Pisa Study Abroad Program (in photos)

Over the past several weeks, I’ve had the pleasure of leading a study abroad program with colleagues at MIT and the University of Pisa that involved a summer school, an international conference, and a hiking expedition in the Apuan Alps. Since we all survived the experience and had an amazing time in the process, I thought I’d share some pictures/videos from each phase of the program.

The program began with an intensive summer school at the University of Pisa’s Residence Le Benedettine. The summer school was attended by some 40 students from 20 countries and focused on exploring sustainable transitions in employment, economic welfare, and the environment that build on the roots of ecological economics. The photos below capture a few moments from the summer school, including a trip to the leaning tower of Pisa and cathedral complex.

During the second phase of the program, students attended the 14th Conference of the European Society for Ecological Economics (ESEE). The video to the right captures the chamber ensemble “I Bei Legami” performing a piece during the opening ceremony of the conference. This music was the soundtrack of the study abroad program – enjoy!

Since the majority of students attending the summer school were enrolled in doctoral programs, many of them presented their research during the conference. This also meant the summer school teaching faculty could attend their sessions and return the favor of asking difficult questions 😉 The conference also included a social dinner at the Big Fish Restaurant in Marina di Pisa, about 20km from Pisa. I have included several pictures from this dinner below, after a few pictures from the conference.

A unique event that occurred during the conference was the Luminara of San Ranieri, which involved the lighting of some 70,000 candles on the facade of buildings along the river running through the city of Pisa. This event also included a 30-minute fireworks display that was among the best I have experienced.

The final phase of the program consisted of hiking in the stunning Apuan Alps. We hiked up to and stayed at the Rifugio Carrara for four nights, from which we launched several significant treks into the mountains surrounding Carrara. We also visited a marble mine with a local NGO to understand the various impacts from the ongoing mining activities on the environment and community.

None of the above activities would have been possible without the tremendous efforts of Prof. Tommaso Luzzati and Dr. Tiziano Distefano, who taught in the summer school, led the planning of the ESEE conference, and organized the hiking logistics.

Pisa Study Abroad – Last Call

This is the final call for students interested in the Pisa, Italy, study abroad program. This unique study abroad program will provide students with a transdisciplinary perspective on sustainable development and is intended for rising seniors and graduate students interested in planning, policy, economics, business, innovation, environmental studies, and law. The program will explore the many dimensions of sustainability and how national, multinational, and international political and legal mechanisms can be used to further a transition towards sustainable development.

The program includes a summer school at the University of Pisa, attendance of 14th Conference of the European Society for Ecological Economics (ESEE), and hiking in the Apuan Alps.

If you are interested in the program, please contact me by March 31.

While this program was designed for students at Virginia Tech and MIT, it is open to any rising senior or graduate student in good academic standing at any institute of higher education in the US. See below for more information on how to register as a non-Virginia Tech student.

Non-Virginia Tech Students

Create a non-VT study abroad account with the Global Education Office and apply for the study abroad program by the March 31 deadline.
Your study abroad application will be reviewed. If you are offered acceptance to the study abroad program, the offer is pending admission to Virginia Tech as a Non-Degree Seeking student. To apply, complete the non-degree application. The non-degree application requires a $60 application fee and transcripts from previous studies.
Non-degree applications are generally reviewed and approved within 72 hours. Students receive a non-degree offer letter with a Virginia Tech student ID number in order to pay study abroad program fees and be registered for the course.
Non-Virginia residents pay the out-of-state tuition rate (listed on the financial matters tab), unless students can document Virginia residency. For more information on qualifying for in-state status, see the in-state eligibility page.
Students need to work with their home institution (academic adviser/faculty adviser/Registrar’s Office) to verify whether the Virginia Tech course/transcript can be transferred and count toward their degree.

Seminar – Theory for Action (Feb 4, 12pm)

On Friday, February 4, from 12 – 1pm, Dr. Tiziano Distefano (University of Pisa, Italy) will talk about his research on applying system dynamics to address climate change and social inequality.

Please register here to obtain the Zoom link for the seminar.

During his presentation, Dr. Distefano will also talk about a unique summer 2022 VT-MIT-UNIPI Study Abroad program (in Pisa, Italy) that will explore transitions towards sustainability and enable students to attend the 14th Conference of the European Society for Ecological Economics (ESEE) and hike and learn in the Apuan Alps.