Collegio Alessandro Volta is the newest College at the University of Pavia, one of the most ancient Universities in Italy. The College was founded in year 2000 by ISU, a Regional body supporting University education. In 2007 ISU was replaced by EdISU, a new body encompassing not only Regional government but also City government and the University of Pavia. Currently EdISU has responsibility for the funding and management of nine University Colleges and two Halls of residence in Pavia.
Collegio A Volta is located in the main University campus close to several University Departments, the CNR Institute of Molecular Genetics and the San Matteo, Salvatore Maugeri and Casimiro Mondino Medical Research Institutes. The College is named after A Volta, the Italian scientist and Professor at Pavia who discovered the battery cell in 1800 and made a number of other outstanding contributions to Physics, and electricity in particular, including the principle on which modern solar panels work. The College provides an informal life style in a modern building located two miles from the city centre and connected to the city by a regular bus service. Volta provides self-catering accomodation, libraries, wireless internet, computers, seminar rooms and lecture rooms and generous parking.
Mission
The mission of Collegio Volta is threefold. The first is to encourage and admit to College a large number of graduate students as this is deemed to constitute a strong cultural environment in its own rights and for undergraduate studies as well. The presence of a large number of graduates enables Volta to offer supervisions to undergraduates and a strong programme of graduate seminars that enhances the academic life of undergraduate students and all College members. The second mission of Volta is to encourage and admit a large number of students from abroad, both undegraduates and graduates, in order to foster a truly international community of scholars and build the first truly international College at the University of Pavia. Finally the third mission is to act as a major force in the cultural life of the University and the city by promoting debate on a variety of areas. Among these the public understanding of science and the impact of science on society are prominet themes of College work and are well reflected in the topics of the annual Volta Lecture, the Colloquia and the Symposia series.
Applications
Students are admitted to Collegio Volta by one of two ways:
- Undergraduate students and students of MSc Courses (Lauree Magistrali) apply formally via the EDiSU website. They may, however, indicate Volta as the College of first preference in the application form and they are encouraged to contact the College in order to discuss their proposed studies at Pavia. Foreign students in particular, who may not be fully fluent in Italian and may come to Pavia to enrol in one of the Courses taught in English, are specially encouraged to seek advice and support from the College with their application papers to be submitted to EdISU. The College is delighted to offer support throughout.
- Students of MA Courses, PhD students, medical graduates attending post graduate Courses and postdoctoral fellows apply directly to the College by writing to the College Master This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and sending a brief letter of their proposed Course of study in Pavia and a currriculum vitae detailing their previous studies and degrees.
About Volta