Maria Paradiso is Professor of Political and Economic Geography, University of Naples Federico II; Chair of the Italian National Committee for IGU (International Geographical Union), Italy National Chair and Representative for CNR National Research Council; Chair of Academia Europaea’s (London) ‘Mobility, Governance, Environment, Space’ Section.
Paradiso has been founder and Chair of the International Geographical Union (IGU) Commission ‘Mediterranean Basin’, the first Commission with a regional focus in IGU.
She has served as Vice Chair of the IGU Commission ‘Geography of Information Society’ till 2012 and has been contributing since 2001 to the development nationally and internationally of this new field of research in Geography with an interdisciplinary perspective. She has been Primary Coordinator of FP7 People Marie Curie IRSES MEDCHANGe – Euromediterranean changing relationships 612639, a research and mobility Euromediterranean partnerships with 9 Universities from Europe, North Africa, Middle East.
Paradiso received teaching, conference, and research invitations by several Universities and Academies from all over the world such as the University of Bordeaux Montaigne, Lexington University, Sorbonne Paris, University of Toulouse, Le Havre, the National University of Seoul, University of Tokyo and Waseda, University of Ankara, Istanbul, Hassan II Mohammed Casablanca, Cadi Ayyad Marrakesh, CERES Tunis, Israeli Academy of Science and University of Cape Town. She got sponsorships by many international and national scientific and granting bodies.
Her main interest in last years has been the exploration of changes in the Mediterranean relationships through narratives of people in mobilities across the Mediterranean and the better understanding of cultural dialogue and human development. Now she is starting cooperation and new endeavours in Marine studies (oceans and seas as social spaces) and continues scientific activities in exploring human life in the Internet Age. Maria is interested in cooperation for developing methodologies and practices for Science commitment towards more equitable societies across the Globe.