Italy: Bologna

This 6-week summer program in Bologna will introduce UNH students to the history and contemporary culture of the city of Bologna. While in residence, students will have the opportunity to choose between two different academic tracks, language or culture, in addition to completing a 2-credit experience in Italian cinema based on their participation in the prestigious Cinema Ritrovato film festival. All students will earn IO credits during the program.

UNH faculty will teach the culture courses offered on the program, while the language courses will be offered through Academya Lingue, a language school and cultural center based in Bologna's historical city center. The Academya enrolls students from all over the world at all levels of language.

This program is appropriate for a broad population of UNH students, including those who wish to fulfill their language requirement or two Discovery requirements, or Italian studies majors who wish to study language at the intermediate or advanced levels in Italy. Alternatively, Italian Studies majors who take the culture courses would be able to fulfill major requirements.

Students will take a total of 1O credits during the 6-week program. Students can choose from two tracks: either language or culture (tracks cannot be mixed).

Language Track

For the language track, students will take the equivalent of one of the following intensive sequences:

ITAL 401-402 (Intensive Elementary Italian l and 2; 8 credits)
This track will be taught by the Academya Lingue school and is designed for students without previous training in Italian. To include instruction in aural comprehension, speaking, writing, reading. (No credit for students who have had two or more years of Italian in secondary school; however, any such students whose studies of Italian have been interrupted for seven years should consult the section coordinator about possibly receiving credit).

OR

ITAL 503-504 (lntensive Intermediate Italian I and 2; 8 credits)
This track will be taught by the Academya Lingue school and is designed as a review of the fundamentals of grammar and syntax. Selected readings as a general introduction lo Italian civilization and culture.

OR

ITAL 631-632 (Intensive Advanced Italian 1 and 2; 8 credits)
This track will be taught by the Academya Lingue school and is designed as a rapid review of basic grammatical structures and in-depth study of more complex linguistic patterns. Vocabulary building. Frequent written compositions and oral presentations using materials on contemporary culture taken from various media.

Culture Track

The Italian culture track will include two culture courses. 

ITAL 682B: Interdisciplinary Field Seminar in Italian Culture (4 credits)
Taking an interdisciplinary perspective focused on Bologna this course examines the construction of Italy as a nation and as a culture. The city will be the classroom and the course will make use of the numerous churches, museums, monuments and cultural institutions in Bologna. Discovery: HUMA

AND

ITAL 526: The Art of Cinema in Italy (4 credits)
Inspired by the concept of Italian national cinema as the "creation, distribution and consumption" of films in a national setting, this course will focus on topics that include major directors (Rossellini, Fellini, Pasolini, Tornatore, Wertmilller); lesser known directors; specific genres (westerns, coming-of-age); specific time periods; themes such as war, work, mafia, gender, migration; or the reception of non-Italian films in Italy. Films screened at the Cinema Ritrovato festival will be a factor in the content each year. Discovery: FPA

Required for Both Tracks

All students on the program (both the language and culture track) will also take the 2-credit ITAL 595: Practicum focused on the Cinema Ritrovato film festival. There will be several ways to complete this experiential learning course through a combination of:

• Archival/library research demonstration by Cineteca di Bologna staff
• Film restoration demonstration by Cineteca staff
• Lecture on festival organization by the Cinema Ritrovato director
• Lecture on volunteer organization - translators, information providers, etc.
• Lecture on festival promotion/publicity
• Volunteer opportunities
• Filmmaking in practice (a documentary can be one option for final project)
• Visit to projection booth
• Visit to Museo delle Comunicazioni
• Creation of a social media campaign linking the Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna to Cinema Ritrovato on tour in New Hampshire
• Attendance at a selection of events and films during Cinema Ritrovato

All instruction in culture courses is in English and instruction in language courses is in Italian.

Bologna is a city of approximately 400,000 (in the metropolitan area), located in north/central Italy in the region of Emilia Romagna. It is known primarily for its rich cultural life and rich cuisine. Its city plan is medieval but it maintains a contemporary feel due to the active student population. Students will visit locations such as its numerous historic libraries and museums, its contemporary art spaces, the FICO Eataly World (the largest food park in the world), and parks and gardens throughout the city.

The program's location in Bologna benefits students because it is a small, safe, centrally located city with an outstanding university (the oldest in Europe, founded in 1088) and a lively student culture. Unlike what typically occurs in other Italian cities, students remain in Bologna year­round so there are many opportunities for UNH students to interact with Italian and international students during the summer. Furthermore, the city offers tremendous cultural opportunities related to art, architecture, the history of science and medicinet Italian political history, cuisine and cinema. It also boasts a lively contemporary arts and intellectual culture. Despite all of these benefits, it is not a particularly touristy location, so UNH students will find themselves immersed in Italian culture and be able to use their Italian language frequently. Finally, despite its reputation as a gastronomic gem, Bologna is a relatively inexpensive city in terms of food and entertainment due to its huge student population.

Bologna's location at the intersection of several major railway lines, plus its many public transportation options, make it ideal for program excursions and for students to explore on their own. Bologna allows for easy travel within Italy (Florence is 30 minutes by train; Venice is 90 minutes; Rome is approximately 2 hours). There is also an international airport within a 15 minute cab ride from the city center.

Costs TBA

Housing

Students will be housed in University of Bologna dormitories.

• The University of Bologna dormitories offer single and double rooms and have common kitchens and a combination of common and private bathrooms depending on configuration.
• Costs are reasonable, about $400-450/month per student.
• The dormitories offer free wifi and coin-operated lanudry facilities.

While we cannot guarantee complete security abroad (just like on campus in Durham) the University of New Hampshire and the College of Liberal Arts (COLA) make every effort to facilitate safe international student experiences. Please find below important information on health and safety-related resources, policies, and procedures. If you have additional questions, please contact the program faculty director or COLA Study Abroad.

Travel to Italy

• US Department of State Country Information
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Health Information for Travelers to Italy
• Emergency Contacts at UNH
  • COLA Center for Study Abroad: 603 862-3962 
  • International SOS (UNH Membership #11BCAS000009): 215 942-8478
  • UNH Police Dispatch (emergencies only): 603 862-1212
  • UNH SHARPP (Sexual Harassment & Rape Prevention Program):  603 862-723
• Additional Contacts
  • US Embassy in Rome: +39 06-46741
  • Italy Emergency Services: 112

UNH Global health and safety information