EUROPEAN POLICY STATEMENT 


The Conservatory of Vicenza recognizes that internationalization is a multilateral process. We put as much 
importance on hosting foreign students and colleagues as we do on sending abroad individuals from our 
institution. Being a Higher Education Music Institution, we are fully aware of the unifying potential music 
can have between people of all regions, religions, races and cultures. We believe that through student and 
staff mobility we can learn and grow collectively and that our individual lives are improved by these 
experiences. 


The Conservatory of Vicenza, as declared in its Statute, does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, 
colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, 
membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation in accordance with 
Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (http://www.europarl.europa.eu 
/charter/pdf/text_en.pdf). 


Our institution is involved in multilateral International projects in sectors such as Early Music, Classical 
Music, Jazz and World Music with partners throughout Europe and in China, Custody of the Holy Land, 
Palestine and the USA. Since receiving the EUC in 2007, we have established Bilateral Agreements with 
many EU schools and have benefited from numerous exchanges of students and staff in countries 
throughout Europe. We are committed to strengthening existing productive international relationships 
with partner institutions as well as developing future collaborations with new partners. 


While we accept Bilateral Agreements with all compatible institutions, we are especially interested in 
developing relationships aimed at establishing ongoing exchanges that will produce relevant qualitative 
outcomes. We currently have about 30 Bilateral Agreements with institutions from 16 European nations. 
No geographical preference is given to choosing our partners since we recognize that excellence in music 
performance, research and instruction can be found in all corners of Europe. 


Our Conservatory gives high value to preparing students for the professional workplace, whether in a 
national or an international context, and we participate in work placement programmes that foresee 
collaboration with other Higher Education Institutions as well as non-educational organizations such as 
professional theatres, orchestras and other music related industries. Work placement opportunities made 
possible by the European Commission’s Lifelong Learning Programme are deemed essential to us for 
realizing these activities. Our institution actively participates in a consortium lead by the Conservatory in 
Cosenza in the Erasmus Placement programme for training students for the music profession: "ARTS Art's 
Role in Training for Students”. 


The Conservatory of Vicenza is an active member of the Association of European Conservatoires (AEC) 
and a partner in the Polifonia II project. From 2008 to 2011 we participated to the Polifonia INVITE 
Working Group (Instrumental/Vocal Music Teacher Training) resulting in the 2010 AEC publication: 
Handbook - Instrumental and Vocal Teacher Education: European Perspectives. From 2011 to present, the 
Conservatory of Vicenza is in partnership with the AEC’s Polifonia III project dedicated to Quality 



Enhancement, Accreditation and Benchmarking in European Music Conservatories. Activities for this 
3-year partnership involve sending a delegate from our Institution to regularly scheduled site visits and 
meetings (3 to 4 a year) of the Quality Enhancement Working Group and participating in seminars 
throughout Europe as well as Russia and the United States. The QE Working Group will publish their 


findings at the end of the project cycle.
The Conservatory of Vicenza is authorized by the Ministry of Education to establish academic courses of 
First and Second level at the Magnificat Institute of the Custody of the Holy Land. Thanks to an exclusive 
agreement with the Custody of the Holy Land, we are the only institution in the world allowed to establish 
courses with this institute. There are pre-academic training courses for cultural support to the Palestinian 
people and with the aim of integrating the study of music with all ethnic groups that inhabit the Holy 
Land. 


LANGUAGE POLICY 


Our institution requires all non native English speaking students lacking an internationally recognized 
certification in the English language to take an English language course given at the Conservatory. 
We have also an Agreement with a language school of Vicenza. By virtue of this agreement, we offer the 
opportunity for our students to participate in numerous language courses at all levels. 
Before an Erasmus mobility or other foreign experience, we encourage our students to study the language 
of the host country on their own as soon as their mobility application has been accepted. Depending on the 
language in question, we can offer audio/visual learning aids and high-speed Internet connection for 
access to online language courses. 
All foreign students can benefit by free Italian language courses for foreigners offered by the City of 
Vicenza. 
The IO also provides some language assistance.