Our staff
The President
Mauro Galluccio received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the Free University of Brussels, Belgium, and his M.A. in “Psychology Applied to Institutional Contexts” from the Second University of Naples, Italy. He is visiting professor at the Pontifical University, San Bonaventura, Rome; visiting scholar and senior research fellow at the Italian Research Council (CNR-ISGI) and at “Conflict Management Centre” at Johns Hopkins University, SAIS in Washington D.C.; Scientific advisor to the President of Political Sciences at the ULB, Brussels; Member as Senior Research Scientist at the Academy of Cognitive Therapy in Philadelphia (solicited by Dr. Aaron T. Beck).
His main research project topics are on preventive diplomacy and resilience strategies, conflict resolution, negotiation and mediation styles and behaviors. Dr. Galluccio studied for a long time in Italy and is both political scientist and psychologist. He has given many speeches on the European Union Institutions and policies on behalf of the DG COMM of the European Commission; he has been giving speeches and presented numerous papers and symposia at international conferences on the subject of International Relations and preventive diplomacy, with a particular interest in the application of cognitive-behavioral psychology and psychotherapy principles to the field of international negotiation and mediation.
Dr. Galluccio has worked within the European institutional framework as political analyst and adviser. He was political coordinator at the DG of the European Commission for Development and Relations with African, Caribbean and Pacific States. Previously he was Spokesman to the President of COPA and coordinator of the Crisis Management Unit at the COPA-COGECA.
Among Dr. Galluccio’s research interests are those on applied cognitive psychology and psychotherapy; international relations and preventive diplomacy; conflict resolution and peace negotiations; interpersonal negotiations; specific training for negotiators and politicians; the European Union internal negotiation processes and institutional external communication. He is coauthor of Psychological processes in international negotiations: theoretical and practical perspectives (with F. Aquilar, Springer, New York, 2008) and La Negoziazione Internazionale Come Processo Psicologico (with F. Aquilar, Springer, New York, 2009), co-editor of Psychological and Political Strategies for Peace Negotiation. A Cognitive Approach (with F. Aquilar, Springer, New York, 2011), and editor of The Handbook of International Negotiation : Interpersonal, Intercultural and Diplomatic Perspectives (Springer, New York, 2014).
Executive Director
Laura Vivani is managing director and one of the founders of MOVERIM sprl based in Brussels for more than 20 years. She is MSc in Economics and holds a MA in Science Communication from the SISSA of Trieste, Italy (International School of Advanced Scientific Studies). Laura Vivani has been working since early `90 on Research and innovation, funding European Union programmes, collaborating with many universities and research centres worldwide, supporting SMEs and industries to internationalize their business through scientific collaboration and dissemination policies. As partner in several projects financed at the EU level, she is in charge of scientific dissemination activities, stakeholders consultation and engagement, organisation of events, workshops and webinars for transfer of knowledge. She offers add value consulting and coaching services in the field of research and innovation, EU Programmes, project dissemination and communication strategic plans. Following EU policies and the implementation of Strategy 2020, she is interested in social innovation projects, Responsible Research Innovation aspects and new economic models.
Collaborator
Rita Ascolese is both a sociologist and a psychologist. She supervises projects and programs on social cohesion and coherence of applied policies. She is responsible for the department of sociology at AIPCOS, the Italian Association of Cognitive and Social psychotherapy. She takes part as a speaker and a moderator in various interactive workshops addressing several psychosocial issues, especially on sustainable communication.
