CULTURAL COOPERATION BETWEEN ITALY AND CANADA

Bilateral agreements There are three bilateral cultural agreements between Canada and Italy: the Agreement for Film Co-production, signed on November 13, 1997 and in effect since December 1999; the Agreement on Cultural Cooperation of May 17, 1984; the Program for Cultural, Scientific and Technical Cooperation of November 29,2000. To these may be added the Cultural Cooperation Program and the Program for Scientific and Technical Cooperation with the province of Québec, both signed on December 7, 2000. On the basis of the aforementioned bilateral cultural Program, the Italian Government offers to Canadian citizens and to Italian citizens who are permanent residents of Canada scholarships to be used in Italy for language and culture courses at university institutions (short-term scholarships) or for individual research projects (long-term scholarships).

The Italian Language The Italian language is third (after Chinese and Spanish) among "unofficial" mother tongues in Canada and is spoken by over half a million people. The study of Italian in Canadian schools and universities is not uncommon, particularly in areas where there is a large Italian community, and is often featured in the academic curriculum, thanks to ad hoc agreements with individual school boards in various Canadian provinces. Five Italian lecturers sent by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, currently teach at universities in Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary. Three Academic Directors, also sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, work in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

Why it pays to study Italian According to official UNESCO data, fifty percent of the world’s art treasures can be found in Italy. The country’s artistic riches continue somewhat to overshadow its present as a modern and dynamic country, and leave little room to appreciate the achievements of contemporary Italy. In the past fifty years, from a poor, mostly agricultural and rural country, Italy has become one the world’s major industrial powers, with the sixth largest economy, after the U.S., Japan, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.

Italy is among Canada’s ten major trading partners. Everyone is familiar with the very high quality of "traditional" Italian products such as clothing, shoes, and home furnishings. However, the largest portion of Italian exports comes from the industrial sectors, specifically: machine tools, aerospace, robotics, telecommunications, and the chemical industry.

A student who begins Italian studies in high school will be able to continue them in university. The following Canadian universities have Italian studies departments: McGill, Concordia, University of Ottawa, Carleton, Brock, York, University of Alberta (Calgary), University of British Columbia (Vancouver) and Simon Fraser. With Italian as one of your areas of concentration, you will have double the employment opportunities when you graduate. Your prospective employer will look at your résumé and see the mark of an ambitious, hard-working person, with a diversity of interests and expertise. You will be an attractive candidate not only to Italian companies operating in Canada, but also and foremost to Canadian corporations and to International Organizations, particularly those with offices in Italy.

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International Organizations As Italy’s economic and political relevance grows, it will become a high-profile player in international affairs. Italian military and humanitarian missions have taken part in peacekeeping efforts and relief operations in every corner of the globe. Italy’s position in the Mediterranean is a strategic asset for both political and economic alliances. For young people interested in international affairs, diplomacy, and the foreign service, knowledge of Italian will certainly be an important asset.

Business The Italian Chambers of Commerce in Canada number approximately 1,200 members (Toronto and Montreal 400 each, Vancouver and Winnipeg 200 each). The number of Canadian companies with Italian ownership participation is 275 (source: Statistics Canada) Some are in the process of opening regional branch offices to expand their operations in less traditional areas. Of course they prefer to hire Canadian-trained employees, rather than bringing people from Italy. They are in need of university-educated employees in areas such as business, banking, law, finance, marketing, public relations. They also need people who can maintain contacts directly with company headquarters in Italy, something that can be done only by individuals who can speak, write and read the Italian.

Your university degree will be twice as valuable with a double major. If one them is Italian, you will be able to take advantage of opportunities in a growing number of fields, both in Italy and in Canada, beginning with import-export activities.

In this country, in the field of interior design, home furnishing and accessories, and apparel manufacturing, the ability to speak Italian is a definite asset. But Italy is not only fashion, leather sofas, shoes and wine. High-technology fields make it one the most advanced countries of the world. Italy is one of the world’s leaders in machine tool manufacturing, with one of the most advanced technologies in robotics, electromechanical machinery, shipbuilding, construction machinery, etc.

The major Italian companies present in Canada are Parmalat, New Holland (Fiat Group), Pirelli, Elsag Bailey, Italcementi (with production facilities), Luxottica-Lenscrafters, Benetton (distribution network).

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