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Prof. Anne-Maria Makhulu | Duke University

UK, US, South Africa
Cultural Anthropology, African Studies, Political Economy, History of Capitalism, Marxism, Anthropology of Finance, Anthropology of South Africa, Cities, Urbanism.

I chose to come to teach at VIU because I teach and conduct research on questions relevant to the VIU globalization track, mostly about processes of economic globalization and integration, plus I had NEVER visited Italy until the opportunity to teach at VIU came about. So how could I pass on an opportunity, not only to be in Italy, but in Venice in particular?!

Unfortunately, I had a very short experience at VIU, I was only briefly in Venice before the COVID-19 outbreak and then had to leave to return to the US. But in that short time, I fell in love with Venice—with the labyrinthine streets, the campi, and calli, the little outlying islands, the canals, and so on. I love that Venice is a walking city and Venetians take their time to have a morning espresso, to walk their dogs, to stop and speak with a neighbor. VIU, based on San Servolo Island, brings so many different kinds of people together. The students are from many countries, cultures, and language backgrounds. It’s a great pleasure to teach them and to feel involved in something genuinely cosmopolitan.

I think this is a great opportunity for all professors, for all the reasons I cited above, but of course especially because the program is based in Italy and because local administrators and faculty are welcoming and generous. They also communicate to visitors a sense of sheer joy at living a kind of experiment, i.e. a city on a Lagoon.

Meet the students and you will be pleasantly surprised by the response - the expansive views, stimulating conversations, and unique perspectives. This is the feedback that you will receive teaching to international students.

 

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Prof. Makhulu taught at VIU in Spring 2020 the following courses:
A History of Credit: From Sixteenth-Century Venice to Twenty-First Century New York City
African Cities, Development and Climate Change

Short bio
Anne Maria B. Makhulu, Duke University
BA in Anthropology (Columbia), MA and PhD in Anthropology (Chicago). Associate Professor of Cultural Anthropology and African and African American Studies at Duke. Her research interests cover: Africa and more specifically South Africa, cities, space, globalization, political economy, neoliberalism, the anthropology of finance and corporations, as well as questions of aesthetics, including the literature of South Africa. Makhulu is co-editor of Hard Work, Hard Times: Global Volatility and African Subjectivities (2010) and the author of Making Freedom: Apartheid, Squatter Politics, and the Struggle for Home (2015). She is a contributor to Producing African Futures: Ritual and Reproduction in a Neoliberal Age (2004), New Ethnographies of Neoliberalism (2010), author of articles in "Anthropological Quarterly" and ""PMLA, special issue guest editor for "South Atlantic Quarterly" (115(1)) and special theme section guest editor for "Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East" (36(2)). A new project, South Africa After the Rainbow (in preparation), examines the relationship between race and mobility in postapartheid South Africa and has been supported with an award from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). 

 

Program Regulations

General rules
VIU is a an International Center for Higher Education and Research. Individual behavior, dress and manners should be respectful of this.

Smoking is prohibited inside all VIU buildings.

Students are expected to keep the facilities clean and tidy.

Repair or replacement of VIU property, including library materials will be charged to the individual responsible for the damage. Students will be charged communally if individual responsibility cannot be determined.

Use or possession of illegal drugs will lead to expulsion from VIU.

VIU students are expected to be ambassadors for their home university and for VIU. All students should respect their surroundings and fellow students during their stay in Venice.

 

Course regulations

Compulsory attendance
- Attendance is compulsory in all courses in the Globalization Program. 
- The attendance policy also applies to site visits and field trips, which may be scheduled on Fridays.
- Cancelled classes and those that fall on Italian national holidays must be rescheduled in order to guarantee the minimum number of contact hours required for the credit recognition procedures in the member universities. These classes may be rescheduled on Fridays, and you'll be usually notified by email. Check the weekly schedule to see the dates of the rescheduled classes already planned.
- Students who miss more than 15% may not be admitted to the final exam. 
- All absences will affect the grade in a course. 
- Students are advised to inform the professor and the Globalization Program Office in advance, by email, if they are unable to attend class(es).
- Students are advised to cover work missed and to demonstrate that they have done so to the professor.
- Justified absences require a doctor's certificate in the event of illness or a certificate from the university department in the case of exams in home university. Absences may be "justified" only when documented. Certificates must be handed into the Globalization Program office and they are dealt with in complete confidentiality.
Absences due to travel arrangements during the semester will under no circumstances be considered "justified". There is a mid-term break to allow and encourage students to travel.
- Co-curricular activities in general are highly recommended. All longer trips and activities are arranged on Fridays.
Compulsory attendance will apply to the following Friday activities: 
-site visits and field trips arranged specifically for the courses. These are arranged on Fridays for logistical reasons;
-co-curricular activities deemed particularly relevant to a course by the professor. At the discretion of the professor. Prior notice will be given.

Credit/audit
The Globalization Program is a credit only program.
Globalization Program courses are worth 6 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). One credit corresponds to 25 to 30 hours of work.
Auditors are not admitted to GP courses. All students are required to complete all course work (readings, presentations, field trips, papers, exams).

Changing courses
Students can change their choice of courses during orientation week only. Introductory sessions during orientation allow students meet the professors and discuss their options. 

Dropping courses
Students should inform the Globalization Program office and the professor if they decide to drop a class.

Number of courses
- Students may take as many courses as they wish.
- Students who have been assigned an accommodation through VIU channels (in the residential halls on the island of San Servolo or in apartment) are required to complete three courses.
- Students who wish to take "Italian Language" must also complete two other full term courses.
- To apply for the Internships and Mobility program: 2 courses is the minimum to apply for destinations worldwide; 3 courses is the minimum to apply for destinations in Italy.
- Furthermore, according to the requirements of your university of origin:

3 courses + Italian Language is the minimum for students of Duke University
5 courses is the minimum for Erasmus+ scholarship recipients from Tel Aviv University (may include Italian Language)
5 courses is the minimum for students from University of Exeter (may include Italian Language)
4 courses + Italian Language is the minimum for students of Boston College
4 courses + 1 course from the "Venice and Italy" cluster is the minimum for students of Tsinghua University, Global Leadership Program
All other students should check the requirements with the International Office of their home university. Minimum requirements may apply.   

Duration of courses
Globalization Program courses consists of 40 class hours (36 contact hours + 4 hours co-curricular activities at discretion of professor). "Italian Language" consists of 56 hours of tuition.

Timetable
VIU Academic activities are scheduled from Monday to Friday:
classes are generally held from Monday 9 am to Thursday 6.30 pm;
many activities and the co-curricular program will be scheduled on Fridays, such as site visits, field trips, some lectures or rescheduled classes (VIU undertakes to inform students at least one week in advance), therefore please consider your schedule and consult with your professors before making personal commitments on Fridays.

Exams
The evaluation methods are determined by the professor of each course. Exams may be oral or written, intermediate or final. Students may have to prepare research papers and presentations. 

Plagiarism
In exams, research papers and presentations is a form of cheating. Students found guilty of plagiarism will fail the course and their home university will be informed. Disciplinary action may be taken also by the home university. 

All of the following are considered plagiarism:

- turning in someone else's work as your own
- copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit
- failing to put a quotation in quotation marks
- giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation
- changing words but copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit
- copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether you give credit or not

For more information on plagiarism, fair use of sources and proper citation of sources, consult the website www.plagiarism.org 

Special Arrangements
If you request any special arrangement in any course, it must be authorized in writing by the professor of the course and by the Vice Dean and Scientific Director of the Globalization Program, Luca Pes and communicated via email to the Globalization Program Office. It is the responsibility of the student, not the professor, to obtain the authorization necessary.

For example:

- if your university requires you to write an extended essay in order to receive credit
- if you request an extension on a final essay or paper
- if you request an intermediate or final evaluation that differs in any way from the regular evaluation for that course

 

Residential facilities

- No guests are allowed in the residential halls
- No pets are allowed in the residential halls
- Cooking is strictly prohibited in the residential halls
- Smoking is strictly prohibited in the residential halls, including individual rooms
- Noise levels should be kept to a minimum, especially after 10 pm.

 

RED (Residency-Excellence-Diversity) Scholarship

Each semester scholarships are awarded to talented students to contribute to the cost of living in Venice for a semester, to promote excellence and diversity in the Globalization Program.

The scholarships are equivalent to the cost of accommodation in the apartments arranged by VIU (€1,625), but will be paid directly to the students, who may choose to spend it on the accommodation that best suits their needs.

The scholarship recipient is expected to contribute and be actively involved in the following co-curricular activities: 
- Tea2B: informal conversations on key topics that involve students, professors and staff taking place every Monday at 5 pm 
- Globalization Program plenary workshop 
- Closing Ceremony

The Globalization Program plenary workshop is an interdisciplinary endeavor involving many of the GP professors. Over several weeks, the professors work with groups of students from their courses on a common topic, approaching it based on their (inter)-disciplinary backgrounds. The workshop takes place on a Friday during the semester, when the groups present their work on the common topic. The presentations may take any form - creativity is encouraged: presentations, video-clips, interviews, debates, theater, music or dance performances. 

Eligibility
Any student regularly enrolled in any degree program in a VIU Member University, who wishes to register or is already registered for at least 3 courses in the VIU Globalization Program. (Exchange students of Italian member universities are not eligible.)
Recipients of the KA171 Erasmus+ grants (third countries not associated to the Programme) are not eligible to receive the RED scholarship but may apply to participate as a RED Scholar on a voluntary basis.

Selection Criteria
The aim of the scholarship program is to promote excellence and diversity in the Globalization Program.

The selection of the candidates and the award of the scholarships will be based on a ranking. The score achieved by each student will be the result of the sum of the following:
1. Quality of the candidate (40%): The candidate’s interview, CV, and motivation letter will be evaluated.
2. Academic performance (40%): Based on transcripts from the candidate's home university or, if it applies, the previous semester at VIU.
3. Diversity of the candidate (20%): Based on the candidate's home university, study discipline and background with the aim of creating a diverse team of three RED scholars.

Candidates will be selected by a committee composed of:
- Dean of VIU, Prof. Carmelo Marabello
- Scientific Director of the Globalization Program, Prof. Luca Pes
- Academic Advisor of the Mobility Program, Prof. Ilda Mannino

Application
Applicants must fill out the online form available in their personal page, and upload the following documents:

- Curriculum Vitae
- Transcript of records (for current degree program only)
- Motivation letter

Deadlines
Applications for students wishing to attend the Spring semester: October 15 to November 30
Applications for students wishing to attend the Fall semester: May 3 to June 5

Candidates are advised to submit their application at least 2 hours before the deadline (3:00pm CET/CEST) to avoid any technical difficulties.


Contacts:
Globalization Program
W: www.univiu.org
E: ​student-services@univiu.org, globalization@univiu.org
T: +39 041 2719 511
F: +39 041 2719 510

 

 

 

Registration

Step 1: Pre-registration for the Globalization Program
Once you have been accepted by your university to attend the Globalization Program, you must pre-register online through the VIU website (link to pre-registration form in the white box at the side of the page - published only in the application period).   
There is no preliminary application process through the home universities for students of Ca’ Foscari, Iuav, Padova and Tor Vergata Universities, including exchange students: students can apply directly by filling out the pre-registration form through the website. 

VIU verifies the pre-registration and, once approved, you will receive your login and password by email (this step may take some days).

Pre-registration | dates & deadlines

1st Semester (Fall semester)

- Opens on May 3 of the same year
- Closes at 3pm on the Wednesday of the Orientation Week (September 9 for 1st Semester of AY 2026-27).

2nd Semester (Spring semester)

- Opens on October 15 of previous year
- Closes at 3pm on the Wednesday of the Orientation Week (February 17 for 2nd Semester of AY 2026-27).

 

Step 2: Registration for courses in the Globalization Program
Even if you have expressed a preference for some courses when applying through your home university, you must register for courses through the VIU system in order to be admitted to the courses.

The course registration form is published on the VIU website: sign in by using the log in and password sent to you by email following your pre-registration. 
Fill out the form listing the courses you wish to take in order of preference. The admission procedure considers preference and date of registration. 

A maximum of 22 students is admitted to each course. The admission procedure considers the preference and date of registration.

NB. The system is not automated to prevent you registering for courses that overlap on the timetable, so you must make sure that your chosen courses do not clash.
Please check carefully and ensure that you have been registered for the courses you intended.

Course registration | dates & deadlines

1st Semester (Fall)

- Opens on July 15, 2026 at 3pm (Italian time) (1st Semester of AY 2026-27) 
 - Closes at 5pm on the Wednesday of the Orientation Week (September 9 for 1st Semester of 2026-2027)

2nd Semester (Spring)

- Opens on January 15, 2027 at 3pm (Italian time) for the 2nd semester 2026-27 
- Closes at 5pm on the Wednesday of the Orientation week (February 17 for 2nd Semester of AY 2026-27)

 

How to... First preferences and alternative preferences
You can list alternatives to your course choice in the event your first choices are already full.
If you list a course in your preferences on successive forms you will maintain your place in the course (or on the waiting list if you were not granted a place). The date of registration for that course will be the date you submitted the first form which included that course.

Important:
Please note however that if you list a course on a first form, but omit it from a second form, and then add it again on a third, the date of registration for that course will be the date you submitted the third form. Omitting the course on the second form means that the course will be removed from your preferences in the system.
If you are on a waiting list for a course, you are strongly advised to list an alternative (right column). Even if you are granted a place in the alternative course, you will remain on the waiting list for your first option in the event a place becomes available, until registration for courses closes. If you are admitted to your first preferences when registration closes, your alternative preferences will be removed automatically.

If you select the 'Italian Language course' (56 hours of tuition), you cannot choose a preferred time slot yet: the final assignment to a group will be made by the instructors during orientation week after a placement test, aimed at evaluating your ability in Italian. If needed, the language instructors will virtually meet with you for a brief verbal test. The following criteria will be considered:

- your class schedule (you should focus on organizing your schedule to maximize the possibility of receiving credit recognition from your home university)
- number of nationalities represented in the class
- skill level and aptitude of the student
- number of participants in the class

Once you have been assigned to an Italian group you will always attend the same class at the same time.

 

Admission Petition Procedure:
In the event you are refused in one or more courses, you can write an admission petition.
A small number of places in each course will be available to students who have not been granted a place in courses ("denied"), based on petitions submitted to the Vice Dean and Globalization Program Scientific Director, Prof. Luca Pes. This means that students who have been refused can apply to be admitted based on motivation.
The Admission Petition form will be available on the website once registration closes.

 

Step 3: Course registration status and deadlines

1st Semester of AY 2026-2027 (Fall 2026)

- First course registration status by e-mail: August 20, 2026
- Changing course preferences: until Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 5pm
  (If you have been accepted to your top options, your alternative courses will be cancelled automatically when registration closes)
- Final status by email: at registration closure, September 9, 2026
- Admission Petition: the form will be available online from Wednesday, September 9, 5 pm, until Friday, September 11, 2026 at 12 pm
- Students who submit admission petitions for one or more courses will be notified by email whether they have been granted a place.

2nd Semester of AY 2026-27 (Spring 2027)

- First course registration status by e-mail: February 3, 2027
- Changing course preferences: until Wednesday, February 17, 2027, at 5pm
  (If you have been accepted to your top options, your alternative courses will be cancelled automatically when registration closes)
- Final status by email: at registration closure, February 17, 2027
- Admission Petition: the form will be available online from Wednesday, February 17, 5 pm, until Friday, February 19, 2027, at 12 pm
- Students who submit admission petitions for one or more courses will be notified by email whether they have been granted a place.

 

For support in the pre-registration or registration process:
Globalization Program
T: +39 042 217 19  511 
E: student-services@univiu.org