SITES X Annual Conference 2025
15-16 September 2025 in Roma - Italy
Conference Agenda
Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).
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Session Overview |
| Date: Monday, 15/Sept/2025 | |
| 9:00am - 9:30am | Registration Location: Sala Svizzeri |
| 10:00am - 10:30am | Welcome: Welcome remarks Location: Sala Svizzeri Federico Perali (President SITES)
Lucio Scandizzo (Fondazione Tor Vergata)
Stefania Lovo (launch of the European Development Economics Group - EDEG) |
| 10:30am - 11:30am | Keynote: Stefan Dercon Location: Sala Svizzeri Session Chair: Pierluigi Montalbano, Sapienza University |
| 11:30am - 1:00pm | Plenary Session: Organized by the World Bank Group Location: Sala Svizzeri This session is designed to foster a dialogue between researchers and policymakers from Africa and Italy. Structured as a moderated panel, it will provide a platform for academics and practitioners to discuss actionable strategies to address economic challenges and effectively leverage opportunities on the continent. The conversation will focus on two key pillars of the Mattei Plan—Energy and Agriculture/Agribusiness—both critical to Africa’s future. Researchers will share applied insights from ongoing or completed studies relevant to these areas, whether directly focused on Africa or offering transferable lessons from other contexts. Policymakers will reflect on how such evidence can inform decisions on investments, reforms, and policies. The panel aims to surface key research questions that need to be addressed to ensure current and future policy decisions are grounded in robust, context-specific knowledge. This session will also serve as a first step toward the AGORA Conference (Africa Growth and Opportunity – Research in Action), co-organized by the World Bank Group’s Institute for Economic Development and the Bank of Italy, which will be held in Palermo, November 3–5, 2025. AGORA aspires to become an annual platform that connects research and policy to co-develop evidence-based solutions. It will integrate Italy’s development priorities within broader global frameworks, helping ensure that initiatives like the Mattei Plan evolve from concept into tangible, collaborative action. The SITES panel will serve as a launchpad for shaping the research agenda to be presented and further elaborated at AGORA. |
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Africa’s Growth and Opportunities – A Research Agenda This session is designed to foster a dialogue between researchers and policymakers from Africa and Italy. Structured as a moderated panel, it will provide a platform for academics and practitioners to discuss actionable strategies to address economic challenges and effectively leverage opportunities on the continent. The conversation will focus on two key pillars of the Mattei Plan—Energy and Agriculture/Agribusiness—both critical to Africa’s future. Researchers will share applied insights from ongoing or completed studies relevant to these areas, whether directly focused on Africa or offering transferable lessons from other contexts. Policymakers will reflect on how such evidence can inform decisions on investments, reforms, and policies. The panel aims to surface key research questions that need to be addressed to ensure current and future policy decisions are grounded in robust, context-specific knowledge. This session will also serve as a first step toward the AGORA Conference (Africa Growth and Opportunity – Research in Action), co-organized by the World Bank Group’s Institute for Economic Development and the Bank of Italy, which will be held in Palermo, November 3–5, 2025. AGORA aspires to become an annual platform that connects research and policy to co-develop evidence-based solutions. It will integrate Italy’s development priorities within broader global frameworks, helping ensure that initiatives like the Mattei Plan evolve from concept into tangible, collaborative action. The SITES panel will serve as a launchpad for shaping the research agenda to be presented and further elaborated at AGORA. Presentations of the Symposium Speakers This session is designed to foster a dialogue between researchers and policymakers from Africa and Italy. Structured as a moderated panel, it will provide a platform for academics and practitioners to discuss actionable strategies to address economic challenges and effectively leverage oppEuro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC)ortunities on the continent. The conversation will focus on two key pillars of the Mattei Plan—Energy and Agriculture/Agribusiness—both critical to Africa’s future. Researchers will share applied insights from ongoing or completed studies relevant to these areas, whether directly focused on Africa or offering transferable lessons from other contexts. Policymakers will reflect on how such evidence can inform decisions on investments, reforms, and policies. The panel aims to surface key research questions that need to be addressed to ensure current and future policy decisions are grounded in robust, context-specific knowledge. This session will also serve as a first step toward the AGORA Conference (Africa Growth and Opportunity – Research in Action), co-organized by the World Bank Group’s Institute for Economic Development and the Bank of Italy, which will be held in Palermo, November 3–5, 2025. AGORA aspires to become an annual platform that connects research and policy to co-develop evidence-based solutions. It will integrate Italy’s development priorities within broader global frameworks, helping ensure that initiatives like the Mattei Plan evolve from concept into tangible, collaborative action. The SITES panel will serve as a launchpad for shaping the research agenda to be presented and further elaborated at AGORA. |
| 1:00pm - 2:30pm | Lunch Location: Room Lunch |
| 2:30pm - 4:00pm | A1: The North-South Question and the Development of the Mediterranean (Session co-organized with SVIMEZ) Location: Sala Svizzeri Session Chair: Adriano Giannola, SVIMEZ |
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The North-South Question and the Development of the Mediterranean (SVIMEZ) Presentations of the Symposium Old Wine in a New Bottle: The SVIMEZ Econometric Model. Main Features and Impact Assessments An Innovative Spatial Dynamic General Equilibrium Model. Evidence From Italy’s Recovery Plan What Explains the Evolution of the North South Divide in Italy? A Test of the Balassa-Samuelson Hypothesis Do corporations in Southern Italy face higher corporate effective tax rates? |
| 2:30pm - 4:00pm | A2: Climate Adaptation, Agriculture, and Resilience Location: Sala Terrazzo Session Chair: Carlo Azzarri, IFPRI |
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Household Perceptions and Responses to Climate Shocks: Evidence from Tanzania 1University of Copenhagen, Denmark; 2University of Milan, Italy CLARE: a Causal machine Learning Approach to Resilience Estimation 1Sapienza University, Italy; 2Development Data Group, World Bank Econometric Specification of the Resilience Threshold Model 1GCF, Italy; 2Cornell University, USA Does sustainable intensification improve resilience to extreme weather shocks? Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa 1IFPRI, United States of America; 2IFC, United States of America; 3University of Bologna; 4Mekelle University |
| 2:30pm - 4:00pm | A3: Poverty and social protection Location: Sala Giardino Session Chair: Olivier Bargain, BSE |
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Can social pensions for the elderly mitigate shocks? Lessons from Mozambique 1UNU-WIDER, Mozambique; 2WHO Born Under a Hungry Star: Nutritional and Environmental Pathways of Child Stunting in Mozambique Development Economics Research Group, University of Copenhagen The Economics of Child Labor University of Rome "Tor Vergata", United Kingdom Gender-Targeted Transfers and Women’s Consumption: A Structural Regression Discontinuity Approach BSE, France |
| 4:00pm - 4:30pm | Coffee break Location: Sala Svizzeri |
| 4:30pm - 6:00pm | B1: Debt Release for Sustainable Human Development: A Jubilee Initiative for a Generative Cooperation Between Creditors and Debtors - Session In Memoriam of Andrea Cornia, University of Florence Location: Sala Svizzeri Session Chair: Mario Biggeri, University of Florence |
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DEBT RELEASE FOR SUSTAINABLE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: A Jubilee Initiative for a Generative Cooperation Between Creditors and Debtors - Session In Memoriam of Andrea Cornia, Università di Firenze Presentations of the Symposium Ecological Debt and the Moral Imperative for Debt Relief Debt for Sustainable Development Scheme for a Twin Debt Justice: A Position Paper Debt Relief for The Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC): an Innovative Perspective Debt sustainability and human development in Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 4:30pm - 6:00pm | B2: Climate Change and Conflict (PRIN 2022 Policy Workshop) Location: Sala Terrazzo Session Chair: Donato Romano, University of Florence |
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PRIN 2022 Policy Workshop on "Climate Change, Agrifood Systems, and Conflict: Pathways, Impacts, and Policy Implications" Presentations of the Symposium Climate Change – Agrifood – Conflict Nexus Pathways: A Scoping Review of the Literature Pathways of Climate Variability, Agricultural Performance, and Conflict: A Machine Learning Approach to Complex Dependencies Drought, Kinship, and Conflict in West Africa Under the Same Sky: Climatic Shocks and Conflicts Across Agricultural Livelihoods and Agrarian Contexts |
| 4:30pm - 6:00pm | B3: FENICE – Fragile Elderly and eNergy in Italian Consumption Empirics (Next Generation EU) Location: Sala Giardino Session Chair: Alessandro Sapio, Università di Napoli Parthenope |
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FENICE – Fragile Elderly and eNergy in Italian Consumption Empirics (Next Generation EU) Presentations of the Symposium Does Easier Family Reunification Improve Immigrants’ Well-being? Age Heterogeneity in Psychological Outcomes Energy poverty and active ageing in Italy A bibliometric analysis on age discrimination |
| 6:00pm - 6:30pm | General Assembly and Awards Location: Sala Svizzeri Session Chair: Federico Perali, Uniiversity of Verona |
| 7:00pm | Italian-style happy hour with food (Apero) Location: Sala Svizzeri |
| Date: Tuesday, 16/Sept/2025 | |
| 9:00am - 9:30am | Welcome coffee Location: Room Lunch |
| 9:30am - 10:30am | Fireside chat: Kevin Urama (African Development Bank) & Indermit Gill (World Bank Group) Location: Sala Svizzeri Session Chair: Domenico Fanizza, African Development Bank The chat will explore the state of multilateral cooperation amid fragmentation, the evolving role of multilateral development banks, and implications for Africa’s growth and development.
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| 10:30am - 12:00pm | Plenary Session: Mattei Plan Location: Sala Svizzeri |
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Role of the Piano Mattei for the Development of Africa and the Mediterranean Region Presentations of the Symposium Speakers |
| 12:00pm - 1:30pm | C1: Evidence Generation and Impact Evaluations in Fragile and Conflict- Affected Contexts (Session organized by FAO) Location: Sala Svizzeri Session Chair: Nicholas Sitko, FAO |
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•How to Pay? Experimental Evidence on Early Warning-Based Cash Transfer Modalities in Somalia FAO, Italy Measuring the Impacts of a Poultry Transfer on Women’s Empowerment in Afghanistan FAO, Italy The impacts of the 2023/2025 Gaza Conflict on agriculture: Estimates of short- and medium-term losses in agricultural income and nutrition FAO, Italy Promoting agricultural value chains in refugee and host communities: impacts on household livelihood and community social cohesion in Uganda. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Italy |
| 12:00pm - 1:30pm | C2: Trade, Value Chains, and Global Integration Location: Sala Terrazzo Session Chair: Till Arne Meissner, London School of Economics and Political Science |
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The European Deforestation Regulation, Africa and Cocoa Biena Consulting Srl, Italy How Natural Disasters Shape Innovation in China: A Firm- Level Staggered DiD Analysis 1Department of Social Sciences and Economics, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy; 2CNRS, France; 3Centre d’Economie de la Sorbonne, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, France Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform and Carbon Emissions in the MENA Region: Evidence from Jordan’s 2005 Reform University Paris-Dauphine, France Global Value Chain Participation and Firm-Level Upgrading: Evidence from Africa London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom |
| 12:00pm - 1:30pm | C3: Gender Location: Sala Giardino Session Chair: Paolo Groppo, FAO (R) |
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Securing Rights, Securing Safety? Women’s Access to Land and Vulnerability to Intimate Partner Violence in Tanzania 1Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Italy; 2University of Perugia, Italy Misperceived Gender Norms and the Gender Gap in Labor Force Participation: Experimental Evidence from Couples in Colombia 1University of Strasbourg,, France; 2Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia; 3IADB Domestic Equality Index FAO (R), Italy Weathering inequality: Age and gender divides in labour outcomes under climate stressors in rural sub-Saharan Africa Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Italy |
| 1:30pm - 2:30pm | Lunch Location: Room Lunch |
| 2:30pm - 4:00pm | D1: The Mediterranean at the crossroads: challenges and opportunities for Africa and Europe (Session organized by CNR-ISMed) Location: Sala Svizzeri Session Chair: Salvatore Capasso, ISMED-CNR |
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The Mediterranean at the crossroads: challenges and opportunities for Africa and Europe - CNR-ISMed Presentations of the Symposium Offshore Wind and Fisheries: Economic Impacts in the Strait of Sicily China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Its Impact on Trade: Evidence from the MENA and Mediterranean Region The socio-economic impact of Marine Spatial Planning on some key sectors of the blue economy in Sicily Beyond the Battlefield: Geoeconomic Drivers of Country-Specific Geopolitical Risk |
| 2:30pm - 4:00pm | D2: Migration, Mobility, and Social Inclusion Location: Sala Terrazzo Session Chair: Maria C. Lo Bue, University of Trieste |
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Driven to leave: Analyzing the factors behind emigration in Africa 1Bank of Italy; 2la Sapienza university, Italy Should I Stay or Should I Go? Return migration: evidence from Italy University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Italy Intergenerational mobility of education in Vietnam: Evidence from the Vietnam War 1University of Trieste, Italy; 2Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota, USA Migration and Local Development in Italy’s Inner Areas 1INAPP, Italy; 2Riabitare l'Italia, Italy |
| 2:30pm - 4:00pm | D3: Governance, Institutions, and Political Economy Location: Sala Giardino Session Chair: Rita De Siano, University of Naples Parthenope |
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Assessing the Socioeconomic Co-benefits of Nature-based Solutions in Agriculture: A Systematic Review 1Sapienza University, Rome, Italy; 2BOKU University, Wien, Austria Laïcité in schools: Evidence from a School Ban in Belgium University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg Exploring the relationship between Corruption and Ethnic Fractionalization: The Role of Foreign Aid in Developing Countries 1Parthenope University, Italy; 2Parthenope University, Italy; 3Parthenope University, Italy Digitalization and Agricultural Resilience to Climate Change: The Case of Nigeria 1Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata; 2Università degli Studi di Napoli Parthenope; 3Università degli Studi Niccolò Cusano |
| 4:00pm - 4:30pm | Coffee break Location: Sala Svizzeri |
| 4:30pm - 6:00pm | E1: One health Location: Sala Svizzeri |
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The One Health Approach and Development: Relevance of the Research on the Social Exposome Presentations of the Symposium The One Health Approach and Development Understanding Expotypes in Europe The Evolution of Health Inequalities in Italy (1984-2023) The Italian Ministry of Health through a One Health approach: a new vision of integrated health |
| 4:30pm - 6:00pm | E2: Infrastructure, Development and Evaluation (Session organized by SIET) Location: Sala Terrazzo Session Chair: Jerome massiani, Università Milano Bicocca Chair(s): Jerome Massiani (Univ Milano at Bicocca), Federico Perali (Uniiversity of Verona, Italy) |
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Infrastructure, Development and Evaluation (SIET) Presentations of the Symposium From Chao-Phya to Orbassano: how should we deal with taxation in project evaluation? Structural gravity trade model and transport policy analysis How Will Climate Change Reshape The Car? The Potential of Artificial Intelligence as Core Infrastructure in the Tourism Sector |
| 4:30pm - 6:00pm | E3: Polycrisis, Well-Being, Education Location: Sala Giardino Session Chair: Erdgin Mane, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) |
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Understanding Relative Well-Being: Empirical Insights from Subjective Rankings 1University of Florence, Italy; 2International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); 3Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP) Driving Impact or Missing the Mark? Lessons learned from e-Extension Platform Deployment in Rural Sri Lanka 1FAO, Italy; 2FAO, Italy; 3FAO, Italy; 4FAO, Italy; 5CGIAR, Italy; 6HARTI, Sri Lanka; 7HARTI, Sri Lanka Broken Continuity: The Adverse Effects of Teacher Turnover on Academic Outcomes European University Institute, Italy Polycrisis in Agrifood Systems: Climate-Conflict Interactions and Labor Dynamics for Women and Youth in 21 African Countries 1ISDC – International Security and Development Center, Berlin, Germany; 2IFPRI – International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA; 3FAO – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy; 4Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany; 5Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, Großbeeren, Germany |
| 6:00pm - 7:00pm | Keynote: Nathalie Picard Location: Sala Svizzeri Session Chair: Federico Perali, Uniiversity of Verona |
| 8:00pm | Social Dinner (Cacciani Ristorante Storico, Frascati) |