Semester courses in English
The School for International Education offers courses on Italian history and culture in English that are specifically designed for exchange students at Ca' Foscari University. Each course awards 6 CFU/ECTS that students can add to their Learning Agreement.
Eligible students
- Erasmus+, Overseas and other interuniversity exchange students
- Double and Joint Degree students
- Students regularly enrolled at Ca' Foscari, provided that they are authorised by the Collegio didattico (Teaching committee) of their degree programme
Registration for these courses is mandatory (see instructions below). Students cannot attend classes or take exams if they are not officially enrolled in the course.
N.B. Each course requires a minimum number of students in order to be activated.
2023/2024
For the first semester of the 2023/2024 academic year, students can apply for the following courses:
SIE008 - History of Venice
The aim of the course is to explore the history of Venice and the Venetian state in a perspective that links institutional, social and economic aspects from the Middle Ages to the end of the Republic, with a special focus on the long Renaissance period (14th-16th centuries).
SIE025 - History of Design of Glass in Venice
Venetian glass art is mentioned in documents since the 10th century but it probably goes back to Roman times. The course explores the history of Venetian art glass from its origin to the 19th century, focusing on the Renaissance period. It will also discuss the production in Renaissance style of the 19th century revival and the important role of old models in the early decades of the 20th century, when contemporary production started.
SIE027 - The Ecosystem of the Venetian Lagoon
The course provides an overview on the Venice lagoon environment from an ecological perspective. The basic ecological principles will be provided by using specific examples from marine ecology. The syllabus will also focus on the following topics: the adaptation of plant and animal organisms in the lagoon environment, the functioning of food chains, and the biogeochemical cycle of elements in the lagoon ecosystem.
SIE031 - History of Italian Culture and Literature – From the Beginning to the Renaissance
This course provides an overview of Italian culture in the past up until the Renaissance through the study of authors and works of literature and art, focusing on the role of Venice wherever it is relevant.
SIE065 - Venetian Art and Archaeology – 1: From the Origins of Venice to the Biennale
The course explores the development and the spread of the arts in Venice from the origins of the city to the fall of the Serenissima. Starting from the analysis of the peculiar geo-morphological conditions of the city of Venice, the course will consider major works of Venetian art in their historical and cultural context, from the high Middle Ages to the 19th century.
SIE088 - Chinese Culture for Foreigners
This course is designed for science students and offers guidelines and useful tips to step into Chinese culture. Science students are likely to work, to some extent, with Chinese colleagues in their careers, or might as well already have met some at school: this course will give them the essential cultural tools to team up in the right way with native Chinese speakers. Also, important information will be provided to help our future scientists to travel and work in China mainland.
During class times, participants are going to spot many highlights that will feed their interest for Chinese culture and language, and that possibly will lead to further ways of personal study and development.
Every nation's culture and language are connected to the roots, for this reason each lesson presents some linguistic elements that complete the main points and arguments.
The complete syllabi will be available on each course's webpage before the beginning of classes.
Registration
Students can apply for the first semester of the 2023/2024 a.y. by following the instructions outlined below.
International exchange students
International exchange students need to fill out the online Application Form that they have received by e-mail from the office that manages their mobility programme (Incoming Mobility or Joint/Double Degree).
- Application deadline: August 7, 2023
- N.B. Application Forms submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.
In early September, students will be informed via email by the SIE ( cfsie@unive.it) whether the courses they have applied for have been activated and their registration can be confirmed. Once course activation is confirmed, all registered students will automatically receive all necessary information about the course before classes start.
International exchange students are not officially enrolled in a course if it is not in their Learning Agreement! Therefore, within the first two weeks of classes, you must contact the office that manages your mobility programme ( incoming.mobility@unive.it or jointdegree@unive.it) in order to add the course to your Learning Agreement, if not already present.
Students regularly enrolled in a bachelor's or master's degree programme at Ca' Foscari
Students enrolled in a degree programme at Ca' Foscari need to fill out the online Application Form that they can request by sending an e-mail to cfsie@unive.it
- Application deadline: August 7, 2023
- N.B. Application Forms submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.
If students want the courses selected on the Application Form to be added to the Study Plan as elective or surplus credits, they must ask the Collegio didattico (Teaching committee) of their degree programme for approval. The School for International Education ( cfsie@unive.it) must then receive an e-mail from the coordinatore del Collegio didattico (Teaching committee coordinator / Head of studies).
In early September, students will be informed via email by the SIE ( cfsie@unive.it) whether the courses they have applied for have been activated and their registration can be confirmed. Once course activation is confirmed, all registered students will automatically receive all necessary information about the course before classes start.
Students are not officially enrolled in a course if it is not in their Study Plan! Therefore, within the first two weeks of classes you must add the course to your Study Plan, if not already present. If you need assistance, please contact your Campus.
Schedule and attendance
Courses will start on October 9th, 2023 and will be held twice a week for a total of 30 academic hours.
N.B. Cancelled classes and classes falling on public holidays will be moved to the following weeks, thus the final date of each course cannot be confirmed in advance.
Schedule
Attendance
Attendance for the English-taught courses for exchange students at SIE is generally not mandatory. However, teachers may ask all students to attend a minimum number of lessons and/or assign some additional bibliography to non-attending students. It is therefore necessary to check attendance requirements for each course by contacting the teacher within the first week of classes.
Exams
Exams will take place approximately from December 4th and no later than December 20th, 2023.
N.B. There is only one exam session. It is not possible to repeat the exam at a later date.
In order to be admitted to the final exams, students must be officially enrolled in the course and meet the attendance requirements which are set by each teacher (see above).
2023/2024
Courses to be offered in the second semester of the 2023/2024 a.y. and instructions on how to apply will be available approximately in December.
2022/2023
For the second semester of the 2022/2023 academic year, the following courses have been activated:
SIE001 - Contemporary History of Venice
The course presents an overview of the main historical events after the fall of the Venetian Republic:
- Venice during the Risorgimento, until the city was given to the new kingdom of Italy (1866)
- The spread of industries and the new public transport system during the Belle Époque
- Venice during the First World War
- The Fascism and the nationalist vision for the Venetian future
- Venice during the Second World War
- Venice as a museum of the world
- Venice and today’s challenges: mass tourism, depopulation, privatization and environmental problems
SIE032 - History of Italian Culture and Literature – Modern and Contemporary
This course provides an overview of Italian culture from the Renaissance to the present day through the study of authors and works of literature, opera and art, focusing on the role of Venice wherever it is relevant.
SIE036 - Introduction to Classics
The class aims at illustrating some of the main topics related to Greek and Latin culture and literature from the origins down to late antiquity, with a special focus on the archaic and classical period, on the social and historical contexts of the literary production, on the genesis and transmission of myth and literature. The main goal of the class is to promote an interest, to stimulate students to read classical texts on their own, and to enable them to situate them in the appropriate chronological and historical frame, as well as to appreciate their meaning and importance in present-day civilisation.
SIE066 - Venetian Art and Archaeology – 2: Venetian Heritage in the Adriatic and in the Mediterranean
The course aims to illustrate, through selected case studies, the Venetian Heritage still conserved in the territories that belonged to the Stato da Mar. This extensive domain included the coasts of present-day Slovenia, Croatia, Albania, Montenegro, parts of Greece and Turkey, the islands of Cyprus and Crete. In many of these places the traces of the Venetian presence are still visible and in some cases these are prominent, such as the walls of Nicosia in Cyprus. During the course, therefore, we will explore significant but perhaps still lesser known aspects of the history of Venice, focusing on the influence of the Venetian archaeological, artistic and architectural civilisation in the Adriatic and the Mediterranean sea.
SIE079 - Design, Conduct and Communicate Interdisciplinary Research
This course aims to explore multidisciplinary research methods including obtaining primary and secondary data and to learn how to communicate these results in the form of a scientific article. Students will develop a critical ability to select research objectives, to combine them with the correct research methods, to apply them in order to elaborate a scientific article and another popular one.
SIE080 - The Law of the New Space Economy
In recent years, the conception of outer space has progressively changed. Whilst, in the past, outer space was conceived as a domain utilized and explored just by governments and the scientific community, nowadays it is characterized by an increased involvement of private interests. Notably, both individuals and corporations have the potential to participate in the extra-atmospheric world and are impacted by operations carried out therein. This new understanding of the space sector is referred to as New Space and constitutes one of the fastest-growing sectors of the global economy.
The course specifically focuses on the law governing New Space-related activities. Lessons will provide students with a basic knowledge of key legal features regulating this sector, and will foster students’ critical analysis on emerging global challenges, such as:
- space resources exploitation and environmental concerns;
- satellite systems and their impact on human rights (privacy in particular);
- the strategical role of New Space activities in the geo-political arena and cybersecurity-related concerns.
The course is open to all students and does not require any prior specific curriculum. Given the focus on environmental issues and on human rights, all students may attend (a specific intention to pursue a professional career in the space sector is not required).
Last update: 16/09/2023