| Ca' Foscari University of Venice | |
|---|---|
| Università Ca' Foscari Venezia | |
| Motto | Venetiarum universitas in domo Foscari (Latin) |
| Established | 1868 |
| Type | State-supported |
| Rector | Prof. Carlo Carraro |
| Students | 18,500(2010) |
| Location | Venice, Italy |
| Website | http://www.unive.it/ |
Ca' Foscari University is a university in Venice, northern Italy. It was founded in 1868 as the first Italian business college. The main building of the University, Ca’ Foscari Palace, is placed in a strategic position on the bend of the Grand Canal, in the heart of the city. Nowadays Ca' Foscari University offers four main subject areas of teaching and research activities: economics, languages, sciences and humanities.
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The main seat of the University is Ca’ Foscari Palace, the Venetian Gothic building placed in the largest bend of the Grand Canal. The palace was purchased and renewed by the Doge Francesco Foscari in 1452.
It contains important artistic and architectural works, such as: a room with a 15th century frescoed floor and a 16th century decorated roof; a room with a 16th century stucco work by the Venetian sculpture Alessandro Vittoria (1525-1608); a great hall designed by the Venetian architect Carlo Scarpa (1906-1978), with two murals by Mario Sironi and Mario de Luigi. Between 2004 and 2006 Ca' Foscari underwent a restoration programme, which was awarded the Premio Torta in 2007.
Established on 6 August 1868 as a “Scuola Superiore di Commercio” or business college by the economist Luigi Luzzatti, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice was the first educational institution in Italy to offer higher education in commerce and economics. The institute still occupies its historic premises in the great Venetian-Gothic Palazzo that was the home of the Doge Francesco Foscari in the 15th century.
Ca’ Foscari participates actively in the city’s cultural life, organising over 400 events every year and collaborating with other prestigious cultural institutions. The University holds successful art exhibitions in “Ca’ Foscari Esposizioni”, the exhibition space in the main building.
Nowadays Ca’ Foscari houses about 18,500 enrolled students and with a wide range of subjects in 4 main scientific-cultural areas: economics, languages, sciences and humanities. The University runs 23 First Cycle Degree Programmes and 33 Second Cycle Degree Programmes, over 25 Specialist Master’s Programmes and 15 Research Doctorates. Ca’ Foscari also offers 9 Summer Schools including the prestigious Ca’ Foscari - Harvard Summer School, the result of a bilateral agreement between Ca’ Foscari and the American University.
In the ranking of universities from all over the world, “World University ranking 2009”, Ca' Foscari University of Venice is one of the few Italian universities mentioned, confirming its placement in the 500 bracket.[1]
The Faculty of Economics, Ca’ Foscari's original core, draws upon a long tradition in the field of economic studies and business economics. In addition to general economics Degree Programmes, it offers law, business economics and management, mathematics-statistics courses as well as economics Degree Programmes focusing on specific sectors like tourism. San Giobbe Campus in Venice hosts most of the economic Departments, lecture rooms, lecturers’ offices and the library of economics. The branch sites at Treviso offer Degree Programmes in economics applied to specific sectors such as foreign trade, statistics and IT in corporate management.
The Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures is one of the oldest in Italy. It offers a range of 40 Western and Eastern languages, each offering different curricula opportunities in literature and philology, linguistics, language teaching methodology, history, art and culture, archaeology, philosophy and religion. There is also a Degree Programme in the Italian Sign Language (LIS).
The Faculty headquarters are in San Sebastiano, Venice, while many of the lecture rooms are situated in the new San Basilio teaching centre. The branch site in Treviso offers a First Cycle Degree Programme in Linguistic and Cultural Mediation and a Second Cycle Degree Programme in Interpreting and Translation.
The Faculty of Humanities offers Degree Programmes in History, Literature and Philosophy, including fields of study such as Archaeology, Visual and Performing Arts, Economics and Management of Arts and Cultural Activities, and Social Sciences.The Departments and the library of humanities are based in the Venice Malcanton-Marcorà complex, while most of the lecture rooms are housed in the Faculty headquarters at San Sebastiano and in the new San Basilio teaching centre.
The Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences was founded in the 1970s as a Faculty of industrial chemistry. Chemical studies are now applied to industry, restoration and materials engineering, with a particular focus on nanotechnologies and biotechnologies. The Degree Programmes are aimed to develop know-how to support the manufacturing sector with which the Faculty collaborates. Additional disciplines include environmental sciences and computer science. Most of the scientific Departments are housed in the University branch of Santa Marta in Venice. Works continue on the new Via Torino Campus in Mestre, which currently houses the Computer Science Department. Numerous research laboratories are situated in Marghera, in the Vega Science & Technology Park.[2]
Scientific research is carried out in 19 departments, 19 University centres and numerous external centres that often work together on inter-disciplinary projects. The University also holds relationships with several associations and institutions through agreements for cooperation in the area of scientific information, teaching and research, and carries out research, consultancy and training activities on behalf of external bodies.
Ca’ Foscari is a member of various bodies including the Venice International University (VIU), Consorzio Venezia Ricerche and the Science and Technology Park of Venice VEGA. A few years ago “Ca’ Foscari Formazione e Ricerca S.r.l.” was set up – a private, limited-liability company whose sole proprietor is Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia - aimed at building up deeper, more structured relationships with the world of work.
Convinced that knowledge and research can foster dialogue and peaceful co-existence among countries worldwide, Ca’ Foscari has drawn up over 200 international cooperation agreements with Universities from all over the world, with the aim of promoting the mobility in education and research fields.
The University participates actively in European programmes for technological research and development and for education and training, through projects involving partner institutions from all continents.
Ca’ Foscari students can choose among many international Double/Joint Degree Programmes and English-taught Degree Programmes included in the University’s educational catalogue.
Ca’ Foscari has been one of the first Italian Universities to create its own web-radio in 2007.
Radio Ca’ Foscari is “made by students for students” and represents a means of communication of the University accessible through a specially provided portal.
The first historical record of the Venetian Regatta dates back to the mid 13th century, but it might have existed long before this date. The term “regata” probably derives from aurigare, a verb used in the 16th century as a synonym of boat racing. In 1866, when Venice became part of the Kingdom of Italy, the Regatta became a celebration of the glorious history of the Republic of Venice and in 1899 it officially took the name of Regata Storica (Historical Regatta).
As a matter of fact, every year an elaborated carved, gaily coloured floating structure, called the machina, is moored in front of Ca’ Foscari Palace. This structure represents both the finishing line and the stage where the prize awarding ceremony takes place.
The historical procession – a parade of typical 16th century boats – opens the event, commemorating the welcome given to Caterina Cornaro, wife of the King of Cyprus, when she renounced the throne in 1489 for the sake of Venice. After that many different competitions with various types of boats take place: the regatta in gondolini, in caorline, the women's regatta in mascarete and the young rowers' regatta in pupparini.
Ca’ Foscari and IUAV Universities have been participating in this boat race with their students since 2005.