Facts & figures
Modern Languages
- #1 in NSW
- 2021 QS World University Rankings
Department of Italian Studies
One of the world's most beautiful languages
Italian language, culture and post-war immigration has enriched many other societies including the United States, Canada, Germany and Australia.
Our department boasts a lively and engaged student community and a vibrant research culture. Our graduates forge careers in fields as varied as diplomacy, education, tourism, design, architecture, music, fashion, arts and food in Australia and abroad.
The Department of Italian Studies is generously supported by the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, through the Italian Institute of Culture, and has previously been supported by the Cassamarca Foundation.
Our study offerings
Select from a wide range of language and culture units from one of the largest Italian departments in Australia and undertake a semester with one of our Italian partner universities. Develop high levels of linguistic aptitude and deep understanding of Italian authors, thinkers and literary and intellectual movements from the Middle Ages to the present.
Undergraduate
- Italian Studies (Introductory)*
- Italian Studies (Intermediate)*
- Italian Studies (Advanced)*
- Italian studies (Honours)
- Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Languages)
- Diploma of Language Studies
*Available as a major and minor within the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Visual Arts, as well as all combined Bachelor of Advanced Studies degrees.
Research
Our research
Our staff maintain strong interdisciplinary links with a wide range of research clusters across the humanities as well as the social science disciplines of education and politics. Our research areas include:
- Sociolinguistics and language teaching methodologies
- Translation studies
- Medieval and Renaissance studies
- Intellectual history
- Critical, literary and visual theory
- Modern Italian literature and culture
- Migrant and travel studies
- Italian theatre.
Learn more: Languages and cultures research
Exchange
Our advanced exchange programs provide life-changing experiences in Italy where students exercise their language skills and develop an understanding of cultural intricacies first hand.
- University of Bologna
- University of Florence
- University of Padova
- University of Pavia
- University of Rome – La Sapienza
- Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Milan
- University of Turin
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Learn more: Study abroad and student exchange
Our people
- Associate Professor Giorgia Alu
- Associate Professor Francesco Borghesi
- Dott Vincenzo De Carlo
- Associate Professor Antonia Rubino
- Undergraduate coursework, postgraduate research and exchange: francesco.borghesi@sydney.edu.au
- Honours: giorgia.alu@sydney.edu.au
- Elena Carletti
- Emma Barlow
- Antonella Beconi
- Panita Silapavithayadilok
- Emeritus Professor Nerida Newbigin
- Dr Paola Marmini
- Dr Maria Cristina Mauceri
- Dr Kathleen Olive
- Dr Cristiana Palmieri
- Dr Daniel Canaris
The Italian Studies Seminar Series invites leading scholars from Australia and beyond to share key research findings across a wide range of topics. Catch up on recent talks on our SoundCloud playlist.
Celebrate the life and works of Dante on the 700th anniversary of his death with our special talk series.
The year-long event is organised in collaboration with the State Library of New South Wales, the Istituto di Cultura Sydney, University of Sydney Fisher Library and Dante Alighiery Society of Sydney.
- 25 March | Dante 2021 Inaugural Lecture by Nerida Newbigin
- 28 June | Film screening: L’Inferno
Lecture series
- 27 July | Dante’s Journey from Paradise to Hell – Vrasidas Karalis
- 25 August | Hell on Earth in Dante and Margaret Atwood – Emma Barlow
- 20 September | The Global Translation History of Dante’s Divina Commedia – Jacob Blakesley
- 4 October | Dante’s Commedia: An audacious ‘cammin’ – Diana Glenn
Organising committee
- Chair: Francesco Borghesi (Department Chair of Italian Studies, University of Sydney)
- Emma Barlow (Dante Alighieri Society Sydney)
- John Gagné (Director, Medieval and Early Modern Centre, University of Sydney)
- Lillo Guarneri (Director, Italian Cultural Institute, Sydney)
- Philip Kent (University Librarian, University of Sydney)
- Alice Loda (University of Technology Sydney)
- John Vallance (NSW State Librarian and Chief Executive)
Semester 2, 2021
- Thursday 12 Aug, 4pm | Repair practices in Italian-English bilingual multiparty conversations – Francesco Possemato and Daniela Panìco
- Wednesday 8 Sept, 4pm | Pandora’s Legacy: Venice in its 1,600th year – Catherine Kovesi
- Thursday 4 Nov, 4pm | Bilingual Practices and Language Maintenance: the case of two Italian-Australian families – Daniela Panìco
Semester 1, 2021
- 25 March, 1–2.30pm | Italian Language Education in Australia: public perceptions through the eyes of the press
- 15 April, 5–6.30pm | Gianni Berengo Gardin: ideals, industry and photography
- 6 May, 1–2.30pm | Pier Paolo Pasolini and the Transhistorical Nature of Tragedy
- 27 May, 1–2.30pm | Towards a Definition of Mediterranean Crime Fiction
See our school's calendar for a full listing of upcoming events.
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