University of Insubria launches its first advanced training course in Crime Stories and Legal Communication

The University of Insubria’s first advanced training course in “Crime Stories and Legal Communication” will begin on Friday 16 October at the University’s Varese campus. The programme explores the intersection between law, storytelling and new forms of communication.

Coordinated by Paola Biavaschi, Director of the Department of Human Sciences and Innovation for the Territory, the course aims to provide the legal and communication foundations needed to develop crime stories accurately and effectively, both in traditional formats, such as short stories and novels, and in multimedia formats, from podcasts to videos.

The programme combines interactive lectures and practical workshops, bringing together legal expertise, narrative techniques and contemporary communication tools. Topics will include the legal foundations of crime and investigative literature, the language and discourse of crime stories, legal language in international contexts, artificial intelligence and copyright, as well as the legal limits of communication.

A significant part of the course will be devoted to practical activities, with workshops on true crime writing, podcast production and multimedia content creation. Teaching activities will comprise a total of 24 hours of lectures and workshops, followed by a one-hour final assessment.

Alongside Paola Biavaschi, classes will be taught by University faculty members Giuseppe Battarino, Alessandro Buzzi, Fabio Calandrino, Alice Angelini, Giuseppe Longo and Elettra Aldinio.

The course, offered for the 2026/2027 academic year, will run from October to December 2026 in blended mode: 75% of the activities will take place in person and 25% online. The detailed class schedule will be published on the dedicated webpage.

Applicants must hold an upper secondary school diploma. The programme is therefore open not only to graduates and university students, but also to enthusiasts of the genre who wish to acquire specialised skills in legal communication and crime storytelling.

Successful completion of the course awards 3 university credits (CFU). The credits are valid as UAF credits for students enrolled in Communication Sciences and Languages and Skills for Education, or as Other knowledge useful for entering the world of work for students enrolled in Communication Sciences and Techniques.

The enrolment fee is €400. It is not possible to enrol as an auditor or to attend individual teaching units. A special opportunity is available for one student enrolled in Communication Sciences and Techniques or Languages and Skills for Education, who will be selected by a specifically appointed committee on the basis of the highest examination average and Bachelor’s degree grade, in addition to the minimum number of enrolments required. The selected student will only be required to pay the €16 stamp duty for enrolment and, if requested, the €32 fee for the final certificate.

Enrolment is open until 12 noon on 30 September. Applications must be submitted through the Esse3 Web Services.

Information about the course, programme and enrolment procedures.