Agenda

Visiting Professor Jayson Petras
Philippine Language and Culture at Ca’ Foscari: A New Academic Course within a Unique Southeast Asian Studies Curriculum

16 September 2026, ore 14.00–16.00
Sala delle Trifore, San Sebastiano

Chair: Prof. Giuseppe Bolotta
Moderator: Prof. Thi Huyen Trang Phan

14.00–14.15 Institutional Greetings
Prof. Laura De Giorgi
Director of the Department of Asian and North African Studies (DSAAM)

Hon. Jim Tito B. San Agustin
Consul General, Philippine Consulate General in Milan

14.15–15.15 Prof. Jayson Petras
Introduction to Philippine Languages and Culture

15.15–16.00 Q&A

Abstract
The launch of Introduction to Philippine Languages and Culture marks the beginning of a new academic offering at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and, more broadly, an important step in the study and teaching of Philippine language and culture in Italy. Generously funded by the Philippine Consulate General in Milan, the course is embedded within the Southeast Asian Studies curriculum of the B.A. programme in Languages, Cultures, and Societies of Asia and Mediterranean Africa (LICSAAM), a distinctive academic pathway and a unique offering in the Italian university landscape.

The introduction of Filipino further enriches this curriculum by expanding its linguistic and cultural scope and strengthening its focus on contemporary Southeast Asia. Designed for absolute beginners, the course combines foundational Filipino language instruction with an introduction to key aspects of Philippine culture, society, and everyday life.

The launch event will provide an opportunity to present the rationale, structure, and educational objectives of the course, while also reflecting on the significance of introducing Philippine language and culture into the academic curriculum of an Italian university. In this sense, the course represents both a first for the academic teaching of Filipino in Italy and a further development of Ca’ Foscari’s longstanding commitment to the study of Asia, contributing to the consolidation and diversification of its Southeast Asian Studies curriculum.

Particular attention will be given to the role of language learning as a means of fostering intercultural understanding and creating new spaces for dialogue between Italy and the Philippines.