Venice International University is something unique in the academic world:
a group of Universities from all over the world sharing a common campus on the beautiful Island of San Servolo, in the Venice lagoon.
These Universities devise study programs collegially to prepare their students to face the global challenges of today:
- sustainable development;
- climate change;
- ageing;
- urban growth;
- global ethics;
- cultural heritage...
These global issues require a new kind of academic preparation.
Students who choose to spend a term studying at VIU are taught to move across disciplines and through cultures with a flexibility of approach, an open mind and creative thinking.
Cooperations and Networks:
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ASviS – Alleanza Italiana per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile
In line with its mission and commitment to promote Sustainable Development, VIU joined ASviS – Alleanza Italiana per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile, the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development, established in February 2016 on an initiative of Unipolis Foundation and University of Rome “Tor Vergata”. The aim of the national Alliance is to increase the awareness of the Italian civil society, economic players and policy institutions on the importance of United Nation 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, in order to mobilize those different stakeholders in pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Italy. The Alliance already brings together more than 120 members among the most important civil society institutions and networks active in the fields of culture, education, public administration or otherwise pursuing specific Sustainable Development Goals (health, well-being, education, employment, quality of environment, gender equality, etc.). VIU is committed to take part in ASviS’ actions on Education for Sustainable Development and to be actively involved in the activities related, in particular, to Goal 2 - Zero Hunger, Goal 4 - Quality Education, Goal 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation, Goal 12 Responsible Consumption, Goal 16 - Governance, Goal 17 - Partnership.
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Sustainable Development Solutions Network - SDSN
In October 2013, the Executive Committee of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) approved Venice International University membership in the Network. The Solutions Network is a UN initiative launched by Secretary General Ban Ki Moon on August 9 2012 as a new, independent global network of research centres, universities and technical institutions to help to find solutions for some of the world's most pressing environmental, social and economic problems. The Solutions Network mobilizes scientific and technical expertise from academia, civil society, and the private sector in support of sustainable development problem solving at local, national, and global scales. VIU will bring its contribution on research, solution initiatives, and policy work. Integrated approach is at the basis of both VIU and SDSN work.
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SDSN Mediterranean Regional Centre
The SDSN Mediterranean Regional Centre fosters global SDSN activities within the Mediterranean Area region by developing and promoting solutions, policies and public education. SDSN Mediterranean is hosted by the University of Siena (Italy).
Activities of SDSN Mediterranean include: - Cooperation and joint research activities among Mediterranean countries, universities and businesses; - Development of practical solutions to sustainability issues relevant to the futureof the region; - Elaboration of SDG indicators for the Mediterranean area; - Promotion of networking activities among research centers, the diffusion of SDSN.edu education tools in the Mediterranean , and Euro-Mediterranean joint programming in the context of EU planning activities.
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United Nations Global Compact
At the end of 2015, VIU entered the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), a voluntary United Nations initiative that aims to encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies. On February 23, 2016, VIU joined also the Global Compact Network Italy Foundation (GCNI). Launched in 1999, the Global Compact initiative counts today 13000 corporate and other stakeholders participants, in 161 countries worldwide. Companies and institutions joining the Global Compact initiative publicly commit to align their corporate strategies and operations with the 10 Global Compact Principles on human rights, labor, environment and anti- corruption and to take steps to support UN goals, in order to create a sustainable and inclusive global economy that delivers lasting benefits to people, communities and markets. The local networks, as the Global Compact Network Italia, work to advance the initiative and its 10 Principles at country level. They help companies understand what responsible business means within different national, cultural and language contexts and facilitate outreach, learning, policy dialogue, collective action and partnerships.
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