Study Abroad

Green School Semester in Genoa 2025: Genoa and the Italian Renaissance

Led by: Douglas Kincaid, Program Director

January 6, 2025- April 18, 2025

Designed for social science and humanities students, this program offers the opportunity to study critically important contemporary issues -- citizenship, identity and immigration-- with a focus on Italy in the European contact, while residing in the historic center of a city that has practically defined globalization for more than 800 years.

Since the 1980s Italy has experienced several waves of immigration from Balkan, Middle Eastern and African countries. Over the last 20 years anti-immigration has grown and become more closely linked to national politics, a development that echoed the situation in other Western European countries. Recently new crises in the Middle East and Africa have generated massive immigration and refugee flows, with Italy as one of the principal gateways for European destinations. Managing this crisis has become a major challenge, both for Italy and the European Union, with important consequences for social identity, human rights, and democratic governance.

Courses and Classes

This program is comprised of four 3-credit courses (12 credits total). It is divided into a Spring A term and Spring B term, with two courses to be taken in each term. The courses and instructors are:

Spring A:

• ITA 1135 Accelerated Italian (Magda Pearson, Modern Languages)
• EUH 4434 Italy During the Renaissance (Elizabeth Terry-Roisin, History)

Spring B:

• SYD 4610 Topics in Sociology: Genoa, Venice, and the Rise of the Capitalist World Economy (Guillermo Grenier and Douglas Kincaid, Global and Sociocultural Studies)
• ARH 4310 Early Italian Renaissance (Margherita Orsero, University of Genoa)

Classes will be held at FIU’s Genoa Center, which is housed in the Convent of Santa Maria di Castello, a 1,000-year-old structure in the oldest part of the city, on a hill overlooking the port of Genoa.

Trips and Activities

The program will include several day trips or overnight trips to these historic and beautiful locations:

• Venice
• Rome
• Milan
• Lucca and Pisa
• Torino
• Cinque Terre

 Costs of these trips and activities (except for food) will be covered by the program.

Housing

Students will reside in shared apartments in the historic center of the city and within walking distance of the Genoa Center, the port, shopping, and the major spots for university student night life. All apartments are fully furnished with kitchens, cookware and dishes, and bed linens and towels.

 For more information:

Contact the Department of Global and Sociocultural Studies by sending an email to GSS@fiu.edu, or calling (305) 348-2247.

Education Abroad website: https://abroad.fiu.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=10313