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Luka Pejic | Ca' Foscari University of Venice

20 years old, from Serbia.
Second-year Bachelors's Degree student in Philosophy, International Studies, and Economics with minor studies in Sustainable Development at Collegio Internazionale Ca’ Foscari and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. I have taken part in Globalization Program organized by VIU in Spring 2020, and 2021.

In order to challenge myself and be able to use my academic, interpersonal, and communication skills to capacity, I need an environment that will inspire me to act. Venice International University provides students with an opportunity to expand their worldviews and to suit themselves to completely different perspectives offered through courses, discussions, debates, and extracurricular activities. I have chosen to study at VIU because of these reasons and because VIU encourages students to get out of their comfort zone – making their study even more exciting! Being outside of my comfort zone makes me grow and develop new ways of thinking.

As someone who does not like limits and boundaries, the VIU experience was helpful in numerous ways. The approach that VIU has – showed me that there is nothing worse, nothing better – just different – and this perspective is a crucial thing in current times. My time at San Servolo has helped me understand different cultures, lifestyles, and aspects of living all around the world. Taking into account the myriad of cultures that I was exposed to during my studies at VIU and had the opportunity to foster my identities within, I can identify the needs of people from drastically different cultural backgrounds, without bias, eager to find a common language with anyone to give support, reach understanding, and nurture a mutually beneficial solution. As someone who wishes to work in the field of diplomacy and political communication, I am extremely grateful for a place like VIU.

VIU shows that there is much more to courses than just written material – during each and every of attended courses, I did not feel any burden regarding them – although it sounds cliché, one cannot but actively participate in diverse courses offered at this hub of cultural diversity – VIU! It is very nice to imagine that one can have the opportunity to pursue their university studies while being in one of the most unique cities in the world – each semester, the beautiful island of San Servolo turns into a global center for mutual study, inspiration, and innovation.

It was during my studies abroad that I found out that interaction between individuals and their environment is intriguing and complex. More specifically, this interest in me has developed in the direction of international relations, global issues, and politics. What are the role and significance of global diplomacy and endless economic measures imposed to carry out certain ideology and how does it impact the general public? This is the question that I have devoted myself to, working with numerous embassies, international organizations, and associations – and I can attribute my continuous interest in this sphere to the framework experienced at VIU also!

I like to do things where I can be as authentic as possible. I usually try to incorporate things I love into my studies – in my spare time, I organize events for the youth, education workshops, or volunteer for organizations whose mission statements I support. I enjoy socializing, networking, and spending time with people that are different from me – I love to challenge my perspective. Apart from that, I am very enthusiastic about coffee and, when I have time, I like to explore and make new blends and ways of brewing – it is a great passion of mine. However, if we do not tackle global issues together – such as global warming – most of these coffee beans will go extinct – another reason why I am so engaged with globalization.

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Luka Pejic was a recipient of the RED scholarship

Maeve Cucciol | Ca' Foscari Exchange

I am 21, and I come from France.
Third-year of Bachelor at Sciences Po, where I study political sciences and international relations.

I first decided to come to Venice to study at the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice as an exchange student. I really wanted to learn Italian, and Venice already had a special place in my heart because my family comes from the Veneto region and part of them still lives there.

When I learned that I could study at the VIU, I decided to do so because I was really interested in the classes of the Globalization Program. I really appreciate the international dimension and the interdisciplinary approach of the VIU, and the fact that all classes are really meant to make us reflect on a wide range of topics through critical lenses. I also enjoy the intellectual freedom that the VIU offers: it is possible to study anything, from Italian cinema to architecture to international relations.

From a personal point of view, studying at VIU also gives me the chance to meet new people from all around the world and to form close bonds with them, as we are a rather small and tight group of international students. This is precisely the experience was looking for my Erasmus year.

During the experience, I realize that studying at the VIU implies more than studying: it impacts my life on so many different levels and will for sure influence my future.

Being able to make friends who have such diverse cultural backgrounds, and participating in the wide range of extra-curricular activities that the VIU offers — Lunch2B, plenary workshops, or online conferences — has really made me grow and mature. It has also strengthened my desire to live abroad in the future.

From an academic standpoint, the Globalization Program enables me to reflect on two very important topics — the preservation of cultural heritage and sustainability. After two semesters of studies at the VIU, I have definitely become more sensible to those issues, and this will very probably impact the choices I will make for my academic or professional career. The classes that I have taken at the VIU also enable me to think of those topics from a global perspective, which reinforces my desire to pursue a career in the field of international relations.

The Globalization Program creates many opportunities for students to progress towards their professional goals. One of the biggest chance must be the Internship Program which the VIU has developed in Venice, and which enables us to apply for internships in institutions as prestigious as the UNESCO or the Council of Europe, for instance.

I would recommend applying for a semester at VIU for a number of reasons, the most important of which being that it is a human experience. Not only will students of the Globalization Program create new friendships with people from all around the world, but they will also be taught by professors who are experts in their fields, and therefore really inspiring. In San Servolo, professors and students become part of a community and form social bonds as well as intellectual connections. This makes the VIU experience unique.

In the future, I would like to pursue a career in the fields of diplomacy and international relations and to work on issues of multilateral cooperation at the European or international level. For this reason, I will pursue a Master’s degree in European Affairs at the School of Public Affairs of Sciences Po Paris.

 

In my spare time, I like reading and writing. My passion has always been literature, and even if I do not study it, it accompanies me in my daily life.

I also call my friends, have coffee with them whenever possible, and chat a lot! This past year has really enabled me to reflect on my social habits, and it has only reinforced my desire to spend time forming solid bonds with the people I love.

Before the Covid pandemic, I traveled a lot and loved to explore new cities, museums, and cultural sites. This is more complicated nowadays, but I try to work on my language skills while waiting for life to go back to normal!

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The semester at VIU was recognized as Erasmus+ mobility for studies, and Maeve received an Erasmus+ grant. For more information about Erasmus+ opportunities at VIU visit Erasmus section

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Maria Smirnova | University of Padova

from Italy

Bachelor in Italian Medieval and Renaissance studies

Maria shared insights about VIU academics and her life in Venice in an interview, as a former Globalization Program student.

“Learning in VIU is like learning within learning. Because not only you are learning the actual program that the Globalization Program has to offer, but you are also learning to communicate within the group of very very diverse people, opinions and backgrounds, especially academic backgrounds, from different education systems and I think that is the most striking difference from what I have experience before.

“The program was unique by being able to communicate with the academic body from different countries. I never knew how universities were there, how professors treat the curriculum, how they program the classes. I learned a lot just by observing how professors communicate with us, it was a deep learning experience.”

“Bright, quiet and fun. It allows you not only the surrounding by a lot of people, but it also gives you a lot of space to internalize your feelings, to make it personal. Fun is just the whole experience on itself.”

“What made this program unique for me… I think definitely being with professors and students from different universities. I get to study with other kids from other universities, but I also live with them. I live with students from Japan and Israel, so it’s really interesting hearing their perspectives about all different things, how we live, etc. It’s been amazing. Also the professors, I have a professor from Japan, from Italy – it’s really interesting to be thought by so many different people.”

Find out more about Maria’s VIU experience in her interview. She talks about academics, VIU life, her Venetian experience and tips for your trip to Venice.

 

 

 

 

Marina Katsumura | Waseda University

from Japan
BA in Interdisciplinary Studies with a major on Artificial Intelligence.

We interviewed Marina, a student of the Globalization Program, to hear more about her experience in the VIU program, and about life in Venice.

“The most attractive feature of the Globalization program for me is its offer of variety of cultures and nationality. One thing I really like about this program is that a lot of professors joined from all over the world.

“I was enriched by my learning experience at VU. The courses in VIU are made of around 20 students, so we can easily ask questions to professors, and students can get each other close easily. So I really like that environment of study.

“The dearest thing in VIU for me was people, because the professors and students are so kind and the staff in VIU are so helpful, they try their best to help you.”

Find out more about Marina’s VIU experience and tips for your trip to Venice: one video about her academic experience, another about VIU life and her Venetian experience.

Marina has been shortlisted for an Internship in Italy for summer 2024.
https://www.univiu.org/study/globalization-program/internships/in-italy

 

 

 

 

 

Meeting Venice: Encounters, Investigations and Explorations

The Meeting Venice co-curricular program offers students the opportunity to discover and relate to the city of Venice, its lagoon and hinterland, taking teaching out of the classroom and in to the field. The co-curricular activities are an integral part of the learning experience at VIU. “Meeting Venice” gives the opportunity to students to see the tangible evidence and details of what they will learn in class, focusing on empirical research just as much as on theory.

The program will include visits and lectures to Venice's cultural institutions, interactive activities to explore and understand the lagoon, guest lectures, and an interdisciplinary Plenary Workshop. 

 

St.marks basilica

 

Through the co-curricular program they have the chance to study the city of Venice, its lagoon and hinterland, taking teaching out of the classroom, and meeting people who work in important cultural institutions. These hands-on experiences enrich the academic program and give a new perspective to students on what they study in books and through classes. 

Using Venice as a study case for different disciplines, teachers are able to bring on the table their knowledge and apply it to such a peculiar example, such as Venice. This can mean visiting museums and churches in some cases, just as it can be about walking around the city's streets to understand the urban planning behind them, or the historical meaning that certain palaces and squares had in the past and still have today.

 

trip to lido

 

Here are some examples of the activities in past semesters

  • Introductory lecture on the legendary foundation of the city
  • Venice before Venice: virtual visit and lecture at the National Archeological Museum at Altino
  • Ancient Roman history: site visit to Aquileia
  • Lecture on Venice and the Water by environmental historian
  • Ancient documents on the management of the lagoon: visit and lecture at the State Archives
  • Renaissance books on science and nature: visit and lecture at the Marciana National Library
  • State and political history of Venice: visit and lecture at the Doge's Palace
  • Representation of Nature in paintings: visit and lecture at the Accademia Galleries
  • Visit and lecture at Museo del Costume
  • Patrician families of Venice: visit and lecture at Palazzo Grimani
  • Guilds and confraternities of Venice: visit to the Scuole Grandi
  • Visit and lecture at Ghetto and synagogues
  • Lecture on Venice and contemporary art by Angela Vettese
  • Visit and lecture at Biennale, meeting with president
  • Visit and lecture at Guggenheim, meeting with director
  • Exploration by boat of the Northern lagoon, and visit to Torcello
  • Visit and lecture at Lazzaretto Nuovo
  • Visit and lecture at the Glass Museum in Murano
  • Exploration by boat of industrial port, Pellestrina, and the Southern lagoon
  • Plenary Workshop | An interdisciplinary workshop with joint contributions from students and professors, including short talks, presentations, performances, video screenings
  • VIULECTURES: lectures series open to the public
  • Tea2B: weekly meetings among students and professors for conversations about topical issues

 

trip to venice ghetto 

 

 

Navigating the Future: Sustainability in Logistics and Transport

VIU sits down with Professor Marco Mazzarino from Iuav University of Venice, who serves as the scientific coordinator of the Sustainable Logistics research unit within the TeDIS Program on Innovation at Venice International University, and coordinator of the VIU Summer School on Advanced Transportation, Logistics, and Supply Chain Management that aims to develop a unified approach aligning market needs with integrated sustainable transportation, logistics, and land-use planning. The conversation addresses the multifaceted concept of sustainability in logistics and transport, exploring current trends and envisioning future scenarios in the sector. Professor Mazzarino sheds light on the behavioral and systemic inefficiencies prevalent in mobility and logistics, the opportunities for digital innovation, and the challenges posed by global uncertainties and the potential shift towards deglobalization.

NEW Erasmus+ Calls open for student and staff mobilities | South Africa

VIU has Erasmus+ calls for applications for student and staff mobilities in member universities.

Calls have just been published for both students and staff of select Erasmus+ VIU mobility consortium members to apply for a mobility to Stellenbosch University. The types of mobilities include staff mobility for teaching and staff mobility for training as well as student short term doctoral mobilities. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2024. Mobilities are to be concluded by July 31, 2025. Further details and the calls for applications can be found at the following link: https://www.univiu.org/erasmus/calls

VIU and Stellenbosch University are pleased to partner in this valuable opportunity to promote the strong international dimension of Erasmus+ mobilities, ensuring regular channels for people-to-people cooperation by promoting values, principles and interests around common priorities. The new 2021-2027 phase of the Erasmus+ programme reveals that South African participation continues at a high level. In fact, in 2022, 461 staff mobilities to Europe and 416 staff mobilities from Europe to South Africa were realized in the Erasmus+ programme. It is expected that 600 students from South Africa will undertake mobilities to Europe and a further 128 students take up mobilities to South Africa.

Last week, VIU was very happy to welcome a student benefiting from an Erasmus+ short term doctoral mobility from Stellenbosh University. The student participated in the VIU Graduate Seminar on Translation: Why Is It a Political Question? Perspectives In Philosophy and Translation Theory. Faculty from the University of Padova, KU Leuven, Waseda University, and University of Firenze supported students to work in a transnational context, across different disciplines, languages, and cultures. Workshops with invited experienced translators fostered students to compare different translation strategies and styles, possibly helping them to find their own. They discovered the political dimension of translation practices that are never neutral or transparent communication tools and learned about the political effects of their own translation activities.