6  International partnerships:
     Our collaborations

The Centre of Italian Studies' good name throughout the world can be verified by two facts: the students now come from more than 90 countries in all of the world's continents (70% of these students received good recommendations from ex-participants); the quality and the quantity of international collaborations that is continually enacted.
Since 1988 the Centre of Italian Studies has collaborated with the Oberlin Conservatory, Ohio, U.S.A., in establishing the opera singing programme "Oberlin in Italy" for foreign students, directed by Daune Mahy. Professors and students from other conservatories in the U.S.A. also participate in this programme. The photograph below shows the group of June 1999.

Since 1989 special summer courses in Italian for the seminarists of the "De Propaganda Fide" Urban Pontifical College have been held. These courses are also frequented by theological students of other pontifical colleges of the Vatican City and by believers from various parts of the world. In the photograph, one of these groups can be seen in the courtyard of the Centre of Italian Studies.

Since 1990 a very prestigious collaboration with the University of South Carolina (U.S.A.) has been in course; The Darla Moore School of Business, for the IMBA programme (International Master of Business Administration). The American students frequent an Italian language course for economics students in Urbania, with an introduction to Italian economics and exercises in Italian connected with business. They then once again frequent two semesters at the University of South Carolina and they finally return to Italy for a specific, final course at the Bocconi University of Milan. Those who frequent this course prepare themselves to become officials of multinational companies operating in Italy or having business relationships with Italians. A group of these students can be seen in the photograph on the cover of "CI SIAMO".

From 1991 to 1997 there was the important collaboration with CIS-Heinemann publishers of Melbourne, Australia, for the production of the text book and other educational aids for the teaching of the Italian language to foreigners, with the title of "CI SIAMO".

1993: the "Centre of Operatic Studies" programme began, under the direction of Joan Patenaude-Yarnell. This is also a special programme for foreign opera singers and is attended by professors and students of the Manhattan School of Music of New York, the Curtis Institute of Philadelphia and occasionally by professors and students of the Juilliard School, also of New York. One of these groups can be seen in the photograph.

Since July 2000 another important collaboration between the American professors Brygida Bziukiewicz, Kathryn Hartgrove and the Centre of Italian Studies Opera Festival has been in operation. These professors have created their own programme entitled "Italian Opera Music in Urbania" and each year they direct a numerous group of singers, choir members and instrumentalists. During the course, this programme also performs opera and concert representations in many theatres throughout our province.

1995-1997: the programme for foreign opera singers directed by Carlos Montané, professor at the School of Music, Indiana University, U.S.A.

In 2000, with the creation of the CENTRE OF ITALIAN STUDIES OPERA FESTIVAL, the opportunities for new international collaborations, within the fields of Italian music and opera, multiplied. 

In the same year, the Chamber Music in Urbania programme for young instrumentalists began to operate. Also in Europe a group directed by Sheila Luxon, was formed with English singers and currently other groups are being formed. Europe has all the necessary potential to become an important area of growth for our courses for foreign opera singers.

In 2001 the Centre of Italian Studies was nominated as tutorial support centre of the University of Leicester (G.B.) for its management courses. This means that Italian students are able to attend classes, with tutors assigned by the University, of the same management courses that their English colleagues frequent in Leicester, England, but instead at the Centre of Italian Studies in Urbania. The Centre of Italian Studies is also the examination centre for the attainment of the Certificate in Management and of the Diploma in Management of the University of Leicester.

"Millikin University, Semester in Urbania"

As from 2003, at the Centre of Italian Studies, a Semester abroad in Urbania will be held (August to December) by Millikin University, Illinois, U.S.A., for their students of Italian (Major or Minor) and eventually also for students from other American and Canadian universities who wish to participate in the programme.