PhD Programme "Human Rights, Society, and Multi-level Governance": Franca Viganò successfully defended her thesis on the Italian Response to Health and Homelessness during Covid-19, 24 October 2025

On October 24th, 2025, PhD candidate Franca Viganò of the PhD program "Human Rights, Society, and Multi-level Governance" successfully defended her thesis at the Human Rights Centre "A. Papisca" headquarters at Polo Beato Pellegrino, University of Padova.  

The doctoral degree program is an interdisciplinary and cross-cutting course of research and study on the topic of human rights and sustainable development.  

Dr Viganò defended her thesis “The Italian Approach to Health and Homelessness: Perspectives on Policies and Services during the Covid-19 pandemic”, under the supervision of Prof.  Lenzi and the co-supervision of Prof. Lanzavecchia. It tackles approaches to health and homelessness in Italy during and after the COVID-19 pandemic through three interconnected articles. The research examines how the health crisis influenced policies and services for people experiencing homelessness, focusing on the regions of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna and the cities of Milan and Bologna. 

Prof. Vincenzo Stefano Rebba, Prof. Steve Ouma Akoth, and Prof. Ivan Kopric chaired the exam commission.

The Human Rights Centre of the University of Padova extends its congratulations to the new doctor and wishes her continued success in her future academic and professional commitments.

This accomplishment not only represents a personal milestone for the candidate but also underscores the University of Padova's commitment to fostering innovative research in the fields of human rights on an international scale.