Human Rights & Law in Sicily

The course is designed for college students who are approaching the study of the Italian language for the first time. Lessons are held exclusively in Italian and take into consideration the need to combine the study of lexis and grammar with the development of communication skills and cultural awareness. The instructor encourages you to put the language structures and vocabulary studied in class into practice in real life situations, thus accelerating the learning process and bringing you into contact with local society so that they may fully appreciate the way of life and cultural differences. This knowledge is an integral part of linguistic competence.

The course is designed for college students who are approaching the study of the Italian language for the first time.

Lessons are held exclusively in Italian and take into consideration the need to combine the study of lexis and grammar with the development of communication skills and cultural awareness. The instructor encourages you to put the language structures and vocabulary studied in class into practice in real life situations, accelerating the learning process and bringing you into contact with local society so that you may fully appreciate the way of life and cultural differences. This knowledge is an integral part of linguistic competence.

You will be assessed throughout the course and will take an end of course examination.

The course is designed for college students who already possess an elementary level of Italian, can engage in short conversations on familiar topics, describe present and past job/studies and situations, and ask and answer questions about past and future events.

Lessons are held exclusively in Italian and take into consideration the need to combine the study of lexis and grammar with the development of communication skills and cultural awareness. The instructor encourages you to put the language structures and vocabulary studied in class into practice in real life situations, accelerating the learning process and bringing you into contact with local society so that you may fully appreciate the way of life and cultural differences. This knowledge is an integral part of linguistic competence.

You will be assessed throughout the course and will take an end of course examination.

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the fascinating field of Mediterranean marine biology and ecology. You will explore the unique characteristics of the Mediterranean Sea, its diverse ecosystems, and the interplay between organisms and their environment. Through a combination of lectures, fieldwork, and laboratory exercises, you will gain a solid understanding of the ecological processes, species interactions, and conservation challenges specific to this region. Lab and fieldwork will consist of at least 26 of the total 60 contact hours.

Siracusa, and in particular the island of Ortigia, is perfectly situated for studying the marine environment. Easy access to the shoreline is within walking distance of the school, and the Plemmirio Marine Reserve Center is a stone’s throw away. The coastline varies from sandy beaches to limestone cliffs with a great variety of flora and fauna.

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Recognize and identify the main fauna and flora as well as the main biotopes of the marine ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea
• Compare the diverse characteristics of some representative marine ecosystems of the Mediterranean Sea
• Discuss the protection and conservation of marine biodiversity of marine ecosystems and, particularly related to the protection of Posidonia oceanica meadows through the intervention of environmental recovery
• Gain basic scientific skills to conduct research in the sciences and environmental protection and conservation

Our seas provide us with a wealth of natural resources, support wildlife, keep our climate stable, and create employment opportunities. However, unsustainable practices threaten the fragile balance of marine ecosystems. Climate change, pollution, and other anthropogenic pressures have led to the ongoing ocean global change, including water acidification, sea surface warming, sea water level rising, deoxygenation, and changes in nutrient and light regimes. These changes alter multiple chemical and physical seawater properties, propagating to diverse marine microorganisms, through the entire food chain, up to the top predators, including human.

Marine biodiversity is essential for well-balancing food webs, making ecosystems more able to adapt to climate change, habitat degradation, and other major ecological disruptions. In this framework, mitigation actions, management plans, and establishment of protected areas, together with responsible and sustainable management of marine resources can be strategic for the restoration of damaged species communities and habitats. Field trips in Eastern Sicily, with a special focus in the Siracusa and Catania areas, will show examples, case studies, and data on the presence of marine vulnerable species and their coexistence with anthropogenic activities.

This course offers an interdisciplinary investigation into sustainable agriculture, food systems, and ecological practices within the Mediterranean context, with a particular emphasis on Sicily. You will study key ecological concepts and principles essential for designing and managing sustainable agroecosystems, adopting a holistic systems approach that addresses the various dimensions of sustainability. Engagement with the local context aims to deepen your critical understanding of global food systems, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and sustainable farming practices.

This interdisciplinary course examines the intersection of technology, renewable energy, and societal impacts in Sicily, with a focus on the advancements in renewable energy that are reshaping the island’s economy and environment. You will study the transition towards solar, wind, hydroelectric, and hydrogen technologies, as well as the policies supporting them. Field visits to renewable energy facilities provide a practical understanding of energy transformation in Sicily’s resource-rich natural context.

This project‑based course places you in small consulting teams to help Sicilian enterprises and social ventures diagnose and advance sustainability initiatives. In partnership with Isola Catania and Fondazione Marea, teams partner with a local client and deliver a professional product, such as: (a) a section of a Sustainability Report, (b) a B Impact Assessment, or (c) an analysis/evaluation of a client initiative's focused on sustainability and ethical impact. The course pairs seminars and sustainability consulting labs with partner visits and culminates in a client‑facing report and presentation.

The course introduces students to the complex interplay among nature, humans and the divine with a focus on the historical and multilayered landscapes of Sicily, the largest and most central island of the Mediterranean. Every human culture conceptualizes the universe as populated by a plethora of human-like or non-human beings, variously termed as gods, spirits, masters of species, ghosts, genii loci, ancestors and many more. The sense of sacredness stems from the multifaceted and everchanging relations that living humans are able to establish with these “metapersons” (Sahlins 2022), a continuous endeavor that variously conjures fear, respect, gratitude, meaning and belonging.

Through close reading of primary texts, engagement with scholarship in anthropology, classics, history and ecological humanities, and fieldwork, students learn to “read” Mediterranean ecologies as myth-laden, sacred landscapes and to imagine more just and collaborative futures.

The aim of the course is to develop all four language skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. The course will focus on nurturing appreciation for the Italian language and awareness of Italian culture by promoting interaction with Italian peers and members of the local community.

The course is designed for college students who already possess an upper-intermediate level of Italian: they can converse spontaneously in a wide range of life situations, are able to follow much of multi-speaker discourse and produce a range of material for different needs which show good awareness of different style, form and appropriate register.

Lessons are held exclusively in Italian and numerous opportunities are given to students to interact with Italian peers on the topics which are introduced during the lessons. The students will be assessed throughout and will sit an end of course examination.