sector.
                            Credits: Stefano D’Alfonso, Gaetano Manfredi.
Lingua e letteratura= Language and Literature; studi giuridici= Law Studies; Storia= History; Scienze
Politiche= Political Sciences; Sociologia= Sociology; Architettura= Architecture; Economia= Economics;
         Psicologia= Psychology; Scienze mediche= Medicine; totale complessivo= Overall total


When it comes to gender distribution among authors, there is a clear gap:
64% are men and 36% are women. However, the gap decreased by over 9
percentage points over the years, with the share of female authors
growing from 29.5% (1999-2003) to 38% (2014-2018). This rise was more
marked in the north, with women making up 40% of the total in the north,
compared to only around 30% in the south and centre. Looking at gender
data by academic discipline, only two fields have more women than men:
architecture (52% female) and psychology (61% female). However, it is
important to note that these observations do not consider the overall
gender distribution within each academic discipline.

5.       Third Mission.

The density and variety of actions and products included under the Third
Mission label today, made the results of the mapping undertaken for the
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purposes of the Review less meaningful. For example, for summer and
winter schools, a survey was carried out using the Google search engine
and the engines present on the websites of the individual Universities, but
the confusing data output made it hard to define an exhaustive mapping
for the period under consideration. Therefore, it is probably necessary to
recalibrate the methodologies in order to fill this gap in the review. More
generally, these difficulties—connected to the difficulties faced by
Universities when constructing databases on their third mission
activities—highlight the need for a systematic and institutionalised
collection and organisation of this type of information. The current
uncertainty of the data prevents an accurate assessment of academic
commitment on this front, which, in our opinion, runs the real risk of
being underestimated. Such commitment emerges in all its relevance
from the Review; above all, it is based on the increasingly leading role
played by lecturers and researchers, who involve new recruits (PhDs,
research fellows and PhD students), activate laboratories, observatories
and research centres, and are involved in systematic public and civic
engagement actions, as well as scientific communication and
dissemination. Unequivocal strengths from this point of view are
interdisciplinarity and the trend towards the development of inter-
university collaborative networks. Above all, it is precisely the third
mission activities that provide a more immediate visibility of the
contribution that Universities can make to the study and understanding
of mafia phenomena and corruption: a direct litmus test of their ability to
respond to the students’ (but not only) right to informed knowledge.
In this context we can place a recent initiative, developed in the
University context and aimed at 'systemising' the University's scientific,
educational and third-mission commitment on the subject of mafias,
within the framework of the transmission of knowledge between soft-
skills and lifelong learning. This initiative aimed to provide further room
for the right to informed and continued knowledge, especially for those
students who will become professionals, managers and decision-makers
in the public sector. The initiative was developed within the Anti-mafia
parliamentary committee and revolved around the relationship between
professionals and mafia organisations.17 An ad hoc analysis has shown not
only the dynamics characterising the phenomena of compromise
between some professional categories and mafia groups, but also various
critical points in terms of the deontological references and values of
professionals, in particular those in the self-employed sector. In the light
of this, specific fields of action were identified in which Universities could
make their contribution, starting from the awareness of its role in the
training of young students as future professionals, and of the potential
cognitive support for the professionals themselves, within the
deontological training courses planned by professional orders and

17
  Stefano D’Alfonso, Aldo De Chiara, and Gaetano Manfredi, Mafie e Libere Professioni: Come
Riconoscere e Contrastare l’area Grigia (Donzelli editore, 2018).
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colleges, particularly those most interested in the phenomenon. In terms
of University mission, therefore, the action straddled the gap between the
three types of mission. This led to two online freely accessible Moocs
(Massive Open Online Courses), Mafie e libere professioni e Le sfide della
Legalità.18 Two teaching models were chosen that can be described in
terms of soft-skills and lifelong learning. The transversal dimension of
the topics dealt with in the online course justified the choice of not
framing it in a specific discipline or teaching field. This choice was also
supported by the aforementioned survey, which showed that
compromise (or collusion), ascertained for example through convictions
of mafia crimes in the courts or disciplinary proceedings by professional
bodies, affects various professional categories: accountants, lawyers,
doctors, engineers, architects and notaries. Therefore, the soft-skills
approach may potentially lie in the area of interest of several degree
courses, possibly chosen by Universities that are located in territories
where mafias operate and where a higher 'job risk' has been detected. The
lifelong learning perspective can respond to a demand for information
and in-depth study for the entire span of (professional) life. This is an
experiment, testing a foundation upon which one can imagine a dynamic
contribution that the academic world could offer to students, the world of
the professions and society as a whole, enhancing its role in transmitting
the values of legality, with a competent and specialised focus on
professional activities. An experiment which is replicable in other
dimensions, albeit after applying the proper adjustments.

6.       Conclusions.

The Review of university teaching and research on mafias, some essential
aspects of which have been illustrated here, is aimed at:
     •   Promoting awareness of the contribution of Italian Universities, through
         education and prevention, to the fight against mafias and corruption;
     •   Highlighting forms and elements of the relationship that these
         institutions can build with local communities;
     •   Providing students and other subjects with the framework referents and
         expertise needed to study and understand mafia-type and corruption
         phenomena.

A few concluding remarks about these points can be summarised as
follows.
Firstly, it seems clear that there is a mismatch between the intense
research activity on the subject of mafias and corruption and the low
presence of specific courses within degree programmes. This mismatch
seems to suggest that Universities are focused on their role as containers
of activities performed by their lecturers rather than on their function as

18
  Available on the Federica Web Learning platform of the Federico II University, which can be
accessed at this URL: federica.eu
                                             URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024   224



organisations capable of deploying instruments and strategies for the
fight against mafias and corruption. This can be explained by looking at
“endogenous factors” which are dependent on structural components of
the University system such as regulatory aspects, the organisation of
teaching, the organisational choices of each University. However, only a
more detailed analysis considering other aspects could shed more light
on this sort of divergence.
Additionally, as has been pointed out, there is a low degree of territorial
distribution of Universities that gear their teaching offer towards the
subjects hereby considered. On the one hand, these activities are
concentrated in mega and large Universities while on the other, this
concentration is more substantial in the Universities of the North. Also in
this case, several factors come into play, with endogenous factors
intertwined with exogenous and agency-type ones. In particular, two
factors seem to play a key role, namely the visibility of Universities and
the specific features of local contexts. Assuming that the presence, in a
certain University, of teams of scholars linking their research and studies
to the subjects of mafia and corruption undoubtedly represents a
strength, the data collected tell us that these teams are connected to mega
and large Universities located in big cities. This is a position of relative
advantage, at least in terms of infrastructures and services available and
centrality of collaboration networks at the crossroads between different
disciplines and research strands. All of the above generates a virtuous
cycle which, on the one hand, increases visibility for these Universities
and research groups and on the other facilitates the growth of the
research networks. This represents a sort of cumulative advantage
implying that the various opportunities for scientific research tend to
accumulate in certain scholars or scientific organisations. This also
concerns the identity of a University which may define itself as more or
less local, national or international, with a subsequent fallout on its
visibility and external perception by the outer world. Local contexts, as
previously mentioned, have a certain weight not only in terms of socio-
cultural features but also with regards to the demand for knowledge
produced by Universities and potentially expressed by social or public
organisations who may use it as a tool for the fight against illegality.
In conclusion, the data from the Review generally show a growing
awareness on these issues among Italian Universities, but also increased
awareness towards the needs expressed by local communities. More
recent initiatives also show signs of this. For instance, the University of
Milan, followed more recently by the University of Naples Federico II,
have provided for specific delegations assigned by their Rectors, namely:
Delegation on organised crime and education in anti-mafia culture;
Delegation for activities aimed at disseminating anti-mafia culture. This
testifies to the evident will to institutionalise the University as an
autonomous research body knowingly positioned within the anti-mafia
system, as a guarantee of constitutional rights. It also expresses the will
                                                URBANA Vol. 1, N. 1, 2024    225



to establish liaison figures with the local communities, figures who are
specifically committed to the dissemination of a properly informed anti-
mafia culture.

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