CURRICULUM

Claudio Cecchi (Laurea degree in Economics - Florence; PhD in City and Regional Planning - Cardiff)

Claudio Cecchi has been Professor of Environmental Economics at the Faculty of Economics. He currently holds the established chair of “Political Economy of Sustainable Tourism” at the Faculty of Economics, SAPIENZA University of Rome. He is Director of the Research Centre on European, International and Development Studies (EuroSapienza). He was also faculty member of the Department of Economics and Law. His teaching activity at La Sapienza included: Sustainable Development, Economics of Tourism and Rural Development. His research fields in recent years concern the contribution of Political Economy to the building of the Sustainability Science, and Social and Spatial theory (notably the development of local systems theory within social and economic contexts). Previously he has researched on governance (with particular reference to land use planning) and rural community development (with particular reference to class relationships).

Claudio Cecchi is convener of the Working Group on Sustainable Development, Vulnerability and Resilience of the European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI). He is long-standing member of the International Advisory Board of the Sustainable Places Research Institute (University of Cardiff). Claudio Cecchi has managed several research units in national and international research programmes funded by the European Union and several Italian research institutions. He has widely published in Italian and international books and journals.

His past teaching activities cover the topics sustainable development, economics of tourism and rural development. His research interests cover: Land Use and Rural Planning; Rural Development and Rural Community Development; Sustainability Science; Social and Spatial Theory; Class Relationships in Local Systems; Sustainable Tourism; Political Economy and Sustainability Science; Common Agricultural Policy and EU Rural Development Policy.

Education/Experience:

University of Florence, Faculty of Economics. Laurea degree in Political Economy.

University College of Wales, Cardiff - PhD City and Regional Planning.

Research Fellow, Department of Economic Science - University of Florence (1976-1991)

Associate professor of Agricultural economics, Faculty of Economics - University of Rome "La Sapienza" (1992-2000).

Full Professor of Rural development, Faculty of Economics - SAPIENZA University of Rome (2000 - present).

Research interests:

- Research Method in the Sustainable Science: the role of Political Economy

- Sustainability of tourism activities

- Rural development in India and in China

- Analysis of rural areas within the local system framework.

- The role of rural areas in the development process

- The change of Common Agricultural Policy towards a Rural Development Policy.

- Rural planning organisation.

- Analysis of rural areas within the local system framework.

Claudio Cecchi has been the co-ordinator of the following research groups:

1997-2001- Rural development and local systems. Research group of the SAPIENZA University of Rome: national research programme: The Economic transformation of Contemporary Italy in a Territorial Perspective, centrally co-ordinated by: Giacomo Becattini - University of Florence (Italy) Funded by the Ministero della Ricerca scientifica e Tecnologica. The aim of the research is to highlight the role of rural areas in the Italian development process. Two objectives are at the core of the research. 1. The analysis of the features that distinguish rural areas. 2. The definition of a methodology for the identification of rural local systems.

2000-2003 - Constructing rural local systems. Funded by the SAPIENZA University of Rome. The aim of the research is to conceptualise the rural economy within the local system theoretical framework. The research highlights the specific characters that distinguish rural social and economic organisation from the urban-industrial organisation.

2001-2004 - Italian Research Unit at the University of Rome La Sapienza - co-ordinated by E. Basile - for the project Restructuring in Marginal Rural Areas. The Role of Social Capital in Rural Development (Restrim) Central Coordinator: M. Shucksmith, Arkleton Centre for Rural Development Research, University of Aberdeen, funded by the EU for the period 2001-2004 within the program Research and technology development projects.

2002-2004 - Development and rural economy: links between institutions and territory. Funded by the SAPIENZA University of Rome. The aim of research is to analyse the rural economy, under the assumption that rural economy has a territorial and a social specificity. The impact of the specificity on the accumulation process and on the growth path is then evaluated.

2003-2005 - Best practice in governance and management of public services. Research group of the SAPIENZA University of Rome within the national research programme: A plan for managing city. Funded, as a PRIN (Research Project of National Interest), by the Ministero della Ricerca scientifica e Tecnologica

2005-2007 - 1. "Agrarian reform and land use conflicts – Constructing a data-base”. 2. "Social capital and Devolpment in after tsunami India”. Both research activities have been funded by the University of Roma «La Sapienza»

2007-2009 - 1. "The competitiveness of artisan local systems in Indian countryside and their links with Italian industrial districts”. 2. “Development and food security of the communities involved in sustainable tourism initiatives: the case of Arab Gulf islands”. 3. Both research activities are funded by the University of Roma «La Sapienza»

2009-2012 - 1. “Access to Land and Poverty-Reduction Strategies”. 2. “The contribution of Political Economy to the Sustainable Science”

2012-2014 - Sustainable tourism.