Venice International University (VIU)

Venice International University (VIU) is an international higher education network on the island of San Servolo, just a few minutes away from St. Mark's square, the heart of the city of Venice.

The mission of VIU is to promote the exchange of ideas and knowledge through advanced training and education in an international context. Each year VIU welcomes professors, researchers and over two hundred students of different nationalities who live together, study and learn on its campus. Moreover, VIU brings to the city of Venice and its mainland a prolific range of academic and scientific activities focussed mainly on globalization, innovation, environmental sustainability and cultural heritage.

Contacts

Venice International University (VIU)
Isola di San Servolo, 30100 Venice (Italy)
Tel. +39 041 2719511 - Fax. +39 041 2719510
 shss@univiu.org - www.univiu.org

VIU Member Universities: 

  • Università Ca' Foscari Venezia (Italy)
  • Università Iuav di Venezia (Italy)
  • Università degli Studi di Padova (Italy)
  • University of Ljubljana (Slovenia)
  • Duke University (USA)
  • Boston College (USA)
  • Ludwig Maximilians Universität (Germany)
  • Tel Aviv University (Israel)
  • Tilburg University (The Netherlands)
  • TongJi University (China)
  • Tsinghua University (China)
  • Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain)
  • Waseda University (Japan)

Other members of VIU are the Italian National Research Council (CNR), the Italian Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea and the Province of Venice.

The VIU campus offers modern and functional facilities: classrooms with wi-fi internet connection, conference halls, library, PC room and a digital laboratory with 16 iMac computers, a cafeteria, a bar, residential halls, sports facilities, all set in a beautiful tranquil park on the Island of San Servolo.

Globalization Program

The Globalization Program is the flagship of VIU's academic offer and is run by VIU's School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS). It is an innovative program which addresses globalization and its economic, social, environmental and cultural implications and consequences with an interdisciplinary and multicultural approach.

The Program brings together talented, motivated students from the 11 member universities and encourages them to excel in an original and innovative program and achieve results through scholarship and experience.

Each semester 120-140 students come to Venice to take part in VIU's Globalization Program. Students from Ca' Foscari can apply, including exchange students studying at Ca' Foscari for one or two semesters.

Students choose from a course offering of 18-20 courses in Venetian and Italian studies, Globalization, Cultural Heritage and Sustainable development. The courses are English-taught by professors from the member universities and are recognized for credit.

How to apply

Undergraduate and Master's students from Ca' Foscari, including exchange students are eligible and can register for courses in the Globalization Program by filling out the pre-registration and registration for courses forms on the VIU website at www.univiu.org/shss/globalization-program
Dedicated calls for applications are issued for the internship and mobility program.

Internships and International Mobility

VIU promotes international mobility by providing internship opportunities and scholarships to students of the member universities who attend the Globalization Program. Following the semester of courses at VIU, selected students will be offered internships at research centers, universities, cultural organizations and companies in Italy, the United States, China, Japan, Thailand, Israel and other European destinations.

Each semester VIU publishes two calls for applications for the Internship and Mobility Program:

  1. For students of the Italian member universities in the second year of their Master's degree (laurea magistrale), who intend pursuing research for their Master's thesis in themes related to the Globalization Program. Successful applicants attend the semester of courses at VIU and compete for internships abroad, supported by scholarships.
  2. For non-Italian students, including exchange students at Ca' Foscari, Iuav and Padova, who are attending the semester at VIU (at least three courses) and who wish to continue their stay in Italy with a research or work experience in a host organization in Italy following the semester.

Scholarships are awarded to selected students in order to contribute to the costs of international travel and accommodation.

For further information please consult the VIU website:

Open lectures, seminars and Summer Schools

The Globalization Program is the impetus for an original reflection on globalization within an international network that involves researchers, policy-makers, entrepreneurs, cultural institutions and regional institutions of the countries represented at Venice International University.

Each semester VIU invites guest speakers to address topical themes at the Opening Ceremonies of the semesters and during the VIULECTURES series.

For more information: www.univiu.org/viulectures

VIU's School of Humanities and Social Sciences coordinates as well a series of intensive seminars and summer schools in collaboration with the member universities: www.univiu.org/shss/seminars-summer-schools

Last update: 14/02/2024