Master

TESI-TN trains a new generation of Social Innovators — experts capable of designing, implementing, and evaluating innovative programs and policies that support public administrations, Third Sector organisations, and private-sector actors in addressing unmet social needs.

The Master intends to strengthen networks of practitioners in the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region and bridge the gap between academia and the business world.

The programme is scientifically directed by Prof. Riccardo Prandini, Department of Political and Social Sciences – Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna.

Why Join TESI-TN

Become a leading Social Innovator, with the competency and skills to drive change across public, private, and third-sector organisations
Build your network across a prestigious alliance of universities and research centres spanning the entire Adriatic-Ionian region
Connect with a growing ecosystem of institutions, practitioners, and policymakers actively shaping social innovation across the ADRION area
Access cutting-edge training methods and real-world case studies from one of Europe's most dynamic cross-border regions

TESI-TN focuses on five macro-specific topics:

  • Migration and Social Integration
  • Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups and People
  • Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Economy
  • Urban Regeneration and Urban Policies
  • Education and Youth Empowerment

Intersecting five macro methodological topics:

  • Social Innovation Theories
  • Project Design, Management, and Capacity Building for Social Innovation
  • Theory of Societal Transformations
  • Data Analysis and Participatory Design for Social Innovation
  • Community Design and Impact Evaluation for Social Innovation

Who Is It For

TESI-TN is open to candidates from all countries of the Adriatic-Ionian macro-region:


Junior or mid-senior professionals working in NGOs, public bodies, or private organisations who seek to deepen their understanding of social issues and acquire new tools to address them
Post-graduate students with professional experience in the social or public sector who aim to build a career in social innovation

How You Learn

TESI-TN offers 10 weekend modules (8 in-person in Bologna, 2 online), each structured in three parts:


Theory — social innovation knowledge; analytical and design skills for emerging needs
Workshops & Labs — real-case studies with academics and practitioners for practical solution design
Methodology — competences to analyse, anticipate, and evaluate social innovations in a participatory way


The full learning path breaks down as follows:


30 ECTS — Teaching: 10 weekends (8 in-person in Bologna, 2 online)
3 ECTS — Laboratories, interactive workshops, and study visits during the mobility period
22 ECTS — Internship with project work: a fully funded 15-day international internship with a project partner in one of the participating countries, combining hands-on organisational experience with lectures, workshops, and networking at the host university
5 ECTS — Final examination: project work discussion