Introduction

This volume presents the results of the PRIN project University Dispute Resolution (U.d.r.), aimed at promoting a culture of mediation and consensual conflict management within Italian universities. Combining theoretical analysis, empirical research, and institutional experimentation, the project mapped intra-group conflicts within the student community of the University of Bologna and designed a peer mediation pilot program grounded in Dispute System Design principles. The mediation desk serves simultaneously as a service, a pedagogical laboratory, and a research observatory. By integrating legal scholarship, organizational theory, and innovative teaching methods, the volume advances a model for institutional conflict management capable of fostering cultural change within academia and beyond.