As part of the PRO-BEN wellbeing project, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research and promoted at SISSA by the wellbeing and equal opportunities committee (CUG), a new cycle of initiatives will start in 2026 to support psychological wellbeing, leadership development and inclusive community life within the School.
Group counselling
Group counselling programmes will be offered to PhD students, Postdocs (including borsisti/assegnisti) and technical-administrative staff at SISSA, starting in March 2026. Each group will consist of five confidential meetings held between March and September 2026 and will provide a reflective space for peer exchange around the challenges of working and studying in high-pressure academic environments. The groups will be facilitated by Dr Elisa Cunial, UK-registered psychologist and psychotherapist and supervisor-counsellor in Italy. The groups will be dedicated separately to PhD students, Postdocs and PTA staff. Meetings will be held once a month, on Mondays (with occasional Thursdays), from 13:00 to 14:30. Full schedules are available in the sign-up form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfN3oYY7eehL2lmZ3qURtSd4kPNwmiaZ69FPPyxevK-r-Eyow/viewform
Application deadline: Friday 27 February 2026
To introduce this approach, the SISSA community is invited to attend the open talk “Measuring the Pyramid: What Thales can teach us about counselling”, on Thursday 26 February 2026, from 14:00 to 15:00, in Room 004. The talk is open to students, researchers and administrative personnel and will include time for questions and discussion.
Women in Leadership Programme
The programme is open to women in leadership roles, senior management and emerging leaders across SISSA, including research, administration and the student body. It aims to support women’s leadership development, build peer-to-peer connection and solidarity, identify shared challenges, and strengthen confidence and influence within and beyond the institution. Activities will take place between March and September 2026 and will be delivered in English by Amayah Pelegrin, executive coach with extensive experience in leadership development for academics at leading UK universities. Participation in the programme is recognised as official SISSA training and included within working hours for administrative staff.
Application deadline: Wednesday 4 March 2026 at 10:00: SISSA Women in Leadership Programme
A Women in Leadership “Taster” event will take place on 25 February 2026, 13:30–14:30, offering the opportunity to learn more about the programme, meet the coach and experience its approach. Sign up here: Women in Leadership "Taster" Event Registration
Research Leadership Programme for PIs
Designed for principal investigators, the programme focuses on strengthening leadership skills in research contexts through workshops and individual coaching. The programme runs from March to September 2026 and combines workshops with one-to-one coaching. Participation is limited to 12 PIs. Given the limited number of places, participants are asked to commit to attending at least 80% of the sessions. The course will be delivered in English, with the option for participants to express themselves in Italian if desired. Application deadline: Wednesday 4 March 2026 at 10:00: SISSA Research Leadership Programme
A Research Leadership “Taster” event will take place on 25 February 2026, 12:00–13:00, offering the opportunity to meet the coach, learn more about the programme and experience its approach. Sign up here: Research Leadership "Taster" Event Registration
For further information on the leadership programmes, participants can contact Amayah Pelegrin at click to show email.
Other activities
Additional wellbeing activities will also be introduced in the coming months, including reflective group walks, building on an initiative successfully piloted in 2025.