International context
In the transition from the 1980s to the 1990s, and in particular from 1989 to 1992, there were numerous events that profoundly changed the European and international scene. In 1989, the Berlin Wall came down, in 1991 the Soviet Union dissolved, the Baltic republics claimed their independence, the United States attacked Iraq, and the Warsaw Pact was dissolved. Seventy years after its foundation, 1992 is thus the first year after the USSR, which had been one of the two pillars of the Cold War and international relations based on bipolarity. These and related events prompted a renewed interest and passion in the study of international relations, global trade and its flows, and the search for spaces and ways of manifesting new economic, cultural and political drives and trends. In this context a small group of professionals decided to establish the Centro Studi Internazionali in 1992, as a focal point for a field of study that was certainly not attracting much interest in Italy; in fact, it was only in the following years that journals, centres and organisations dealing with international studies and relations would flourish.

Establishment and activities
The Centro Studi Internazionali was formally and legally established on 1 July 1992 at its first HQ in Via Martucci in Naples.

Already in 1992, the CSI initiated contacts with the Statistical Office of the European Community (Eurostat) for the creation of an international documentation centre in Naples, in particular for OSCE documents on the development of international trade. In December of the same year, the first issue of the Centre's periodical, "Studi Internazionali" was published, which was later refounded in 2020 under the name "CSI Review".

The first years are characterised by intense conference and seminar activities with foreign diplomatic representations in Italy, particularly from the Baltic countries, between Naples and Rome. In the early years of the second millennium, several events were held on human rights issues in cooperation with organisations such as the Italian League for Human Rights, the Italian Institute of Social Sciences, the Italian Institute of Philosophical Studies and Amnesty International. Several publications will be produced by the Centre, particularly between 1999 and 2006, on historical, demographic and social science topics.

In 2003, President Prof. Antonio Virgili will personally award the "Centro Studi Internazionali Prize" in Rome to H.H. the Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, former Nobel Peace Prize winner, for his contribution to the ideals of peaceful international coexistence.

Great attention has always been paid to young people. Numerous activities have been carried out at secondary schools to bring students closer to international studies. In particular, it is worth mentioning the international journalism course and the 'Geopolitics and Social Sciences Laboratory (GeoLab)' that was continuously active between 2004 and 2016.

For its activities, the Centro Studi Internazionali was included in the National Research Register of the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research for Scientific and Technological Research in January 2006.

In 2016, the Centre joined the United Nations' international Academic Impact network, an initiative that brings together university and research institutions aimed at promoting human rights and education. In the same year, a partnership was signed with the Lazarus Union and the Italian Corps of San Lazzaro to carry out the United Nations Foundation's 'GirlUp' project in schools.

Between 2019 and 2020, the CSI renewed itself, during one of the most disruptive periods for societies worldwide due to the Coronavirus pandemic, with young management by PhD students, young professionals and researchers to give a new impetus to the Centre's activities by focusing on research, analysis and communication. In a short time, the ISC regained its usual vitality, which was demonstrated by numerous partnerships finalised in the first months of renewal and a widespread and high-quality social presence. The Centre's new collaborators and analysts make it possible to participate in numerous initiatives that will lead, for example, to the realisation of a discussion with the Polish Economic Forum. On 30 November, the Centro Studi Internazionali arrived first in the MED2020 Youth Forum Contest in the Business and New Economic Models category organised by ISPI in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The winning project, based on food security for the Lebanese population, was implemented in cooperation with the Lebanese NGO Amel Association International. Between 2022 and 2023, the CSI implemented the European project, co-financed by the EU and the Agenzia Nazionale Giovani, 'SustainEU - Embracing the Digital and Green challenges of the Next generations'.