Department of Economics - DiECO

The Department of Economics at the University of Insubria offers degree programmes in economics and management. The curriculum is characterised by a balanced combination of subjects in the fields of economics, management, mathematics and statistics, and law. The aim is to produce graduates who stand out not only for their solid grounding in the subject, but also for the practical skills cultivated and developed during their studies, which are immediately applicable in the job market (companies, organisations, local institutions, as well as research centres and/or universities with an economic focus, both national and international, etc.).

DiECO, initially established to meet the training and research needs of the local area, has been undergoing a significant process of internationalisation for the past decade. This is reflected both in teaching (a Master’s degree programme delivered in English) and through scientific collaborations with universities and qualified research bodies, both national and international, as well as the Department’s participation in international research projects, which also benefits local economic and institutional stakeholders.
 

In 2023, the Department of Economics was selected as one of 180 Departments of Excellence by the Ministry of Universities and Research. This prestigious recognition enables the Department to receive annual funding from 2023 to 2027 to carry out the research project “Decision-making and behavioural models in a context of uncertainty: innovation and the evolution of economic systems”. Three structures have been established within the project: the Insubria Information & Data for Economics (InsIDE lab), the Management Practices for Innovation Lab (MP4I) and the Insubria Experimental Economics Center (InExEc)

In addition to receiving the prestigious ‘Department of Excellence’ award in 2023, DiECO has been honoured with several national and international awards, including: the European Society for the History of Economic Thought (ESHET) Award in 2016, the Kapp Prize from the European Association for Evolutionary Political Economy (EAEP) in 2020, FarmaFactoring in 2020, the Young Scholars Award from the International Network for Economic Method (INEM) in 2023, and two awards for the best PhD theses from the Italian Society of Transport Economics and the Regional Council of Lombardy in 2025

The DiECO has always been particularly active in the Third Mission, for the benefit of local stakeholders. The Department’s initiatives in this area are numerous and varied. The aim is to contribute to the social, cultural and economic development of the local area in which it operates.

Of particular importance is the collaboration between the Department’s lecturers and local authorities, aimed at providing consultancy services for the development of applied research projects, training initiatives, placement activities, and the promotion of numerous scientific outreach initiatives, including in collaboration with local stakeholders.

The DiECO ensures quality in its teaching and research activities through its governing bodies (the Director and the Departmental Council) and via the AiQua, AiQua-R CPDS and MdQ committees, which operate in accordance with statutory and regulatory provisions to guarantee the quality assurance system defined by the University.

In particular, the programme coordinators, who are the first point of contact for students regarding any issues relating to the quality of the programme that cannot be directly addressed by lecturers in the classroom, play a key role in ensuring the quality of teaching.

The Department has established further internal committees, entrusted with specific tasks in the areas of teaching, research or the third mission.