VIU News
At the end of 2015, VIU entered the United Nations Global Compact, a United Nations initiative that aims to encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies.
After this first success, on February 23, 2016, VIU also joined as Founding Member the Global Compact Network Italy Foundation. Launched in 1999, the Global Compact initiative counts today 13000 corporate and other stakeholders participants, in 161 countries worldwide.
Companies and institutions joining the Global Compact initiative publicly commit to align their corporate strategies and operations with the 10 Global Compact Principles on human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption and to take steps to support UN goals, in order to create a sustainable and inclusive global economy that delivers lasting benefits to people, communities and markets.
The local networks, as the Global Compact Network Italia, work to advance the initiative and its 10 Principles at country level. They help companies understand what responsible business means within different national, cultural and language contexts and facilitate outreach, learning, policy dialogue, collective action and partnerships.
The commitments and the achievements of the Members are periodically assessed through the submission of a report, namely the Communication on Progress (COP) or Communication of Engagement (COE). This document reports on the benefits of Sustainability – in terms of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption - for the Member institution, including, for example, the integration of corporate sustainability into operations, the internal information sharing, and the strengthening of the relationships with stakeholders and investors.
In October 2015 a delegation of Rectors and Professors from the VIU Member Universities headed by VIU President Ambassador Umberto Vattani was received at the Presidential Palace in Rome.
The President of the Italian Republic, the Hon. Sergio Mattarella, expressed in his speech his praise and admiration for such an innovative and successful example of a multicultural and interdisciplinary academic venture.
The speech can be found on Youtube at this link.
Photo by Jordi Peralta
The prestigious University of Bordeaux, France, officially became a Member of VIU on Saturday, October 31 2015.
The President of the University, Professor Manuel Tunon de Lara, was warmly welcomed by the President of VIU, Ambassador Umberto Vattani, by the Dean, Professor Agar Brugiavini and the other Members of VIU during a meeting of the Assembly and the Board of Directors that took place exceptionally in Rome as part of the program of special celebrations for the 20th anniversary of the foundation of VIU.
University of Bordeaux website
On October 15-16, major experts from academia and industry, together with policy makers and NGOs representatives will be gathered at Venice International University to bring personal experiences, empirical evidence and institutional positions on the issue of sustainability in the automotive industry.
Through presentations, keynote speeches and open discussions the Symposium will contribute to build a shared vision on sustainability. Specifically,the discussion will address the following key-questions:
- Which are the main differences in the sustainability regulation between Asia, Europe and America?
How do these differences affect the competitive ecosystem? Is there a unique perspective on what
sustainability means across global corporations, or there is rather a variety of standpoints?
- Do investments in sustainability operated by firms affect their financial performance? Which is the
rationale for a company for investing in sustainability and disclosing the actual sustainability results?
- Do the final market (consumers) perceive the sustainability issue as a relevant factor in orienting the
purchase process and, in general, the choice of a product?
On Saturday September 19, the international conference entitled "The Dialogue between Confucianism and European Cultures: Withering or Developing Confucianism in the Era of Globalization?" will take place at Venice International University, on the island of San Servolo.
The event is organized by Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, Venice International University and ICA (International Confucian Association).
On September 22-26, 2014, the CeNS workshop entitled "Walk and Talk at the Nanoscale" will take place at Venice International University.
The workshop brings together young researchers of the Center for NanoScience (CeNS) and the Collaborative Research Center SFB 1032 with experienced scientists from the fields of physics, chemistry and molecular biology. Renowned nanoscientists from all over the world will convene on the island of San Servolo to exchange ideas and discuss their latest research progress.
For more information, read here
The second session of the Advanced Seminar in the Humanities on "Literature and Culture in the Ancient Mediterranean: Greece, Rome, and the Near East", organized by Venice International University in cooperation with Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, will take place at VIU on September 26-October 4, 2014.
The program is conceived as a 2-year commitment. During the first session the fellows identified a research project in their own scholarly interest. The papers will be presented next September, along with a number of lectures by invited speakers.
Read more here
On June 18, 2014 Venice International University and the ICE-Italian Trade Promotion Agency signed an agreement on the restart of an Executive Master for Enterprise Internationalization with the knowledge of Eastern Languages and a Design Export Lab.
The agreement was signed by the VIU President Umberto Vattani and the ICE President Ricardo Monti.
In June 2014, Venice International University will host three mayor conferences on its campus on the island of San Servolo.
On June 19-20, the Netspar Workshop will take place at VIU. On Thursday June 19, Mariacristina de Nardi (UCL, FRB Chicago, NBER, and IFS) will give an invited lecture on saving during retirement. On Friday June 20, Guglielmo Weber (University of Padova) will give a lecture on the economic determinants of healthy ageing. A large number of international academic papers on pension-related topics will be presented in parallel sessions of the conference.
Once again this year, the Widener Law Summer School will take place at VIU (June 16-27, 2014). Among the courses offered this summer are "European Union Law" and "Human Rights & Multinational Corporations". Justice Randy J. Holland of the Delaware Supreme Court, the leading corporate law court in the US, will teach "Comparative Corporate Law".
The Ernest Hemingway Society will hold its 16th biennial international conference at VIU (June 22-27, 2014). The participants will explore the Veneto region, a place Hemingway held dear and immortalized in "Across the River and Into the Trees".
For a complete list of upcoming conferences and further information, please visit the dedicated webpage.
On Saturday April 26, the VIU Board under the Presidency of Ambassador Umberto Vattani approved the request of two universities to join the VIU consortium. The Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) of Quebec and the University of Lausanne (UNIL) in Switzerland have become the new Members of the Venice International University joining a network that by now comprises a total of 13 prestigious universities from all over the world: Duke University and Boston College (USA), Tsinghua University and Tongji University (China), Waseda (Japan), Tel Aviv University (Israel), Ludwig Maximilians (Germany), European University of St. Petersburg, Ca’Foscari Unviersity of Venice, University of Padova and IUAV (Italy).
The Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) is one of Canada’s top universities in terms of research intensity (funding per faculty member). It brings together 150 professors, over 700 graduate and postgraduate students, and a hundred postdoctoral researchers at four centers in Montreal, Québec City, Laval, and Varennes. The Institute is dedicated to fundamental and applied research, graduate studies, and the training of researchers. In keeping with its mission and objectives as a research university, the Institute specifically gears its activities towards Quebec’s economic, social, and cultural development, as well as the transfer of knowledge and technology stemming from all its fields of study. (http://www.inrs.ca/)
The University of Lausanne (UNIL) is a research institution composed of seven faculties where approximately 13,000 students and 2,300 researchers work and study. The UNIL is focused on Medicine, Life Sciences, Geosciences, Environment, Business, Humanities and Social Sciences. Emphasis is placed on an interdisciplinary approach, with close cooperation between students, teaching staff and professors. As well as its achievements in research, the UNIL is renowned for its innovative teaching and for the strong support it offers to young researchers. In addition, its state-of-the-art infrastructures are acclaimed by the UNIL community as one of the many factors that make this an ideal place for study and research. (http://www.unil.ch/)
From April 28 to May 2, 2014, the First International UQUAM Workshop will take place at VIU.
The conference will be the first annual research retreat within the framework of UQUAM (Ultracold Quantum Matter). Ca. 85 participants will meet to discuss latest scientific trends, results and developments in the field of ultracold quantum gases and will identify novel research opportunities.
Invited speakers:
Nigel Cooper (University of Cambridge)
Eugene Demler (Harvard University)
Zoran Hadzibabic (Cambridge University)
Benjamin Lev (Stanford University)
Mikhail Lukin (Harvard University)
Roderich Moessner (MPI for the Physics of Complex Systems)
Belén Paredes (CSIC, Institute for Theoretical Physics)
Anatoli Polkovnikov (Boston University)
Achim Rosch (University of Cologne)
Christophe Salomon (Laboratoire Kastler Brossel)
A full program of the workshop is available here
On April 10, 2014 the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Michele Valensise intervened during the Training Academy for Democratic Governance with a presentation on "L'engagement international de l'Italie dans le domaine des droits de l'homme et la lutte contre la violence sur le femme".
The Academy for Training in "Democratic Governance for Young Professionals of Southern Mediterranean Countries" was set up at Venice International University in cooperation with EIUC and the Council of Europe. A series of courses on "Democratic Governance for Young Professionals of Southern Mediterranean Countries" are planned for the training of the new generation of Arab country leaders, the goal of which is to build a bridge between the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean.
Human rights were prominent among the themes of the course, attended by 14 participants from Morocco, 16 from Tunisia and 7 from Algeria, 25 of whom were women and 10 men. The same theme was at the centre of the intervention by Secretary General Michele Valensise. The course was organised by the Council of Europe in collaboration with the European Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation (EIUC) and Venice International University (VIU), and is part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe "Strengthening Democratic reform in the Southern Neighbourhood" (South Programme).
On February 20, 2014 at 3pm, VIU will host the first social event for visiting scholars of the fledgling
Venice Research District.
The goal of the District is to strengthen the network of research organizations in the Venice area, in order to achieve excellence in research, innovation and technological transfer and to develop innovative joint projects and programs. Interdisciplinarity and internationalization are key, and will form the foundation of a competitive advantage in national and international funding applications.
Through the Venice Research District, Venice can become an attractive international campus for visiting professors and scholars who will benefit from the enhanced network of research institutions. Professors of Venice International University’s member universities will have the opportunity to meet colleagues and access the facilities and services (eg. the libraries) of other institutions in Venice.
The Venetian Research District is the outcome of the commitment undertaken by signatories of the Joint Venice Statement for Collaborative Research, signed on the occasion of the UNESCO World Science Day in 2011, whose first aim is to promote the development of scientific research within an effective collaboration in agreement with the fundamental principles of the freedom of movement and the freedom of expression as expressed in Article 33 of the Italian Constitution.
On November 8, 2013, Venice International University obtained the release, from Det Norske Veritas (DNV), of the Quality Management System ISO 9001:2008 certification for the "Design and provision of undergraduate, graduate and advanced training courses and programs".
ISO 9001:2008 is an internationally recognized standard, which proves that VIU quality management system has been certified against a best practice standard and found compliant. The standard applies to the processes with an impact on quality and emphasises continual improvement and customer satisfaction.
Learn more about ISO Certifications here VIU – ISO 9001: 2008 certificate
Ecomondo (November 6-9, Rimini, Italy) is one of the most important fairs on green technologies and lifestyles both at national and international level. It is also a place where new models of economic growth, driven by a focus on innovation and clean technologies, are discussed by different stakeholders, such as trade associations, governments, NGO's and all types of industries and goods manufacturers.
Città Sostenibile (Sustainable City) is one of the collateral events offering an excellent occasion to present examples of best practices for the sustainability of cities and to discuss their interdisciplinary aspects at botha European and international level.
On November 7, Città Sostenibile will host the conference “Sustainable Universities”, focusing on the experiences of different Italian Universities on this matter. Universities, as education and training places, could play a very effective role as promoters of projects, strategies and actions coherent with the concept of Sustainable Development.
VIU will be present both at the Conference and with a stand to share the activities and programs carried out to promote the development of a Sustainable Society among relevant stakeholders.
More information can be found at Ecomondo official website and in the conference program at this link (only in Italian).
VIU President Umberto Vattani officially presented the new VIU logo at the Opening Ceremony of the VIU Fall Term. Watch its genesis! Designed by Studio Cheste, Venezia.
The Executive Committee of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) has enthusiastically approved Venice International University membership in the Network.
The Solutions Network is a UN initiative launched by Secretary General Ban Ki Moon on August 9 2012 as a new, independent global network of research centres, universities and technical institutions to help to find solutions for some of the world's most pressing environmental, social and economic problems.
The Solutions Network mobilizes scientific and technical expertise from academia, civil society, and the private sector in support of sustainable development problem solving at local, national, and global scales.
VIU will bring its contribution on research, solution initiatives, and policy work. Integrated approach is at the basis of both VIU and SDSN work.
The 2013 edition of the European Summer School in Resources and Environmental Economics, organized by EAERE, FEEM and VIU, will be held on the island of San Servolo on June 30 - July 6, 2013.
Uncertainty, Innovation and Climate Change is the theme of this edition of the Summer School.
For more information read here
The 14th edition of the CESifo Venice Summer Institute, held in cooperation with Venice International University, will take place at VIU on July 22 - 27, 2013.
The Institute focuses on themes of current interest in European and global economic policy, bringing together international economists for workshops, panel meetings and discussion.
For more information read here
The Campus of Venice International University (VIU) on the island of San Servolo will be the magnificent scenario of AQUAE, the new Exhibition by Oliviero Rainaldi on the occasion of the 55th Venice Art Biennale.
Ten sculptures inspired by water – AQUAE - will be on show in the unique framework of the island of San Servolo from May 29 to November 24, 2013. The choice of the VIU campus, with its gardens and inner courtyards, as a setting for his exhibition represents an intriguing experiment for Oliviero Rainaldi and a stimulating opportunity for Professors and Students from all over the world who visit the island for their daily activities.
The theme of Water has already been explored by the Italian artist in two important exhibitions held in Villa Aldobrandini, Rome (2009), and in Villa Pisani, Venice (2010).
The way Rainaldi's works interacts with the unique setting of the VIU Campus, among the trees, the lagoon and the ancient buildings, is a special feature of the Exhibition.
The artworks confirm Oliviero Rainaldi's ability to experiment with different materials, such as glass, tin, bronze and gold. An 8-meter tall staele covered in gold leaf and running water will overlook the lagoon towards the Venice Giardini, representing the everlasting bond between Rainaldi and his old master and friend Fabio Mauri.
Exhibition dates: May 29 – November 24, 2013
Opening: May 29-31, 2013
Presentation of the catalogue: May 31, 11 am
