SISSA (the International School for Advanced Studies) is an international research institute and graduate school located in Trieste, Italy. Founded in 1978, it is one of the 80 doctoral schools recognized by the European Union. SISSA offers Ph.D., Master’s, and post-graduate programs in a wide variety of disciplines within the mathematical, physical, and life sciences.
SISSA has been consistently ranked among the top 100 institutions worldwide for mathematics and physics by the Shanghai Ranking Consultancy. In 2020, it was ranked as follows: 1st in Italy for Mathematics; 2nd in Europe (after CERN) and 6th globally for Physics; 3rd in Europe and 9th globally for Computer Science; 16th globally for Material Sciences Engineering.
The institute’s name comes from its location: on Via Bonomea 265, next to Opicina, a small village at the edge of the city of Trieste overlooking the Gulf of Trieste. The school’s logo is three interlocking tetrahedra representing different aspects of knowledge: basic research represented by a blue tetrahedron; applied research represented by a green tetrahedron; and technological development represented by a red tetrahedron.
The mission of SISSA is “to train future generations of scientists able to address society’s most complex challenges through excellence in basic and applied research.” To this end, SISSA provides its students with an internationally competitive education that combines coursework with independent research under the supervision of some of the world’s leading scholars.
The faculty at SISSA includes many Nobel laureates, Fields Medalists, Wolf Prize winners, MacArthur Fellows, etc. Notable alumni include Enrico Fermi Award winner Alessandro Strumia and Guggenheim Fellowship recipient Sara Bilenchi.