Profile

Immacolata Caruso graduated in Political Science (Addressing the East, four-year Arabic language, with a specialisation in Middle East and North Africa Studies) at the University of Naples “L’Orientale” in 1983, supplementing her knowledge of Arabic language and culture by attending specific courses at the American University of Cairo, Egypt, in 1980 and the Bourguiba Institute, University of Tunis, Tunisia, in 1984.
Since 1986, she has been a researcher at the National Research Council (CNR), Department of Human and Social Sciences, Cultural Heritage (DSU), Institute for Studies on Mediterranean Societies (ISSM) and has carried out research activities, documented by publications at national and international level, in particular on the countries of the southern shores of the Mediterranean in the disciplinary fields of Political Science, Development Economics and Regional Sciences.

From 1987 to 1990, she taught Arabic language and culture in university courses at the University of Naples ‘Parthenope’ and was a member of the Board of Directors at the same University as a representative of the CNR.

From 1987 to 2001, she was a member of the Scientific Council of the CNR’s Institute for Research on the Mediterranean Economy (IREM), later merged into the ISSM, in the context of defining research and training programmes on the Mediterranean.

From 2001 to 2010, she was a member of the Editorial Board of the ISSM Report on Mediterranean Economies.

She has also been the scientific head and coordinator of several research programmes, particularly on economic and political transition in North African and Middle Eastern countries, sustainable development, institutions and local development, and migration flows in Mediterranean countries, disseminating the results through participation in training courses at universities, research centres and NGOs and at national and international conferences.

Member of the Italian Association of Regional Sciences, since 2009 he has been conducting studies and research on mobility, knowledge and valorisation of the material and immaterial cultural heritage of the Euro-Mediterranean regions.

Publications

Main publications 2010-2015

Articles in journals

Caruso I.,  S. Greco, L’Africa mediterranea: nuovi assetti e migrazioni, XLVIII Riunione Scientifica della Società Italiana di Economia, Demografia e Statistica (Roma, 26-28 maggio 2011) successivamente pubblicato  in  RIVISTA ITALIANA DI ECONOMIA DEMOGRAFIA E STATISTICA, VOLUME LXV – N. 3/4 , 2011;

Caruso I., Noviello V., I diritti dei migranti: alcune riflessioni sullo status di cittadinanza, in “ I DIRITTI DELL’UOMO”, n.1, 2014 – Editoriale Scientifica srl;

Venditto B., Caruso I., Noviello V.,  The Challenge of Food Security and Mediterranean Diet in the Euro-Mediterranean Area,  Discourse Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Vol. 2(2): 39-52, February, 2014.

Chapters in volume

Caruso I., Venditto B., I flussi migratori. Rifugio e asilo nei paesi euromediterranei, in Malanima P. (a cura di) (2010), Rapporto sulle economie del Mediterraneo, il Mulino, Bologna, pp.63-81, ISBN 978-88-15-13797-5;

Bertini A., Caruso I., Vitolo T., La pianificazione strategica e il management urbano: il territorio come sistema, in Moccia F. D. (a cura di) (2011), Urbanistica e Politica, INU, Edizioni Scientifiche Italiane; Napoli, pp. 613-620, ISBN 978-88-495-2200-6;

Caruso I., Venditto B., Le migrazioni ambientali nel Mediterraneo: il caso studio dei paesi del Medio Oriente e del Nord Africa, in Bruno G.C, Caruso I., Sanna M.,  Vellecco I.( a cura di) (2011), “ Percorsi migranti”, ed. McGraw -Hill, Milano, pp. 115-130, ISBN 978-88-386-7296-5;

Caruso I., Venditto B., Il futuro del Mediterraneo. Studio preliminare sui rifugiati ambientali, in Valleri M.A., Pace R., Girone S. ( a cura di) (2012), “Il Mediterraneo: uno studio e una passione. Scritti in onore di Luigi Di Comite, Cacucci Editore, Bari , pp.251-269, ISBN 978-88-6611-165-8;

Caruso I., Le relazioni diplomatiche e commerciali tra Italia e America Latina, in Zilli I. ( a cura di) (2012), “Un ponte sull’oceano. Migrazioni e rapporti economici tra Italia e Argentina dall’Unità ad oggi”, CNR-ISSM, Collana Ricerche di Economia e Storia, 8,  Napoli, pp.63-94,ISBN 978-88-8080-136-8;

Caruso I., Venditto B., African Migration: the case of Western Africa, in Bruno G.C., Caruso I., Venditto B. (edited by), (2013) “Human mobility: Migration from a European and African viewpoint”, Rubbettino editore, Soveria Mannelli (Catanzaro), pp.233-253, ISBN 978-88-498-4068-1;

Caruso I., Greco S, Les Marocains d’ Italie, in Berriane M. (Coordination par) (2014)“ “Marocains de l’extérieur 2013”,  Observatoire de la Communauté Marocaine Résidant à l’étranger en partenariat avec l’Organisation Internationale des Migrations (OIM), la coopération belge et le Centre d’Etudes et de Recherches Géographiques (CERGéo) de l’Université Mohammed V-Agadal, ed. Fondation Hassan II pour les Marocains Résidant à l’étranger, l’Organisation Internationale des Migrations (OIM), Rabat-Maroc, pp. 339-370, ISBN 978-9954-400-35-7.

Edited books

Bruno G.C., Caruso I., Sanna M., Vellecco I. ( a cura di) (2011), Percorsi migranti, Sezione” Migrazioni e sviluppo nel contesto euro-mediterraneo”, ed.  Mc GrawHill, Milano;

G.C.Bruno, Caruso I., Venditto B. (edited by) (2013), “Human mobility: Migration from a European and African viewpoint”, Rubbettino editore, Soveria Mannelli (Catanzaro),  ISBN 978-88-498-4068-1.

Working paper/Discussion Paper/Research report

Caruso I. , “ Il contesto socio-economico della regione Campania e gli immigrati: alcuni dati” in Dossier L.E.S.S  2011, “STRUMENTI E NUMERI PER L’INTEGRAZIONE. Le attività a sostegno degli immigrati nella Provincia di Napoli, Progetto Finanziato dalla Provincia di Napoli, Ente attuatore: Associazione L.E.S.S. onlus- – Centro Studi e Iniziative di Lotta all’Esclusione sociale per lo Sviluppo, Partners: ISSM CNR – Istituto di studi sulle società del mediterraneo Consiglio Nazione delle Ricerche; Università degli Studi di Napoli “L’Orientale”; A.I.U.D.U. – Associazione di Volontariato Unione delle Donne Ucraine in Italia, http://www.less-onlus.org/v2/i-progetti/area-studi-e-ricerche/103-progetto-senpi;

Caruso I., Noviello V., Guida multilingue ai Servizi Locali ed alle opportunità socio-assistenziali e di inclusione sociale dei cittadini migranti. ((Voci Formazione culturale, Accoglienza), Comune di Napoli 2013,  Progetto “Sportello Cittadino per Migranti” -FEI 2011 – Azione 5 “Informazione, comunicazione e sensibilizzazione”, Ente attuatore: Comune di Napoli, Patners: Associazione L.E.S.S:, Cooperativa sociale “Casba”, ONG  “N:EA”, Istituto Universitario Orientale, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche ( ISGI, ISSM, IRAT), http://www.comune.napoli.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/22284.

Projects

Scientific manager of the project “Migration, family and social network relationships between Africa and Southern Europe” within the framework of the Bilateral Scientific and Technological Cooperation Agreement CNR/FCT – PORTUGAL, in partnership with ICS-Instituto de Ciências Sociais of the University of Lisbon and the Department of International Studies: Languages, History and Cultures of the University of Urbino (2015-2016).Scientific coordinator of the project “Transcultural migrations between past and present: men, goods and knowledge in the Mediterranean on the spice route” within the MoSeF network (Molecules without borders: Markets, merchants and goods between nature, science, history and culture) in partnership with the National Research Council (Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry-ICB, Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials-IPCB, Institute of Food Science-ISA), Department of Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean of the University of Naples “L’Orientale”, Confucius Institute of Naples, Academy of Fine Arts of Naples, I. T.I A. Righi, Naples, I.S.I. Casanova, Naples (2015).

Participated as an expert in theoretical-empirical analyses of the impact of the economic crisis on the foreign presence in Italy in the research programme “Determinants and socio-economic consequences of the territorial mobility of populations in the Mediterranean area: the Italian case”, Istituto di Studi Politici S. Pio V, Rome (2014-2015).

Scientific coordinator of the project “La migration marocaine en Italie en temps de crise économique globale” within the framework of the Bilateral Scientific and Technological Cooperation Agreement CNR/CNRST-MAROCCO, in partnership with the Université Moulay Ismail, Départment de sociologie-Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines, Meknés, Morocco (2012-2013).

Scientific coordinator of the ISSM-CNR project “Mediterranean Migrations. History and Economy” as part of the MIUR/ DIC-CNR project “Migrations” (2009-2015).
Scientific coordinator of the ISSM-CNR research project IC.P04.003.004 / Governance and intermediate institutions: perspectives for Mediterranean countries, in the framework of the ISSM-CNR project “IC.P04.003 / Growth and convergence in the Mediterranean area: population, innovation, institutions, governance” (2007-2010).

Participates as an expert in theoretical-empirical analysis on innovation and knowledge networks between European regions (with particular reference to the Campania aeronautical cluster) in the project “International Knowledge and Innovation Networks for European Integration, Cohesion and Enlargement”- IKINET, (SIXTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME- Contract N°: CIT2-CT-2004-506242- University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Department of Economics and Institutions – Faculty of Economics in partnership with University of Wales Cardiff , Cardiff – UK; Ruhr – Forschungsinstitut für Innovations – und Strukturpolitik, Bochum – DE; Centrum Badan Przedsiebiorczosci i Zazadzania Polskiej Akademii Nauk, Warszawa – PL; Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Graz-AT; Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Paris-FR; Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid – ES; Applica sprl, Brussels – BE. (2005-2008).

Participates as a researcher in the ISSM-CNR unit in the research project FISR- Fondo integrativo Speciale per la Ricerca Lg.204/98, D. Min. Tesoro 16/10/2000 ” Social cohesion, Mediterranean identity and populations in Mediterranean urban systems: foundations for sustainable development policies. Topic 1: Mediterranean cities: models, processes, policies” (2004-2005).

Scientific Coordinator of the project “Intermediate Institutions for the growth of Governance processes in the Mediterranean Partner Countries (INGO-MED) financed by the EU- FEMISE, in partnership with MAGHTECH (Réseau Maghrébin pour l’intégration de la Science et la Technologie dans le Développement au Maghreb), University of Lille with the participation of the University of Oran, University of Tunis and the Institut National des Statistiques et d’Economie Appliquée of Rabat (2003-2004).Scientific Coordinator of the ordinary two-year IREM-CNR research line “Institutions and local development in Mediterranean countries” and Scientific Coordinator of the project “Innovation and competitiveness: Comparative analysis of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Mediterranean area” (2000-2001) in partnership with the Centre for International Policy Studies -CeSPI of Rome, the Interdepartmental Centre for Labour Economics of the University of Salerno, the Department for the Study of Mediterranean Societies of the University of Bari, the Institute for the Study of Fundamental Rights Guarantees (IDF) of the CNR, the Department of Statistics and Applied Mathematics for Economics of the University of Pisa, the Résau Maghrébin pour l’intégration de la science et la technologie dans le développement -MAGHTECH, GDRI-CNRS Economie Mediterranee Monde Arabe- EMMA, the Institut de la Méditerranée- Université de la Méditerranée, coordinator of the FEMISE network (2000-2001).

Scientific Coordinator of the ordinary two-year IREM-CNR research line “North-South cooperation in the agri-food sector” and Scientific Coordinator of the project “Conflicts and convergences in Mediterranean agri-food systems: new development models and integration processes through innovative forms of cooperation” in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome; ISTAT, Rome and Naples; Fondazione IDIS, Naples (1998-1999).

Scientific Coordinator of the IREM project on ‘The Arab Maghreb Union and the socio-economic development of the region in terms of environmental compatibility: The coastal and agricultural soil protection plan” in partnership with the Department of Planning and Science of the Territory, Faculty of Engineering, University Federico II of Naples, CNR- Service for Research and Experimentation on Protected Areas- Naples Research Area, Groupe Maghreb Mediterranée, CNRS, Paris, France, Groupement d’Etudes et de Recherches sur la Méditerranée, Rabat, Morocco, Centre d’Etudes, de Recherches et de Publications, Université de Tunis, Tunisia, London School of Economics, University of Manchester, England, National Economic and Labour Council, Rome (1995-1997).

Member of the Operational Unit set up at IREM within the Project ‘Urban Growth and Socio-economic Development of the Large Mediterranean Islamic Port-Towns from 1940 to 1990 (Algier, Oran, Tunis, Tripoli, Benghazi, Alexandria, Cairo, Tel Aviv, Beirut, Istanbul)’, coordinated by IPIGET, CNR (1993-1994).