A new generation, properly trained and empowered, can help reset expectations. Not by waiting for change from the top, but by bringing new norms into the system. It’s time to stop relying on the “bad apple” narrative. It’s the orchard, not the fruit, that needs tending.

If we train early-career researchers with clear rights and clear obligations, we build a generation that knows what to expect — and what to demand.
Because we failed to hold senior members of the profession accountable and that failure shapes the culture downstream.

Let me be specific: every graduate programme should include an Ethics of the Profession module. Not a token lecture, but a structured module covering:
• Professional conduct
• Research integrity
• Ethical collaboration and mentorship
• Teaching standards

6/6 Illicit trade in cultural goods affects not just markets, but identity & heritage. Our paper shows how trade data can reveal these hidden flows—and why better cooperation is essential. Looking forward to your comments!
📄 Read here 👉https://doi.org/10.1007/s10824-025-09555-z

5/6 Policy takeaways:
♦️ Legal frameworks alone are insufficient!
♦️UNIDROIT 1995 is more effective than UNESCO 1970—but major markets (US, UK) haven’t ratified.
Enforcement capacity + international cooperation are crucial.

4/6 Findings:
☑️Gaps grow with interest in Italian culture 📈
☑️Stronger corruption control reduces gaps in regulated markets (sculptures, antiques)
☑️Archaeological property: post-2010 spike → linked to Arab Spring looting

3/6 🔎 Our contributions:
1️⃣ A new Cultural Salience Index (Google Trends data) to capture demand for Italian culture.
2️⃣ Gravity model of trade gaps, linking them to GDP, distance, corruption, and salience.
3️⃣ Assessment of UNESCO 1970 & UNIDROIT 1995 conventions.

2/6 We study trade gaps: the difference between Italy’s reported exports and partner countries’ reported imports in:
🎨 Paintings
🗿 Sculptures
🕰️ Antiques
🏺 Archaeological property