Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI)

EPIN Liaison officer:
Michele Comelli
Senior Research Fellow
Tel: +39.06.32.24.360
E-mail: m.comelli(at)iai.it

The Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), founded in 1965 by Altiero Spinelli as a non-profit organization, is Italy’s major research centre in the fields of international politics, security and economy, as well as being Italy’s research institution with the most developed international network capabilities. The main objective of the Institute is to promote an understanding of international relations through inter-disciplinary and policy-oriented research, meetings and publications. In particular IAI seeks to promote the idea of Europe, an objective which is enshrined in the Founding Act of the Institute. During its 40 years of activity, the Institute has been a leading centre of reference in Italy and abroad, interacting with academic institutions, governments, international organizations and business. Its main areas of interest are: Italian foreign policy, European integration, the Mediterranean and Middle East, transatlantic relations, international security and international political economy. IAI’s staff consists in 35 members, including 8 senior researchers, 12 researchers and 13 administrative personnel.

IAI has highly-developed networks with research and policy institutes. It belongs to the following European and transatlantic networks: EINIRAS (European Information Network on International Relations and Area Studies), EU-CONSENT, GDN (Global Development Network); ISN (International Relations and Security Network), TEPSA (Trans European Policy Studies Association) and the Transatlantic Editors’ Forum. IAI has also regular relations with major institutes in Eastern Europe and the Balkans. These intense networking activities are flanked by several programmes carried out with major European institutes.

With respect to the Mediterranean, the Institute has played a pivotal role in establishing and developing in 1994 the – then – MesCo.

IAI has also a long-standing tradition in the study of European integration, institutions, political economy and foreign policy. IAI has constantly striven to increase the awareness of European integration in Italy, urge Italian institutions, political and social forces to deal with European questions, and provide a bridge between Italian scholars, politicians and experts on European questions and their counterparts in other European countries.

In the context of its research activities, IAI regularly organizes dissemination events, including public meetings and conferences, bilateral meetings with other Italian institutes and foreign counterparts, study groups and seminars related to research projects, and lectures by foreign and Italian guest speakers. The Institute disseminates its research results through regular publication outlets including its English-language journal (The International Spectator, peer-reviewed, Routledge), its online magazine (AffarInternazionali.it), its yearbook (L’Italia e la Politica Internazionale, Il Mulino), its monographs (IAI Quaderni) and its working paper series (Documenti IAI), in addition to the articles and books published by external Italian and foreign publishers. The Institute’s research activities are supported by the library, which was established in 1965, containing over 24,000 volumes and periodicals, with approximately 1,000 new acquisitions per year catalogued on-line.