SISSA – International School of Advanced Studies

Founded in 1978, SISSA – Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati – is a special-statute higher education institution and a centre of excellence in postgraduate education and research.

The School’s activities are divided into three main areas: Physics, Mathematics, and Neuroscience. SISSA’s mission is to foster the advancement of scientific inquiry by training students for high-level research, both fundamental and applied.

The activities of the Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Natural and Humanistic Sciences (ILAS) are aimed at combining scientific and humanistic culture. ILAS runs a number of postgraduate courses: the “Franco Prattico” Master’s Degree in Science Communication, one of the first master’s degrees in science communication in Europe; the Master’s Degree in High Performance Computing, run in collaboration with the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP); and the Master’s Degree in Data Management and Curation, run in collaboration with Area Science Park.

SISSA offers 12 PhD programmes, 3 postgraduate specialisation courses, and four Master’s degree programmes in collaboration with other universities.

Through its initiatives, the School promotes its core ethical values, including integrity, responsibility, scientific rigour, merit, transparency, dialogue, inclusion, and equal opportunities. The institute also positions itself as a laboratory for academic innovation.

Alongside its commitment to education and research, one of SISSA’s key aims is its Third Academic Mission — that is, building a solid bridge between science, society and industry in order to accelerate innovation and create value. This is achieved through initiatives that make the School’s expertise available to industry, including the establishment of dedicated training curricula and collaborations with other bodies, through agreements and the setting up of consortia, foundations, associations, companies, and so on.

• 1,907 PhD diplomas awarded from 1978 to 2023. In 2023, there were 323 enrolled PhD students.
• SISSA ranked first in Italy in five disciplinary fields in the ANVUR Research Quality Assessment: “Geometry,” “Mathematical Analysis,” “Mathematical Physics,” “Theoretical Physics, Models and Mathematical Methods,” and “Physiology” out of the twelve evaluated.
• 35 ERCs out of 76 faculty members as at 30 September 2025 (44%)

• For the headquarters at Via Bonomea 265: 6,686 sqm for the garage, 100,000 sqm of garden and park, 24,261 sqm of interior space. For the headquarters at Via Beirut 2/4: 2,446 sqm for the garage, 2,520 sqm of green space, 7,779 sqm of interior space.
• Number of laboratories at the Via Bonomea 265 headquarters: 11
• Research infrastructure: ULYSSES, a high-performance computing cluster located at the Via Beirut 2/4 headquarters.
• Number of libraries and study rooms: Via Bonomea 265 headquarters has 1 library and 15 study rooms. Via Beirut 2/4 headquarters has 4 study rooms.
• Canteens / Bars: 1 canteen and 1 bar at the Via Bonomea 265 headquarters.
• Conference rooms: 2 (1 at Via Bonomea 265, 1 at Via Beirut).
• Other facilities: at the Via Bonomea 265 headquarters, 1 nursery, 1 gym, 1 shuttle service to ICTP, 1 recreational club (SISSA CLUB), and 1 Alumni Association.

As a university with special status and recognised for national excellence in education and scientific research, SISSA had, as at 31 December 2025, around forty international partnerships with world-leading universities and research centres. Of these, approximately 20 are in Europe, 10 in America and around ten in Asia.

Among the most prestigious are: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT (Cambridge, Massachusetts); the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, CERN (Geneva, Switzerland); the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), acting through its UK site, the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI); Sorbonne University, the Jacques-Louis Lions Laboratory (Paris, France); the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Lausanne, Switzerland); the University of Science and Technology of China, USTC (Hefei, China); the National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC).

• Annual events such as: Junior Math Days, CECAM Summer School, Workshop on Geometric Correspondence on Gauge Theories
• Dubrovin Medal and Ambrosetti Medal in Mathematics, awarded every two years
• Training programmes for students and young researchers from developing countries: ICTP/IAEA Sandwich Training Education Programme and TWAS-SISSA-Lincei Research Cooperation Visits Programme

SPECIFIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR PhD STUDENTS

• Annual scholarship
• One-off contribution towards settling-in costs
• Contribution for accommodation for those residing in the province of Trieste
• Research budget equal to 10% of the gross amount of the scholarship
• Contribution of up to 70% of the scholarship for 6 months in case of illness, pregnancy, or serious personal reasons
• Annual award for the best PhD thesis in each scientific area
• Silvia Zucchelli Award for the best thesis on biological macromolecules

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THE MASTER IN SCIENCE COMMUNICATION “FRANCO PRATTICO”

• Pezcoller Foundation Scholarship
• SISSA-City of Trieste Scholarship
• Scholarship for the best project on the history of Italian science journalism, donated by Fabio Pagan
• Awards for the best thesis and best product

SCOLARSHIPS FOR THE MASTER IN HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING

• Contribution from the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia
• Financial contributions from the National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics (OGS)
• Financial contributions from the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP)
• Financial concessions from SISSA

SCOLARSHIPS FOR THE MASTER IN DATA MANAGEMENT AND CURATION

• Contribution from the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia
• Financial contributions from Area Science Park
• Financial contribution from the National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics (OGS)
• Financial contribution from Arctur d.o.o. (Slovenia)
• Financial concessions from SISSA

Placement and talent development activities

• The chance to take part in JobFAIR, open exclusively to students from the Schools of Excellence
• JOIN, a series of events aimed at inspiring students’ and researchers’ future careers through the experiences of SISSA Alumni
• PhD FOR INNOVATION, a biennial training programme designed to connect the expertise of SISSA PhD graduates with the needs of businesses

Facilities for foreign students and researchers

• Assistance with visa, registration, residence permit, and accommodation search
• Coverage of health insurance in Italy
• Language courses, including Italian, and cultural exchange opportunities through the SISSA Club
• One-time contribution for settlement expenses for students