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意大利这座城市吸引国际留学生的4个原因

stephanie@qs.com — Mon, 25 Nov 2019 15:27:48 +0000

4 Reasons Why this Italian City is a Hit with International Students

stephanie@qs.com Mon, 11/25/2019 - 15:27

Mon, 11/25/2019 - 15:00

意大利这座城市吸引国际留学生的4个原因

Sponsored by University of Padua

Situated in northern Italy, Padua has been a top study destination since its university’s establishment in 1222. The three-century long rule by the Republic of Venice ensured the freedom of teaching, research and study which attracted many of the best scholars and students from all over the world. Not to mention its stunning blend of culture and architecture, along with some of the best food and drink in the world.

To find out what else makes Padua an attractive study destination for international students, we spoke to a few of them from the University of Padua to find out.

An exciting city with a small town feel

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“There’s always something to do, and you will quickly feel at home in Padua's historic streets,” said US student, Ysadora Ashton Mirabelli-Montan, who’s studying the Master’s degree program in Italian Food and Wine.

Stylish boutiques along with independent cafés, bars and restaurants are often frequented by the young and hip student population in Padua. Within the university campus and beyond, there’s a real sense of international community here to make you feel at home in no time – no matter where you’re from.

30 percent of the local population are students, so it’s safe to say Padua is very much a student-centered town with lots of things to see and do, according to Ysadora: “There are all types of entertaining places where you can spend time with friends.”

Music lovers can also rejoice as Padua plays host to a myriad of concerts and music festivals: from trap music to opera, jazz to pop, many national and international music artists are invited to perform in various locations around the city throughout the year.

Both the city and university of Padua are home to over 20 museums between them. Padua also boasts Europe’s first university botanical garden, Orto Botanico di Padova, which was established by the University of Padua in 1545.

Padua is no stranger to olde-worlde markets either. Each day you can pick up fresh fruit and vegetables in abundance, or root your way through the flea market for excellent vintage finds.

It’s home to Italy’s second oldest university

Founded in 1222, the University of Padua is one of Italy’s oldest and most prestigious universities. Its range of multidisciplinary degree programs, many of which are taught exclusively in English, attract hundreds of international students to study here each year.

“I chose to study here because the program has courses that fit my needs and interests and there are opportunities to perform research here,” said Greek student, Christos Giannakidis, who’s studying the Master’s degree program in Physics.

The university’s distinguished reputation for research and world-class teaching staff also make it an attractive option for students from both home and abroad.

“I chose to study at the University of Padua because it’s one of the best universities in Italy and it had my desired master’s program,” said Astghik Stepanyan, an Armenian student who’s studying the Master’s degree program in Medical Biotechnologies.

“The professors are great, intelligent and always try to improve themselves according to students’ requirements,” she said.

The University of Padua also boasts its very own ‘Buddy Scheme’, where international students on their Erasmus, exchange or full degree course can be paired up with a master’s student at the university who is there to help them with any query or issue they have about university life.

And for those who are looking to up expand their language repertoire, the university’s Tandem Face2Face program is a great way to do this. The language learning scheme lets you partner with another student whose native language is different from yours, enabling you both to develop your language skills.

The food and drink is enough to write home about

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Padua is allegedly where Aperol, the key ingredient to the world-famous ‘Aperol Spritz’, was invented.

“Spritz is the best drink I have ever tasted,” confessed Ysadora.

It’s a local evening tradition for groups of friends and couples to enjoy a glass or two of Spritz in one of Padua’s piazzas, and this makes for a chilled and relaxing atmosphere across the city.

There’s more to life in Padua than Aperol though. Studying and living in Padua means it won’t be long before you’re sampling some of Italy’s finest cuisine. From pasta to pizza, gelato to coffee, the Italian food scene will always leave you wanting more.

It’s a bike-friendly city

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Padua is a city that loves to cycle. With almost everyone taking to two wheels to get around the city, it’s enough to give the likes of Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Oxford a ride for their money (pun intended).

“It’s a beautiful city, and the roads are almost always flat so you can cycle around easily,” said Astghik.

Although, this doesn’t necessarily mean everyone follows the rules of the road. Be sure to keep your cycle helmet nearby as you embark on your leisurely cycle rides, whether it’s to your 9am lecture or an afternoon chill in the park with friends.

Still not convinced?

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来威尼斯学习建筑、时尚、设计和艺术的8个理由

stephanie@qs.com — Mon, 05 Aug 2019 14:46:36 +0000

Top 8 Reasons to Study Architecture, Fashion, Design and Art In Venice

stephanie@qs.com Mon, 08/05/2019 - 15:46

Mon, 08/05/2019 - 16:30

来威尼斯学习建筑、时尚、设计和艺术的8个理由

Sponsored by Università Iuav di Venezia

The city that defies gravity, Venice is full of hidden gems, from intricate canals to endless cobbled streets. Studying here means you’ll get to enjoy divine Italian cuisine, as well as a cultural heritage that’s beyond fascinating. It’s easy to see why the ‘Floating City’ is a huge hit with tourists and students alike.

Venice is also home to some of the world’s most famous artists, while its Venetian architecture is an inspiration to artists and designers all over the globe. So, if you’re contemplating the idea of moving to Venice to study architecture, fashion, design or art, let us tell you eight good reasons why you should.

Venice is a trendsetter when it comes to architecture, fashion, design and art

For hundreds of years, art aficionados of the highest caliber have left their mark on the city, including the world-famous Italian painters, Canaletto, Titian and Tintoretto, along with architect, Palladio.

The city is overwhelmed with outstanding architecture and art and there are uninterrupted traditional links between the city and Università Iuav di Venezia, an institution that’s recognized widely for its excellence in an unparalleled city and dates back almost 100 years.

You’ll study at one of the leading design universities in Italy

If you’ve got a particular passion for architecture, you’ll be glad to know that this year, the Università Iuav di Venezia launched a brand-new, English-taught Master Degree Program in Architecture.

Having ranked third in Italy for architecture/built environment in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2019, the master’s program is directed by Professor Fernanda De Maio, who describes the program as being inspired by “an international climate to build friendly competition, but also to develop curiosity towards different horizons, with students and teachers coming from different places.”

Università Iuav di Venezia is one of the leading public universities in the field of architecture, design, fashion, visual arts, planning and urban design, and was also voted the third best university in Italy for art and design in this year’s QS subject rankings.

You can foster your design expertise in a subject-specific workshop

Università Iuev de Venezia runs subject-specific workshops for its degree programs, giving students the opportunity to interact with world-class professionals and lecturers and work with state-of-the-art technology.

Feast on Venetian cuisine

Of course, being an Italian city there’s no getting away from pizza and pasta here. Nor is it possible to resist indulging in Italian ice cream goodness.

Add those Italian staples to Venice’s notoriously excellent fresh sea-food cuisine and you’ll never want to leave the dinner table, let alone the city!

Experience a whole new culture

If you’re a big coffee fan, there’s one rule you should always follow if you want to fit in with the locals: never order a latte in the afternoon. Lattes and cappuccinos are considered a morning drink in Italian coffee culture, as they’re considered too heavy for afternoon drinking.

Second of all, soccer/football/whatever you like to call it, is big business in Italy. From September to May, it’s more than likely you’re going to find yourself sitting in a local bar screaming enthusiastically at the television screen along with hundreds of other football fans as you cheer on your local team. (Hint, if you’re studying in Venice, you’re going to want to support Venezia F.C.)

Don’t forget to dip your toes (more likely wading up to your knees) in the water at Piazza de San Marco at high tide. Make sure to also get involved with the spectacle of Venice Carnival which is famous worldwide for its elaborate masks and costume designs.

And if money gets a little tight, you’ll be pleased to learn there’s free access to all state museums and archaeological sites in Italy on the first Sunday of each month.

Learn the local lingo

Being able to speak multiple languages can only ever be a good thing, right?! Although English is the universal language of education, living and studying in the heart of Venice means you’ll be exposed to Italian on a daily basis.

Not only does speaking a second, third or fourth language benefit you when it comes to ordering a caffè espresso, or asking for directions from a friendly local, but prospective employers will fall at your feet when it comes to the inevitable graduate job search after your Italian education adventure comes to an end.

Learn to navigate the city’s network of waterways and neighborhood canals

We’ve already established that Venice is nicknamed the ‘Floating City’, but what happens when you want to make your way around the place?

Sure, you could try to navigate the maze of bridges and alleyways, but the city’s famous gondolas offer an alternative option. You’ll experience the sights of Venice in a whole new way as you cruise down the Grand Canal. But be aware, they can be pricey and gondola rush hour traffic is a real thing.

You could be awarded a scholarship

If our seven other compelling reasons weren’t enough to persuade you to consider studying art and design in Venice, perhaps the prospect of being awarded a scholarship can help?

Università Iuav di Venezia offers various scholarships and other funding opportunities for students, including tuition fee waivers. Study@Iuav is a special scholarship opportunity dedicated to international students.

“The low cost of the degree course and the scholarship options available are certainly another significant element of our commitment to offering those who love Italy and its cultural heritage an opportunity that is both qualified, sustainable and democratic,” says Professor Fernanda De Maio.

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Things I Wish I'd Known Before Moving to Milan

sponsored.content@qs.com — Fri, 12 Jan 2018 09:48:04 +0000

Things I Wish I'd Known Before Moving to Milan

sponsored.cont… Fri, 01/12/2018 - 09:48

Fri, 01/12/2018 - 09:45

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Learning Italian is a lot easier once you’re here

Now, you might not need to learn Italian to study in Italy because some universities, including IULM, offer master’s programs instructed in English. However, knowing the language makes your experience a lot more enjoyable, and it’s an easy language to learn.

Thanks to a fairly intense year of language training, my classmates and I learned Italian fairly rapidly. My course at Scuola Leonardo da Vinci started in October 2014, and by June 2015, most of us mastered C1 Italian. Of course, what made it a lot easier for us is the immersion aspect. You’re constantly hearing and speaking Italian in shops, on the bus, in the street and when with friends, which trains your ear without almost any effort from your part.

Brace. Yourself. For. The. Paperwork

Like most expats living in Italy, the bureaucracy is my least favourite thing about living in Milan, but it’s nothing that can’t be defeated if you come prepared and ask for help. When you apply for a stay permit, fiscal code and health insurance, you have to make sure you bring all of the documents with you. In my experience, clerks tend to be very helpful, and I’ve had people from one department help me with administrative procedures in a completely different one.

Don’t worry too much about applying for health insurance and a stay permit on your own though because your university’s International Students Guidance Office should be able to help you tackle bureaucratic issues.

Carry an Italian language pocketbook on your person until you are fluent

While most people in big cities such as Milan will speak English, you may find yourself in difficulty if you can’t speak the language and want to travel in the countryside (which you definitely should do by the way, it’s absolutely gorgeous). I once found myself stranded on the outskirts of Milan and no one could help me because they didn’t speak a word of English. Obviously this is a fairly extraordinary circumstance, so you’re unlikely to have exactly the same issue, but it’s worth remembering before going on any day trips.

Milan’s a buzzing cosmopolis with new stuff to do everyday

I love fashion, so much so that my claim to fame is that I once had lunch with a former designer for Prada. So, obviously I already suspected before moving here that Milan was going to be a fashionable place. What I didn’t expect was the broad range of things to do in the city every day, from art and culture to nights out, as well as the sheer number of work opportunities you can access through IULM.

Getting around Milan and the country will be easier than you think

One of my friends is interested in art, and she often visits different museums in Milan and other parts of the country on the weekend. Transportation in Italy is very convenient and affordable, so if you’re desperate to see a bit more of Italy than your university campus, I would definitely recommend that you get on a train and explore because your course will be over before you know it.

You won’t be left to fend for yourself in Milan

Obviously, this will largely depend on the university itself. At IULM, I’ve found that I always had a safety net I could rely on, thanks in part to their international office open Monday to Friday, their big notice board with messages for international students, their internships and placement department, their bookshop, printing center, and their multimedia and audiovisuals room. In addition, all teachers have office hours so you can visit them outside of class if you have any personal issues you’d like to discuss with them privately.

Melis spoke to a member of the TopUniversities team for this sponsored article.

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超过一半的意大利学生计划毕业后继续学习

craig@qs.com — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 14:05:10 +0000

Over Half of Italian Students Plan to Keep Studying After Graduation

craig@qs.com Mon, 06/19/2017 - 15:05

Mon, 06/19/2017 - 15:45

超过一半的意大利学生计划毕业后继续学习

Over half of Italian BSc students would consider continuing their studies after graduation instead of entering the workplace, according to a new survey.

Of those interested in studying further, one of the most popular options was a two-year master’s program to complete the “3+2” educational path recommended by the Italian education system.

Over 7,000 BSc students were surveyed by Docsity for the report, which also found that students were more likely to consider going abroad after graduating if they understood and spoke a high level of English. This is despite the fact that the level of English knowledge among Italian students lags behind many other European countries. Students most likely to move abroad were those studying management, foreign languages, political sciences and STEM subjects.

Unsurprisingly given the correlation between proficiency in English and interest in moving abroad, the most popular destinations were the UK and US, with Germany, Switzerland and the Nordic countries close behind. Many of those surveyed said they felt their job prospects would be greater if they studied a second degree in a foreign country.

Whether this high level of interest in studying and living abroad means Italy is at risk of a “brain drain” of talented young graduates remains to be seen, although Docsity believe this won’t be the case. A spokesperson for the company said: “This is a ‘talent exchange’ that will allow Italian and European students to live a life-changing experience and gain an international mindset.”

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8 Things We’re Fed Up of Seeing People Get Wrong About Italian Food

mathilde@qs.com — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 11:43:47 +0000

8 Things We’re Fed Up of Seeing People Get Wrong About Italian Food

mathilde@qs.com Thu, 04/13/2017 - 12:43

Thu, 04/13/2017 - 13:15

8 Things We’re Fed Up of Seeing People Get Wrong About Italian Food main image

Last year, Italy’s highest court of appeal ruled stealing tiny amounts of food was not a crime if done to fend off hunger. Only a few months later, another Italian court allowed a divorced father struggling financially to pay child support to his ex-wife in the form of pizza.

Basically, at the risk of sounding trite, Italians take nourishment very seriously. If, like us and the Italians, you’re a food and wine fanatic, you’ll understand how distressing it is to see misguided food bloggers and amateur chefs ruin classic Italian foods. Here are eight foodie mistakes people need to stop making in 2017.

1. Inventing pizza burgers, lasagna sandwiches and other monstrosities

Nope. No. Just…no. Pizza burgers are an egregious abuse of Italian gastronomy. That goes for any other fast food hybrids of Italian cuisine too.

2. Keeping cheese in a plastic wrap… gasps

Classic rookie mistake. As you’ll know, keeping your cheese in a plastic wrap just means you’re permeating your cheese with the taste and scent of plastic…

3. Putting red wine or fresh mozzarella in the fridge…just no

In life, there are two distinct sorts of people: those who are happy to eat rubber and drink vinegar and those who never refrigerate their mozzarella or their red wine.

Like wine, fresh mozzarella must never be refrigerated. The creamy luscious cheese that would normally melt onto your plate turns into latex after it’s been chilled, while your leftover red wine turns into an undrinkable vinegar.

4. Constantly misusing basic Italian words like pepperoni

Order a pepperoni pizza in Italy and, as we’re sure you know, you’ll be served a pizza with bell pepper toppings. People who confuse pepperoni with salame are the absolute worst.

5. Spaghetti in a tin is a crime against Italy

There’s absolutely no excuse to eat spaghetti from a tin, unless it’s war-time or a period of post-Brexit rationing. Tossing a handful of spaghetti in a pan of boiling water and improvising a pesto or garlicky tomato sauce is easy as pie (if anything, it’s actually easier than making a pie).

6. There’s no reason for pre-grated, bagged cheese to exist. None

Pre-grated cheese is an assault against beauty. Besides all the added ingredients manufacturers often add to pre-grated cheese to prevent it from caking, like cellulose (basically wood pulp) and potato starch, pre-grated cheese often grows moldy at the speed of light.

7. Chicken carbonara, chicken parmesan, fettuccine alfredo, spaghetti with meatballs? No, grazie

None of these recipes are actually Italian. Italians aren’t in the habit of mixing carbs or of adding chicken and beef meatballs to their pasta. Also, any recipe for pasta alla carbonara sauce which contains anything but eggs, lard and pecorino cheese is indecent and undignified.

8. Sprinkling parmesan on spaghetti alle vongole

A cardinal rule of Italian cooking: never add grated cheese to fish or seafood. Madonne!

For a delightful roundup of some of the best angry comments left by Italians on the Internet, we recommend you follow the hilarious Twitter account, @ItalianComments.

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来威尼斯留学的八件妙事

guest.writer@qs.com — Mon, 03 Apr 2017 14:27:06 +0000

Eight Magical Things to Know About Studying in Venice

guest.writer@qs.com Mon, 04/03/2017 - 15:27

Mon, 04/03/2017 - 16:00

来威尼斯留学的八件妙事

By Sopiko Beriashvili

Living and studying in Venice, Italy is a completely different experience to anywhere else in Europe. Last year, I had the chance to continue my studies at Ca’ Foscari University in Venice. From the moment I arrived in the city, I knew my lifestyle and routine were going to be completely different to what I was used to back home in Tbilisi, Georgia. Venice can feel like another world, or even another time, and I loved every moment of it. Here are eight reasons why Venice is so magical.

You won’t find a single car, zebra crossing or traffic light in Venice

Apart from at the city entrance, there is no way of using cars, bikes or motorcycles in Venice, because the entire city is a collection of islands, connected by bridges. This means you have to get around the city either on foot or by water-craft. If you are taking a water-bus, bear in mind that they don’t function like normal buses, which stop on either side of the road. One water-bus stop will be served by boats going in both directions, so make sure you get on the right one!

Traffic jams are caused by tourists instead of cars, as people pose on the bridges to take selfies

Venice’s population of roughly 260,000 is bolstered daily by an influx of up to 70,000 tourists. As a result, the city gets really crowded, especially during carnival and in summer. The tourists mostly stop on the bridges to take picturesque selfies, though this does often mean they end up “blocking” the road.

You learn how to monitor the tide in the city

At my initial orientation meeting at Ca’ Foscari University, we were warned about the tide and encouraged to download Hi!Tide Venice, an app which tells you if different places around the city are flooded and where to walk without getting wet. When the tide is approaching, locals can be seen wearing rubber boots around the city. If you’re only visiting as a tourist, plastic rain boots are designed for you. Or...

Keep your feet dry by walking on the raised plank walkways

During high tide, city sanitation workers set out raised plank walkways (passarelle) throughout Venice, so tourists and locals can get around the city. Passarelle can be found in the area where the aqua alta (high tide) is most expected.

The beautiful Gothic architecture makes it hard to tell the buildings apart

Over centuries, the famous old buildings in Venice have stayed the same but the purpose of the them has changed. Some of them are now university buildings or museums, yet these grand and decorative buildings can sometimes be something as ordinary as a bank.

You can only drink milky coffee in the mornings

Italians believe drinking any coffee with milk in it, such as cappuccino, after a meal messes up the ability to digest properly.

You can pay less for drinks in Venice’s bars and cafes if you stay on your feet

In Venice, if you sit at the outdoor tables of the cafe or bar, you should be expected to be charged slightly more for your cup of coffee or glass of wine than if you choose to drink on your feet at the bar or outside. Why doesn’t every country do this?

You get free access to National Venetian Museums on every first Sunday of the month

Since 2014, all state museums and archeological sites in Italy can be visited for free on the first Sunday of each month. Take full advantage of this while you’re here, there are some amazing things to see.

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