The Istituto Italiano di Scienze Umane (SUM) is a Public University devoted to high education and research in the field of human and social sciences. It promotes and coordinates PhD programs, post-doctoral programs and masters. It also organizes and develops research programs.
The Istituto has a peculiar network structure set up by the Universities of Bologna, Firenze, Milano-Bicocca, Napoli "Federico II", Napoli "L'Orientale", Napoli "Suor Orsola Benincasa", Roma "La Sapienza", Siena. Through this model, it optimizes the cultural and academic Italian tradition.
The SUM is based in Firenze and Napoli, but it realizes its activities throughout the Postgraduate Schools of the Universities of the network. The Postgraduate Schools are the Istituto di Studi Umanistici,the Scuola Superiore di Studi Umanistici,the Scuola di Alta Formazione nelle Scienze Umane e Sociali and the Scuola Europea di Studi Avanzati.