Department of Social Sciences and Institutions, University of Cagliari
in collaboration with

• Department of Philology, Literature, and Linguistics, University of Cagliari
• Department of History, Human Sciences, and Education, University of Sassari

Contacts: Patrizia Manduchi, Mauro Pala, Alessandra Marchi

The establishment of an International Gramscian Studies Center at the University of Cagliari aims to serve as a center of excellence dedicated to fostering and disseminating analyses and reflections on the figure and thought of Antonio Gramsci. This initiative adopts a multi/interdisciplinary approach, drawing upon the results of international Gramscian studies, which have now spread across all continents.

The laboratory seeks to provide specialized educational paths and new opportunities for in-depth study, also addressing schools and research centers worldwide. The project pays particular attention to intellectual currents and analyses developed at the international level, especially in various regions of the African and Asian continents, where well-established theoretical schools inspired by Gramsci have emerged (Post-colonial Studies and Cultural Studies).

The richness and continuous evolution of Gramscian studies worldwide—driven by new subjects, themes, and analytical perspectives that make the world an ever more “great and terrible” object of study—offer a strong incentive for creating a center that functions as a true laboratory. Its mission is to collect, catalog, disseminate, translate, and promote the diverse traditions of international Gramscian studies and the vast body of scientific research generated by this growing interest. In particular, the African and Asian continents, or at least certain specific areas (the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent), have witnessed a rising interest in Gramscian conceptual categories over recent decades, producing often innovative and stimulating interpretations.

GramsciLab thus aims to be the hub of a network that, starting from the university, seeks to spread the results of a fruitful exchange of perspectives in study and research throughout the region. Furthermore, it intends to stimulate and enrich the cultural debate at both the island and national levels on pressing social, economic, political, and legal issues in a time of profound crisis—not only economic but also cultural.

The laboratory benefits from the expertise of various departments at the Universities of Cagliari and Sassari, working in synergy with Gramscian associations and institutes in Sardinia, as well as national and international scientific institutions (International Gramsci Society Italy and worldwide; Gramsci Institute Foundation in Rome, among others).

Its activities began at the end of 2014, thanks to funding from the Fondazione Banco di Sardegna. During its first year, an extensive cycle of international seminars was launched, which will continue in the new academic year.

GramsciLab seeks to highlight the importance of Cagliari’s central role in the Mediterranean, aligning with the internationalization policy of the University of Cagliari.