The Institute of Contemporary History (IHC) develops research in History, with particular attention to the modern and contemporary periods, in dialogue with Social Sciences, Humanities, Arts, and other scientific areas. The IHC also aims to promote the advanced training of researchers, fostering a dynamic, multicultural, multidisciplinary, and intellectually stimulating environment. The IHC maintains privileged relations with museums, archives and schools, at local, regional, national or international level, also carrying out university extension actions and providing services to entities outside the university.

The advanced training of future historians and social scientists is a central focus of the IHC’s mission, and to this end it has established an Advanced Studies Platform. Through this platform, the IHC provides support to all doctoral candidates via mentoring, financial resources, the organisation of discussion seminars and opportunities to organise events. It promotes interdisciplinary, critical and plural approaches, encouraging students to apply diverse and innovative methodologies (such as those of the Digital Humanities), as well as the internationalisation of their work (e.g. via research scholarships that include a period abroad). The aim is to empower new generations of professionals with the necessary skills and knowledge to make a significant contribution to their research areas.