United World College of the Adriatic

United World College of the Adriatic
Location
Duino, Duino-Aurisina Comune, TS, Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, Italy
Information
Type	International Baccalaureate
Motto	UWC makes education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future
Established	1982
President	Ambassador Gianfranco Facco Bonetti (August 2008-)
Headmaster	Peter Howe (August 2008-)
Number of students	c. 200
Campus type	Residential, urban
Color(s)	Navy blue/Aquamarine
Affiliation	United World Colleges
Website	www.uwcad.it

United World College of the Adriatic (UWC Adriatic or UWCAd ) is a part of the United World Colleges, a global educational movement that brings together students from all over the world – selected on personal merit, irrespective of race, religion, politics and the ability to pay – with the explicit aim of fostering peace and international understanding. The school is attended by around 200 students, all on full scholarship, from over 80 different countries, aged 16–19, who study the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, a two-year internationally recognized pre-university program.

The school is hosted in the village of Duino, between Trieste and Monfalcone, in North-Eastern Italy in the Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, less than 5 km from the Slovenian border. It was founded in 1982, by the Region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, with the support of the Italian Government and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who are still the major financial supporters of the College.

Students and Staff

All students of UWCAd are selected by UWC national selection committees in their home countries, through a severe selection process on the basis of academic achievement, leadership potential, extracurricular activities involvement and personal qualities. The students selected are awarded a full scholarship, that covers all costs for full board and tuition for the two years . The Italian National Committee for United World Colleges acts under the patronage of the President of the Italian Republic and is responsible for communication with the international organisation and for the selection of Italian pupils .

In academic year 2011-12, the school will host 184 students, of which approximately 15% are Italian, 15% come from Western Europe, 20% from Eastern Europe, 15% from the Americas, 15% from Africa and the Middle East and 20% from Asia and Oceania. Teachers are also hired on an international level. Apart from being responsible for classroom teaching they act as personal tutors for a group of students and contribute to the residential nature of the College and the running of activities and services.

Life at UWCAd

UWCAd, following the ideals of Kurt Hahn, founder of the UWC movement, believes in a holistic approach to education which makes personal development of the student central. The United World College of the Adriatic offers the International Baccalaureate (IB), a two years pre-university program offered by more than 2500 schools around the world and recognized for university entry in over 80 countries. Courses at the College are taught in English. Many students have however entered the College in the past with very poor English and have managed, with great determination, to master the language. These students are offered extra tutoring at the beginning of the academic year for as long as necessary. The Italian National Committee does not consider knowledge of English a prerequisite for application.

All students must fulfil the requirements of the IB diploma, taking at least six subject from different subject areas. In addition the College places fundamental importance on the Creativity Action Service (CAS) requirement, which means that each student is required to commit him/herself to weekly involvement in at least one creative activity, one physical activity and one social service.

The College offers a wide varieties of subjects for students to choose from, in the limits imposed by the IB requirements (all students, unless special exception, take English, their native language, a humanity course, a science course and a mathematics course). In addition, all students at the College are required to study Italian. Most do so as beginners in the language and take Italian as part of their IB programme. For a minority it may be a seventh subject. One of the College's most popular subjects, "World Arts and Cultures", has been developed in the College by Prof. Henry Thomas, initially as a school based syllabus, and is now taught by IB schools in several countries. The College is also renowned for its collaboration with the Scuola Trio di Trieste, which offers a high level of music education. To foster excellence in music the College used to accept 5 students a year under a special music scholarship. The practice was recently discontinued in academic year 2009-10 in an attempt to standardize admission procedures.

The fundamental importance of creativity, action, service (CAS) is reflected by the wide varieties of activities organized in the College. The physical activities program aims at taking advantage out of the location of the College, close to the Alps and the Adriatic Sea, thus including activities such a cross-country and downhill skiing, hiking, kayaking and sailing. The creative activities program offers a wide variety of choices, ranging from drama to Art, pottery, choir, photography. Community service lies at the heart of the UWC philosophy, and the College offers students a wide choice of services, which substantially contribute to creating a bond between the college and the local community.

Students at UWCAd also take part in a variety of initiatives that go beyond the IB curriculum :

• Project Weeks. One week a year where students plan and carry out their own in-depth project, related to some part of the UWC mission statement.
• Focus. Student-run presentations on issues of particular national or international relevance. Focuses usually run weekly every Sunday evening.
• International Affairs. Lectures and presentations involving a bi-weekly speaker series, encompassing academics and international organization professionals, poets, writers and journalists, politicians, diplomats, NGO workers and scientists.
• National Weeks. Period of time during the academic year where students who belong to certain national and linguistic groups present their culture to other members of College.
• International Shows. Several times during the year students give shows consisting of dance, music and sketches. Shows might be organized to support a charity. Traditionally three shows are organized during the year to mark special event: the Introductory show at the beginning of the year; the so-called "EE-show", usually shortly after the deadline for submission of the Extended Essay, right before the beginning of Winter Break and the IB show, right after the IB exams in May.

College and Facilities

One of the UWCAd's residences, facing the Adriatic sea, with the Duino castle in the background

The College does not have a closed campus, rather it is integrated in the village of Duino. Currently it consists of several buildings, including:

• The School building, where most classes take place.
• The Laboratories (Physics, Environmental Systems, Biology and Chemistry).
• Art Centre, Music Room, Auditorium, Office Building (also hosting the Library).

In addition Adriatic College has six residences, each different and with its own atmosphere. The smallest houses 12 students, and the largest just over 50. The biggest residence, known as "Foresteria", hosts the Mensa and used to belong to the nearby Duino Castle. Four residences house both male and female students, on separate floors or in separate villas. At the moment the students live in six residences: Palazzine, Old Offices, Ples, Scholz, Lucchese and Foresteria. The rooms are primarily for two, three, or four students, along with a small number of single rooms. Each student is given a bed, desk and closet. Each residence has a residence tutor—a teacher who lives in a flat in, or close to, the residence, who is responsible for the smooth running of the residence, and offers a wide range of support for the students. Residence life is a central aspect in the UWC experience and rooms are usually allocated so to mix students from different backgrounds as much as possible.

Curiosities

UWCAd was the first United World College to be opened in a non-English speaking country, and is currently one of the very few schools in Italy having English as a working language. This particular situation created a "Duino slang" which usually consists in italinising English worlds. Certain Italian terms are also widely used, for example the terms "secondo/a" to indicate a second year student and "primo/a" for a first year student.

One of the current College residences used to be a Hotel and is widely believed by the student population to be the place where the Physicist Ludwig Boltzmann hanged himself in 1906. Students generally sit their IB Physics exams in the building.

Students at the College are eligible, after graduation, to participate in the Shelby Davis Scholarship programme, which funds undergraduate study, based on need, for UWC students at over 90 universities in the United States, including most Ivy League universities.

Notable alumni

• Chrystia Freeland (born 1968), Reuters editor.
• Marina Catena (born 1968), Italian UN official.
• Karen Mok (born 1970), Hong Kong singer.
• Ghil'ad Zuckermann (born 1971), Israeli linguist.
• Tara Sharma (born 1977), Indian actress.
• Juan Pablo Di Pace (born 1979), Argentinian actor.

External links

• UWCAd Official Site
• UWCAd Ex-Students' site, generation 2002-2004
• UWCAd Ex-Students' site, generation 1997-1999
• Sito della Commissione Nazionale Italiana per i Collegi del Mondo Unito (Italian)
• У міжнародныя каледжы прыняты новыя навучэнцы з Беларусі // 2009.05.02 (Be)