The research area in “Ethics and global challenges” addresses some of the most pressing contemporary challenges, namely those related to public ethics, the ethical implications of climate change, and emerging technologies. 
Our research is rooted in the theoretical and historical understanding of the crisis of the most established paradigms used to interpret contemporary reality. This crisis, which manifests in various impacts on communal and civic life, highlights the need for democratic societies to innovate their explanatory frameworks and enhance their capacity to respond to the needs of human and all living beings.
The “Ethics and Global Challenges Area”, from 2015 onwards, has positioned itself among those in academia, education, institutions, and private organizations that are committed to engaging with this growing awareness, with the aim of contributing to the necessary theoretical and practical counterpoint to such challenges and their impacts.
This commitment unfolds through three main research lines, organized onto specific areas of activity:

Public Ethics

The research group in Public Ethics investigates the complex relationship between politics and morality and the ethics of public officials within Institutions or national and international administrative bodies. The main research topics are the prevention of and action against corruption and the social responsibility of public administration. The main objective of the research group in public ethics is to develop codes of conduct for public institutions and to train public official and servants in the implementation of moral duties within the operative contexts and institutions towards external stakeholders.

Climate Ethics

The research group in Climate Ethics deals with ethical issues related to the climate crisis and ecological transition, from the individual, state and global perspectives. The two leading research topics are intergenerational justice, both historically and future-oriented, and the ethics of energy and decarbonisation policies. The main objective of the research group in climate ethics is to contribute to the definition of a just and inclusive climate transition and to the analysis and elaboration of the relevant policies.

Ethics of Technology

The research group in Ethics of Technology deals with the social impacts of emerging technologies, with a specific focus on robot companionship, human enhancement through technologies, and the ethics of artificial intelligence. The two main research topics are the technological divide and equity challenges and the transformations of the social imaginary in the digital age. The main objective of the research group in technology ethics is to help designing equitable digital transition and define values for responsible innovation.