The start of the International Studies Institute’s 2013 Fall semester saw 106 jet-lagged but eager students arriving from all of our partner institutions in the United States and Australia at the beautiful Santa Apollonia Auditorium for two days of orientation. Excitement was high and proactive students were earnest in their desire to learn more about what opportunities ISI offered for volunteer work in Florence and other internships. Classes began the following Monday after an exploratory weekend, and everyone settled into an academic routine while abroad with considerable ease and excitement.

In order to introduce our students to the Italian way of life, ISI sponsored an excursion to the Vignamaggio and Trebbio wineries in Chianti, providing an insider’s look (and taste) into one of the most famous products of Tuscany. Reservations to visit and explore Siena, San Gimignano, Lucca, and Pisa with a guiding ISI professor were snapped up by curious students in the following weekends, while others made their own plans with the assistance of Students Services to visit the neighboring Cinque Terre for a sunny weekend on the beach. Further activities have been planned by ISI to keep up with the voracious appetite for more adventures in Florence.

On the other side of the desk, ISI has recently signed agreements with two new academic partners, the Insalaco College of the Arts (Pennsylvania) and Quinnipiac University (Connecticut). We are pleased to see that more students from the United States are interested in experiencing Florence and hope to greet them this coming spring.