Program Overview
The School of Philosophy at Fudan University has signed a five-year cooperation agreement with Ca’ Foscari University of Venice in Italy. Under this agreement, the student exchange program is open to all undergraduate and graduate students majoring in Philosophy or Art History. Each year, both universities will send 1 to 3 students to the partner institution for one academic year of exchange study, or 1 to 6 students for a one-semester exchange. Upon completion of the exchange period, the host institution will send transcripts to the student’s home university as proof of course and academic completion. Students may transfer the credits earned during the exchange back to their home university, subject to relevant regulations.
Participants in the program are exempt from paying tuition fees to the host university, but must continue to pay tuition to their home university. They are also responsible for covering their own travel expenses, accommodation, meals, health and accident insurance, as well as any required textbooks or learning materials. Students must also provide the host institution with necessary documents such as a passport, visa, residence permit, etc., according to the regulations. To date, two undergraduate students and three doctoral students from Fudan University have taken part in the program.
In addition to the above agreement, in 2020 the School of Philosophy at Fudan University and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice signed a three-year Erasmus+ cooperation agreement, which was approved by the European Union.
University Introduction
Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (Italian: Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia; English: Ca’ Foscari University of Venice) is located in the picturesque north-eastern Italian city of Venice. Founded in 1868 by the acting prefect of Venice Province, Edward Deodati, and his colleagues, it is one of Italy’s oldest and most prestigious institutions. The university is renowned across Italy and Europe for its high-quality teaching, strong research output, and outstanding performance in international collaboration. It consistently ranks among the top ten public universities in Italy and is especially distinguished in the field of Sinology. It boasts the largest Sinology program in Italy and the second largest in Europe, making it a major center for Chinese studies.
Academic Collaboration
Ca’ Foscari University has a long-standing and deep-rooted relationship with Fudan University, particularly with the School of Philosophy. The current Rector of Ca’ Foscari University, Professor Tiziana Lippiello (Chinese name: Li Jiya), who assumed office on October 1, 2020, is an alumna of Fudan’s School of Philosophy. She studied Classical Chinese and the history of philosophy at Fudan from 1985 to 1987. In 2016, then Vice Rector of Ca’ Foscari, Professor Lippiello was invited to attend the 60th anniversary celebration of Fudan’s School of Philosophy as a keynote speaker for the academic lecture series of the English-taught Master’s program in Chinese Philosophy and Culture.
The two institutions have maintained academic cooperation, such as in November 2019, when Professor Lippiello participated in the “True Images: Chinese Painting and Calligraphy Exhibition and Literature on Brush-and-Ink Art,” co-organized in Hong Kong by Fudan’s School of Philosophy and Hong Kong's Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The universities have also supported one another in other ways—for instance, during the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy in March 2020, Fudan’s School of Philosophy collected and sent 3,000 masks to Ca’ Foscari’s International Office.
Building on this close relationship, Fudan’s Office of International Affairs and Ca’ Foscari’s International Office jointly applied for a three-year Erasmus+ program in 2020, which was approved by the European Union that October. This program further promotes stable student exchange and provides participants with funding for international travel and living expenses.
The School of Philosophy at Fudan University hopes that through this exchange program, collaboration in teaching and research with Ca’ Foscari will be enhanced, international exchange and mutual understanding will be strengthened, and students—particularly those specializing in Chinese philosophy—will be provided with broader learning opportunities. The goal is to help nurture philosophically trained talents with both a solid cultural foundation and a global perspective.
