Summer in Sicily (UofM Students)

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.

This course will provide undergraduate students with an advanced knowledge of policies, practices, discourses and media coverage of migration and asylum in the Mediterranean, while focusing on migration crises in the region as well as on human rights issues. It offers you a comprehensive view of the different models and challenges related to the complex social phenomenon of migration, as well as its main actors and processes. The complexity of migration phenomena will be disentangled through a cross-cutting perspective that combine distinct yet complementary study areas: politological and sociological approaches to analyzing European migratory flows and policies, human rights and criminal justice perspectives on migration, and analysis of contemporary communication strategies, framing, media coverage and related impacts.

Based on principles of International Law, the course intends to introduce you to the international system of protection of human rights and its foundations, by presenting and analyzing the sources, the categories, the content and the limitations, as well as the obligations which Human Rights generate for states. The course also outlines the main implementation mechanisms of protection foreseen at the universal and regional level to ensure their respect, by studying their scope and their effectiveness.

Along with this theoretical overview, the course proposes an in-depth analysis of thematic case studies from various Human Rights categories and dimensions and accompanied by site visits and guest lectures in collaboration with the Siracusa International Institute of Criminal Justice and Human Rights and international NGOs, allowing for a comparative focus on the Euro-Mediterranean region, on the following thematic areas: climate change and human rights (with relation to migration, food systems, health and sell-being, gender justice), asylum and refugee Law and policy, violence against women, the responsibilities of businesses to protect human rights (duty of care and due diligence principles, seasonal workers, migrant workers), and human rights and national security (terrorism, smuggling, migration).

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 aims to provide undergraduate students with an advanced knowledge of how to conduct research on migration, asylum, and human rights in the Mediterranean. It delves into the research process and the ensuing methodology, equipping you with a fully-fledged ‘toolbox’ and offering you the opportunity to learn the appropriate analytical methods and data collection techniques to investigate migration and asylum, and implement comparative research designs. The course aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice, giving students the opportunity to understand, learn and experience the appropriate research approaches, methodological and data-collection tools in relation to the many aspects of migration. Moreover, you will have the possibility to conduct original research, and take advantage of resources in Sicily as well as, possibly, analyzing data and sources in the US, thus implementing a comparative research approach.