International Symposium
7th – 8th – 9th – June – 2012 – Bologna
Interview to Nicoletta Marini-Maio and Ellen Nerenberg
The recent events concerning gendered identities and the way they intersect with politics and society under the cultural hegemony of Berlusconi’s Italy (e.g., underage prostitution, the highly sexualized parties – “bunga bunga” – the premier hosts at his villas, the appointment to political office of some of the women appearing on the prime minister’s television network) give rise to a series of questions about the state of gender and postfeminism in Italian culture. The Berlusconi of our title indexes historical and cultural parameters, political cachet, and socio-economic contexts and not an actual individual. In the context of Italy’s Second Republic (1994 to the present), our subject is the shift in cultural paradigms rooted in the ‘Age of Berlusconi’, a concept that we believe maps political, social and economic coordinates beginning toward the end of the 1980s.  By gendered identities we mean constructions of femininity and masculinity as well as configurations of sexual orientation and critiques… Continue reading

Bologna is home to a world-renowned institution devoted to the promotion, study and preservation of film, the Cineteca di Bologna. Its Cinema Lumière screens a huge selection of movies throughout the year, with a rich program that features independent movies, rarities, classics, animated and silent films (sometimes with live music). Next to the theatre is the Renzo Renzi library which boasts a collection of 38,000 books, 1,100 international and Italian film journals from the Silent Era to the present, 18,000 audiovisual materials, 200,000 movie posters and more than 1,500,000 photographs.  The catalogue of its books and journals is available online, along with that of the audiovisual materials. The library also holds the Charlie Chaplin archive project, which contains the personal and professional archive of the great director. Taking full advantage of the Cineteca’s unmatched resources, E.C.Co. offers an exciting in-house film course. Continue reading →

The E.C.Co. students have a chance to get to know the Italian educational system from within by teaching English to children at a Bolognese public school (age 6-11 at the Scuola Elementare, or age 11-14 at the Scuola Media). With just one hour a week of their time they get a terrific first-hand teaching experience. Our past students have said:

“I had a wonderful time volunteering at the Scuola, I would really recommend doing this volunteer program if you are at all interested in teaching or if you like children. It was one of the highlights of my week!” Amy (Fall 2010)

“My experience at the school was very enlightening and educative. I realized that I really like working with children and also how hard it is. It was really challenging: I had to keep in balance the work with individual pupils and the whole class and try to keep everyone engaged, yet the work is extremely rewarding.” Elena (Fall 2010) Continue reading →

Bologna has an extraordinary artistic and historical heritage and for this reason it itself is a museum. Genius bononiae – Musei della città – a cultural and artistic path throughout the city center – is gradually opening its eight restored historical buildings to the public. These include Palazzo Pepoli Vecchio, Biblioteca d’Arte e di Storia di San Giorgio in Poggiale, Complesso di San Colombano, Palazzo Fava, Chiesa di Santa Maria della Vita, Casa Saraceni, Complesso Monumentale di San Michele in Bosco and Chiesa di Santa Cristina – all monuments containing precious works of art, ancient books and other signs of Bologna’s millennial civilization. Aside from its treasure-filled churches, Bologna’s world-renowned Pinacoteca Nazionale is home to some of the greatest Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces in the country, including works by Raphael, Lavinia Fontana, the Carracci, Guido Reni, Guercino, and many others. Lovers of modern and contemporary art will also find a lot to see in Bologna: the studio and museum of the great Bolognese painter Giorgio Morandi, the recently opened Mambo (Museo… Continue reading

When you think of Italy, your mind probably goes straight to art, literature and the other liberal arts. But did you know that the University of Bologna has 39 world-class science departments, as well as science museums and specialized libraries? Faculties such as the Faculty of Natural Sciences (where you will find physics, chemistry, mathematics, geology, biotechnology, etc.), the Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Agriculture, the Faculty of Industrial Chemistry and the Faculty of Pharmacy offer hundreds of courses, many of which are sure to appeal to you. Working with your advisor back home, the E.C.Co. staff can help you find exciting courses appropriate for your science major. Continue reading →

The University of Bologna is home to a prominent Department of Political Science and International Relations. With students coming from many countries around the world and its prestigious faculty, it is one of the best departments of its kind in Italy. Within SPBO (Scienze Politiche Bologna), E.C.Co. students will have the opportunity to take a wide range of courses in the fields of Political Science, International Relations, Gender Studies, Law, and History. Continue reading →