Economics for Environment, culture and tourism

Educational objectives

The course aims to provide students with the theoretical frameworks and interpretative models of economic development and contemporary capitalism.
Students will explore the role of tourism and culture as key sectors of the globalized economy, analyzing the social, environmental, and territorial impacts generated by their development. Particular attention will be devoted to phenomena such as overtourism, gentrification, the financialization of urban space, and cultural desertification, as well as to the models and tools designed to counter these trends. Students will acquire an understanding of the various meanings of the concept of development and of its theoretical and political frameworks, with special emphasis on the sustainable development paradigm. They will trace the evolution of scientific thought and policy models that have shifted the focus of interventions from top-down to bottom-up approaches, highlighting the importance of the local dimension of development. Finally, the course will introduce a critical perspective on justice as a key interpretative lens for analyzing and assessing sustainable and participatory development choices.

Educational objectives

The course aims to provide theoretical and methodological knowledge for the critical analysis of territory, focusing on its environmental and cultural dimensions. Key categories such as territory, landscape, cultural heritage, and environment are explored as essential frameworks for territorial analysis.
An additional objective is to develop the ability to understand and assess the measurability of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the study of fundamental techniques in descriptive statistics applied to territorial data, with particular attention to the use of indicators and their spatial representation using Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Finally, the course seeks to provide operational knowledge of the main databases related to environmental indicators, and to foster understanding of their connection to national and European policies and regulations concerning sustainability, environmental protection, and the enhancement of cultural heritage.

Educational objectives

The course aims to provide students with knowledge of the relationships between natural resources, productive activities, and sustainable development from a circular economy perspective, with the goal of redesigning production and consumption systems to promote regeneration and minimize waste.
By the end of the course, students will be able to evaluate environmental policies and understand the value of responsible behavior by exploring the key concepts of the environment and the ecological transition, with particular attention to the UN 2030 Agenda Goals and the European Green Deal.
The course seeks to develop skills for analyzing issues such as ecological crisis, environmental risk, waste management, energy transition, and sustainable tourism. Students will learn to apply interdisciplinary knowledge, formulate critical judgments, use appropriate technical language, and communicate environmental topics effectively.
Active participation and in-class discussion are strongly encouraged. Finally, the course promotes autonomous lifelong learning and the ability to design and develop innovative projects and ideas in the field of sustainability.

Educational objectives

The course aims to provide an overview of the most relevant topics in environmental economics. After analyzing the structural causes of environmental degradation—such as externalities resulting from market failures and the limits of public intervention—the course addresses the sustainable management of resources, the analysis of economic control instruments available to policymakers (Pigouvian taxes, subsidies, permit markets), and the main techniques for the valuation of environmental goods.
Through lectures, exercises, and discussions of real-world cases, students develop the ability to critically interpret and analyze the economic phenomena associated with climate change and the ecological transition. Independent reflection is encouraged on the effectiveness of environmental policies, also in light of international debates on the green economy and sustainable development.
The course also seeks to strengthen students’ communication skills by providing tools to present the results of economic analyses clearly and rigorously—both in written reports and in graphical data representations. Particular attention is given to the proper use of economic terminology and to the ability to construct coherent and well-reasoned arguments.
Finally, the course promotes an autonomous and interdisciplinary learning approach: students are encouraged to deepen their understanding by consulting scientific papers, policy documents, and current sources, thereby acquiring the competences required to pursue further studies or professional careers in the fields of environmental economics and sustainability policy.

Educational objectives

The course aims to illustrate, going beyond the contents of a traditional microeconomics course, the crucial role that institutions, understood primarily as the “rules of the game,” play in the functioning of the economic system.
Students will learn to identify situations in which the self-interested behaviour typical of markets leads to outcomes that are worse for everyone, using game theory as the main analytical tool.
They will learn how to select institutions that, in different contexts, can ensure better outcomes for all, and to understand how challenging their implementation can be. The course explores the reconciliation between immediate individual material interests and collective well-being in the governance of enterprises.
Students will also apply this approach to the issues of climate change and the ecological transition, showing in particular how institutional design can influence individual behaviour by altering not only economic incentives but also the perception and evaluation of the costs and benefits associated with different problems.

Educational objectives

The course aims to provide the theoretical foundations for understanding entrepreneurship as a subjective characteristic of small business owners and as a process of creating new entrepreneurial ventures.
Students will acquire the ability to understand the meaning of entrepreneurship and to distinguish it from managerial functions, as well as to recognize the different types of small firms and entrepreneurs within the national and European socio-economic context. Particular emphasis is placed on the study of strategic, managerial, and organizational aspects of small enterprises, as well as on the comprehension of the employed accounting and information systems.

Educational objectives

The course provides analytical methods, measurement tools and conceptual frameworks useful for understanding and measuring ongoing demographic changes and assessing their social, economic and environmental sustainability at global and local levels. In particular, students will be able to measure and interpret the impact of structural population changes on the consumption of goods and services related to tourism and culture, and to formulate predictive scenarios.
The course is mainly delivered in computer laboratory with the aim of enabling students to acquire practical skills useful for navigating sources, extracting statistical information and processing data with the aid of spreadsheets.
Students will be required to explore the topics in depth through case studies and will be invited to present, interpret and discuss the results of their work. This is in order to refine their communication skills, including through the use of graphic tools, and to use appropriate technical language.