Most informatics programs are associated with engineering or computer science departments and share many of the same foci. More specifically, this discipline is usually concerned with the technical and ethical issues surrounding data storage, retrieval and manipulation.

Officially known as the Italian Republic, the country is found in southern Europe. The official language is Italian and the cultural rich capital is Rome. Many of the world's oldest universities are located in Italy, in particular the University of Bologna (founded in 1088). There are three Superior Graduate Schools with "university status", three institutes with the status of Doctoral Colleges, which function at graduate and post-graduate level.