Re: CHAT: University Advice (was Re: A bit of advice)

Luca Mangiat wrote:
"Anyway here in Italy we can't get a degree in Linguistics : ( You can get a
degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures + specialization in Glottology,
AFAIK."

and Thomas Wier responded:
"Doesn't the University of Bologna have a good program that approximates
linguistics?  I know Umberto Eco teaches there."

    The relevant program at Bologna *was* the Istituto di Glottologia on Via
Zamboni, which belonged to the Facolta' di Lettere e Filosofia.  However, no
doubt, much has changed since I was there.  At the end of my stay there
(1996-97) the Istituto became a Dipartimento; then, subsequently, it changed
its name from Glottologia to Studi Linguistici Orientali (DSLO), I believe -
but I can't be sure (the head of that department has the same name as the
head of the former Dipartimento di Glottologia - Franci Giorgio Renato).
Certainly, there doesn't appear to be a Department of Glottology there
anymore.
    Umberto Eco, IIRC, teaches Semiotica at Bologna, which is a horse of a
different color.
    Unfortunately, the program at Bologna isn't so great.  Glottologia is
more philology than linguistics in the modern sense of the word; while I (a
philologist) certainly don't have any issues with the philological approach,
there is even less work for philologists these days than there is for
linguists.
    Bologna *was* one of six universities in Italy which offered courses in
Hebrew.  That changed the year I was there.  In fact, they cancelled the
program two weeks before the final exam, without telling any of the students
or even the professor!  Despite all of the work we had done that year, the
university was going to send us away without any recognition or credit.
    At first, we attempted to get the Jewish community of Bologna involved.
The instructor of the Modern Hebrew course, Miriam Chetrit, had some ties
with this community - but they seemed to be uninterested in defending the
study of Hebrew at Bologna.
    It was at that point that I had to play the "Ugly American," as I was
the only American in either of the Hebrew courses.  Bologna had signed a
contract with my alma mater, according to which all students who studied at
Bologna would receive credit for the courses that they had taken.
Therefore, they were obligated to give *me* (at the very least) a final
exam.  The people at Brown called the directors at the Department of
Glottologia and demanded that they recognize our work (my work and the work
of my classmates) with a final exam - and exams were hastily set up for the
two Hebrew courses that had been taught that year.  After that year, the
Hebrew courses were phased out.
    As was the program in Iranistica.  I was taking Antico Persiano that
year with Dr. Antonio Panaino; he announced at the end of the year that the
entire program in Iranistica was being cut and that he was moving to
Ravenna.  Egyptian, Sumerian, Akkadian, Arabic, Sanskrit, Urdu/Hindi,
Turkish, Chinese, and Japanese are still available in that program, AFAIK.
Even though Iranian and NW Semitic languages are no longer available there,
I would go back in a second; the short time I spent at Bologna was one of
the best times I spent in my life, and I learned much more in that one year
than I had before or have since.  I would also take courses with Panaino
again - he spends his time between Milan and Ravenna these days - in a
second.
-Chollie
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