Elena De Nictolis is Assistant Professor (research) at Luiss University, Department of Law (fixed term). Her research focuses on how to understand and assess the role of cities in tackling complex problems requiring collective action. More broadly, her research interest is in polycentric governance of resources, services, and infrastructures within the context of crisis and transitions. Her research focuses on European Cities and global cities from a comparative perspective. 

Elena was previously a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University (2021-2022); visiting researcher and teaching fellow at ICD Herlzliya (Harry Radzyner Law School 2022). Elena is a member of the NYC Mayor Panel on Climate Change (equity workgroup). 

She holds a BA and MA (Politics) and a PhD (Political Theory, Political Science and Political History) from Luiss (Rome), where she was a lecturer (adjunct) at the Departments of Law and Political Science (climate justice; urban law and policy; governance of innovation and sustainability).