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The “Istituto Italiano di Scienze Umane” (SUM) is a consortium of universities that was set up in 2002. The universities in question received funding as part of the 2001–2003 Three-Year Plan to set up doctoral programmes in the human sciences. The 2004–2006 Three-Year Plan assigned further funding to the consortium, which in the meantime has been extended to include other universities, to continue and to expand its activities of advanced study at a doctoral and post-doctoral level. This is in accordance with a programme agreement with the Ministry. Following the Ministerial Decree of 18 November 2005, the experimental phase ended and the SUM has now become a permanent part of the Italian university system as an institute of advanced doctoral study with a special statute.
The institute is based in Florence and Naples, and has a network structure based on five schools of advanced study established at the Universities of Bologna, Florence, Naples 'Federico II', Naples 'L'Orientale', Naples 'Suor Orsola Benincasa' and Siena.
The institute promotes and organizes research doctorates at the schools in the network and, in accordance with special agreements, at other universities as well. It awards post-doctoral scholarships as part of a programme to encourage and train young researchers. It also initiates research projects.
The undergraduate students are admitted to the “Istituto italiano di scienze umane” of Firenze after having passed a national public competition.
Thirteen three-year research doctorates are currently being offered.
The institute also participates in an EC-funded European doctorate in the Theory, History and Anthropology of Law together with the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (administrative centre), the London School of Economics and the Max Planck Institut.