One of the most recurring topics in Italian public debate has always been the relevance of classical studies in today’s fast-paced, highly digitized world. This debate is rendered even more pressing by the impact of artificial intelligence, which is making obsolete even those disciplines considered “safe” until yesterday—such as computer science. According to recent data from the Computing Research Association (CRA – Pulse Survey 2025), computer science enrollment experienced a significant drop (around 10%) even among students in the United States. If even computer science is faltering, what hope remains for latinorum?

Far more than one might think. What follows is a brief practical guide that stems from personal reflection and lived experience.

In short, my academic path began with a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and culminated in a PhD at Oxford, completed in 2021. My academic career came to an abrupt halt due to Brexit. On one hand, staying in the UK proved nearly impossible, as I faced strong headwinds compared to British and non-EU colleagues. On the other hand, back in Italy, preference was given to domestic candidates who had completed their entire education within the country.

I had to reinvent myself from scratch and step into what was, for me, an entirely new profession: project management and IT consulting. To master this new career, I had to learn new methodologies, master unfamiliar technologies, earn professional certifications, and adapt to a completely different corporate environment.

Yet what surprised me most was that my background studying Thucydides, Plato, Heraclitus, and the ancient Skeptics was never a burden—it was a driver and a guide. Studying antiquity and philosophy, in other words, can still offer vital insights in a digital world.

The world of project management is execution-driven, but theoretically grounded in concepts that form the structural foundation of project delivery.

Core Frameworks: Ancient Philosophy Meets Project Management

• Change ManagementThe constant fluidity of digital projects continuously demands new technologies, delivery frameworks, vendors, and team dynamics. Change must be embraced, but above all, governed. Every initiative requires its own specific approach: rigid projects demand a sequential Waterfall model, where everything is planned in advance with high precision; others, due to their dynamic and lean nature, lend themselves better to Agile, where flexibility is prioritized over rigidity.Heraclitus and his philosophy of becoming offer a profound parallel here. One governs flux only by accepting this constant panta rhei, adapting continuously to change. No two projects are identical, nor are two moments in time. Adaptability is the ultimate strategy. The advanced PMP® certification offers project managers the exact same directive: do not blindly adopt Waterfall or Agile, but tailor the framework to what best serves the project at hand.
• Crisis ManagementWherever you look, there is a crisis—from climate change to the recent volatility in the automotive sector. Projects frequently hit standstills or crises: overly bureaucratic documentation, delayed vendors, or ineffective client presentations.What can be done? Here too, the ancients come to our rescue. If crises stem from fortuna (unpredictable circumstance), it is our capacity to react—swiftly, resiliently, and with adequate preparation—that makes all the difference. You cannot control crises; they simply arrive. You can, however, control your reaction. Focus on the factors you can modify, prioritizing the vital few—the Pareto 80/20 rule—that drive the crisis itself.
• Risk ManagementRisk management is another pillar of project execution. It involves identifying potential negative events before they occur, assessing their likelihood and impact, and formulating mitigation strategies. Project risks are manifold: planning bottlenecks, disengaged IT project managers, or demos failing to meet client expectations.Ancient philosophy offers a proven exercise for this: praemeditatio malorum—the deliberate visualization of future adversity to anticipate, endure, and mitigate it. Seneca, for instance, advised mentally rehearsing financial ruin, exile, illness, and even death for this exact purpose. The goal, then as now, is not to prevent all evils (which are inherently unavoidable), but to maximize structural resilience.
• Lessons LearnedFinally, there are lessons learned, a vital phase in project governance. “Lessons learned” essentially answer three foundational questions at the close of a project or phase: What worked? What went wrong? What would we do differently? If a deployment fails, a schedule slips, or a team member underperforms, it provides valuable data for continuous improvement.The past should not be a trap, but a launching pad. Cicero and ancient historians assigned this exact function to history, calling it magistra vitae (life’s teacher). They believed that analyzing the major events and figures of the past—Caesar, Catiline, Alexander the Great—provided an indispensable guide for navigating the present.

Conclusion

Are the humanities still relevant in today’s workforce? Far more than most imagine—provided they are viewed not as a handicap, but as a conceptual toolkit and a position of strength from which to adapt. In my own life, this background gave me the exact tools needed to reinvent myself and avoid becoming a NEET. I hope my journey offers a helpful perspective for others navigating similar transitions.