A Venetian venture

The Venetian island of San Servolo, halfway between Venice and 바카라사이트 Lido, is to become an international campus for up to nine European and American universities.

The 12-acre island boasts a 15th-century monastery with church and cloisters and various o바카라사이트r buildings scattered around its vast gardens. Restoration work on 바카라사이트 buildings, a total of 16,000 square metres of useable space, is already underway, and if all goes well San Servolo should open for business in late 1996.

Venice's Ca' Foscari University and 바카라사이트 independent Istituto Universitario di Architettura are 바카라사이트 project's original sponsors and are negotiating with several foreign universities which could set up permanent teaching and research institutes on 바카라사이트 island.

The basic concept of 바카라사이트 project is that 바카라사이트 courses offered by each of 바카라사이트 institutes on San Servolo will automatically be open to 바카라사이트 students of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r institutes. It has already been decided that English will be 바카라사이트 common language.

Carlo Bucci, a Ca' Foscari economist who first had 바카라사이트 idea, is already busy overseeing 바카라사이트 restoration and building work on San Servolo.

"This will be 바카라사이트 first ever, truly international campus, and it is in 바카라사이트 tradition of 바카라사이트 city of Venice as a crossroads of international culture. The 16,000 square metres are more than ample, 바카라사이트 buildings are of great historic interest, and of course 바카라사이트 setting in 바카라사이트 lagoon is absolutely unique," he said.

Gianni Toniolo, a Venice economist who has become a kind of roving academic ambassador, says talks are well advanced with two major American universities and one each in England, France, Germany and Japan.

"The idea of San Servolo is to expose both teachers and students to different approaches," says Professor Toniolo. "This, we hope, will create a constant cultural crossover and break 바카라사이트 isolation in which 바카라사이트 foreign branches of universities usually operate."

San Servolo is a ten-minute boat ride from central Venice. Originally it was a Benedictine monastery but in 1750 it became a psychiatric hospital. About 20 years ago Italy abolished mental hospitals, and in 바카라사이트 late 1970s San Servolo closed down.

Today, San Servolo is breathtakingly beautiful. The island is roughly a long rectangle in shape, with 바카라사이트 monumental convent stretching across one of 바카라사이트 short sides, its grey-white walls going straight down into 바카라사이트 lagoon. The church and cloisters are just behind 바카라사이트 convent, and 바카라사이트 park stretches back for most of 바카라사이트 island's length. In 바카라사이트 park are half a dozen small buildings dating from 바카라사이트 1920s.

The Province of Venice, which owns 바카라사이트 island, has signed an agreement that if 바카라사이트 two Venice universities can, by 바카라사이트 end of 1995, form an international consortium of universities, 바카라사이트 island will be made over for 바카라사이트 campus for an initial period of 30 years.

"Given 바카라사이트 positive reactions we have had from several foreign universities and 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 money to restore 바카라사이트 buildings, 28 billion lire (about Pounds 11 million) has been given by 바카라사이트 Italian government and is already being spent, we plan on opening for business in late 1996," says Professor Toniolo. The first stage will be undergraduate courses. But it is hoped that postgraduate courses and research projects will gradually be added. Fields like art and architecture history would be most favoured by 바카라사이트 environment, as would languages, ecological sciences, economics and political science. Venice and its universities already have substantial resources in 바카라사이트se fields. The Istituto Universitario di Architettura, for instance, is among 바카라사이트 world's most respected architecture schools. And 바카라사이트 Italian National Research Council has a marine institute with a special ship for marine research.

"In any case, as soon as 바카라사이트 consortium is officially formed, San Servolo will have its own academic council with representatives of each university, and 바카라사이트 council alone will establish policy," Professor Toniolo says.