Michele Rostan is Associated Professor of Economic Sociology and Director of the Centre for Study and Research on Higher Education Systems (CIRSIS) at the University of Pavia, Italy, where he is also Rector’s Delegate for Student Affairs. He is member of interuniversity centre UNIRES – Italian Centre for Research on Universities and Higher Education Systems, the Consortium of Higher Education Researchers (CHER), the Editorial Advisory Board of “Higher Education. The International Journal of Higher Education Research”, and of the Editorial Board of “Studies in Higher Education”, a Journal of the Society for Research into Higher Education. He acts as editor of the book series of the Centre for Study and Research on Higher Education Systems called “Studies on Higher Education” (Collana del CIRSIS “Studi sull’istruzione superiore”). He is also member of the Collegio of the Doctoral Programme in Economic Sociology and Labour Studies based at the University of Milan.

His main research interests concern the study of the relationship between the economy, society and higher education focusing on the study of social actors, relations and institutions involved in the organisation and functioning of higher education systems, of the graduate labour market, and of university/industry links.

In the last few years, he participated in International, European and National research projects on the academic profession, the relationship between higher education and the world of work, the restructuring of higher education systems, and the relationship between universities, innovation and economic development.

He graduated in Economics at the University of Pavia (1987) and earned a PhD in Sociology at the joint Doctoral programme of the Universities of Milan, Pavia and Turin (1992).