Benno Albrecht
Rector, Università Iuav di Venezia
Opening Ceremony of the 1st Semester 2023-24
Thursday, September 14, 2023, at 5 pm
Aula Magna
Opening Remarks
Amb. Umberto Vattani, President of Venice International University
Prof. Carmelo Marabello, Dean of Venice International University
The semester will be inaugurated with the Lectio Magistralis "Venice Foresees Planet" delivered by Prof. Benno Albrecht.
Venice is today the measure of problems and the model of solutions for the construction of a global future capable of combining sustainability and beauty. The fragile equilibrium experienced by the lagoon city, in which only strenuous interventions of strategic planning, continuous tutelage, and administrative foresight can guarantee the survival of the inhabited area and its environment, is today extended to the entire planet which is experiencing the first effects of a climate and environmental crisis that will radically change lifestyles and models of society.
Venice today rediscovers its historical function as a microcosm, a physical place where here-and-now problems converge with global, protensive solutions; where the lagoon is employed as a testing ground for innovations that may be replicated across the planet. Venice has always been an example of a city where issues of social inclusion and environmental impact have been associated with initiatives that in some regard precede and foretell global change.
Friends of VIU faculty, students and staff are welcome to attend the Opening Ceremony and the welcome reception that will follow.
