United World College of the Adriatic

United World College of the Adriatic
The United World College of the Adriatic (also known as UWC Adriatic, UWCAd, or in Italian, Collegio del Mondo Unito dell'Adriatico) is an international school in Italy, and a member of the United World Colleges, a global educational movement that brings together students from all over the world with the aim to foster peace and international understanding. The college is attended by around 180 students aged between 16 and 19, from around 80 countries, who live at the college for two years and study for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
The college is located in the village of Duino, near the city of Trieste, in Italy's north-eastern region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, and is located less than 5 km from the Slovenian border. It was founded in 1982, with the support of the Italian government and regional authorities, who are still major financial supporters of the college.
Founding
The United World Colleges were established by German educator Kurt Hahn, and the college is heavily influenced by his pedagogical philosophy. Following the founding the United World College of the Atlantic in 1962, further colleges were opened in Singapore (the United World College of South East Asia) and Canada (the Lester B Pearson United World College of the Pacific).
Lord Mountbatten, then the president of the United World Colleges, collaborated with Prince Raimond of Torre e Tasso, to found the United World College of the Adriatic in Duino, the first in the movement based in a non-English speaking country. With the support of local politician, former Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs and member of Parliament , a law was passed in 1976 which ensured that the regional government of Friuli Venezia Giulia would provide funding and support for the new institution. The college continues to benefit from support from both the government of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The college welcomed its first students in 1982. In 1984, Prince Charles, having taken on the role as president of the International Council of the United World Colleges, inaugurated the third academic year in his first visit to the college.
Students and staff
The school hosts around 180 students across its two year program, from over 80 countries. In the academic year 2011–12, the student body consisted of 184 students, of which approximately 15% were Italian, 15% came from elsewhere in Western Europe, 20% from Eastern Europe, 15% from the Americas, 15% from Africa and the Middle East and 20% from Asia and Oceania. The majority of students attending the college benefit from financial support, with 17% receiving full scholarships and about three quarters of the student body on partial scholarships.
Most students attending the college are selected by UWC national selection committees in their home countries on the basis of academic achievement, leadership potential, extracurricular activities involvement and personal qualities, and are awarded scholarships based on need. The Italian national committee is responsible for the selection of Italian pupils to UWC Adriatic and for all of the United World Colleges, and acts under the patronage of the President of the Italian Republic.
Teachers are also hired internationally. In addition to being responsible for classroom teaching they act as personal tutors for groups of students and contribute to the running of activities and services.
The founding headmaster of the college was David B. Sutcliffe, an influential part of the United World Colleges movement, who had been the headmaster at the first UWC, Atlantic College. Since August 2022, the Rettore (headmaster) has been Khalid El-Metaal, who was previously the deputy head at the Toronto French School in Canada, and served as Deputy Headteacher at the Modern English School of Cairo. Since 2016, the president of the college has been Ambassador Cristina Ravaglia.
College and facilities
The college is integrated into the village of Duino, located on the Adriatic coast between Trieste and Monfalcone , with school buildings and facilities interspersed with residential and commercial properties. Students live in residences that are spread over the village, with the smallest housing 6 students, and the largest just over 50. The largest residence is part of the complex of the Duino castle, which towers over the town.
Academics and Extracurriculars
The core academic curriculum at the college is the International Baccalaureate diploma, a two year, pre-university programme. Courses at the college are taught in English, but students are not selected on the basis of their ability to speak English. In addition, all students are required to take Italian classes, in order to participate and contribute to their local community. The college offers a range of subjects, including some that were first developed at the school. "World Arts and Cultures," which was developed at the college as a school based syllabus, is now taught by IB schools in several countries. The college has a particular focus on musical education, collaborating with the Scuola Trio di Trieste, which offers professional musical education, and, together with Luther College, hosts the International Music Festival of the Adriatic.
The college offers various physical activities that take advantage of the school's location, directly on the coast of the Adriatic Sea and close to the Alps, including activities such a cross-country and downhill skiing, hiking, kayaking, caving, and sailing. The creative activities program offers a wide variety of choices, ranging from drama to art, pottery, choir, and photography.
In addition to the academic requirements of the IB, the college places importance on the IB's Creativity Action Service (CAS) requirement, which means that each student is required to commit to one creative activity, one physical activity and one social service.
Other
Students at the college are eligible, after graduation, to participate in the Shelby Davis Scholarship program, which funds undergraduate study, based on need, for UWC students at over 90 universities in the United States, including most Ivy League universities.
Beginning in 2023, Princess Ariane of the Netherlands will study at the school. Her father, King Willem-Alexander, and older sister, Princess Alexia, both studied at the United World College of the Atlantic.
Notable alumni
Darren Huston (born 1966), Canadian businessman, CEO of the Priceline Group and booking.com
Marina Catena (born 1968), Italian UN official.
Chrystia Freeland (born 1968), Former Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Member of the Canadian Parliament and former Thomson Reuters managing director. First female Canadian Minister of Finance and deputy Prime Minister of Canada.
Karen Mok (born 1970), Hong Kong singer.
Ghil'ad Zuckermann (born 1971), Israeli linguist and academic.
Jason Y. Ng (born 1972), Hong Kong-Canadian author and activist.
Barbara Graziosi, Princeton professor of Classics.
Guglielmo Verdirame (born 1974), Italian Lawyer and Professor of International Law at King's College London
Joseph Pearson (writer) (born 1975), Canadian/Italian author.
Corinne Ellemeet (born 1976), Dutch politician, member of the House of Representatives.
Tara Sharma (born 1977), British-Indian actress.
Juan Pablo Di Pace (born 1979), Argentinian actor.
Lina Attalah (born 1983), Egyptian media figure and journalist.
Massimo Dobrovic (born 1984), Istrian-Italian actor.
Sophie Hawley-Weld (born 1992), German singer, part of Sofi Tukker.
References
Schools in Friuli-Venezia Giulia
International schools in Italy
International Baccalaureate schools in Italy
Educational institutions established in 1982
1982 establishments in Italy