Pillars of Italo-Zambian cultural relations are the Italian School of Lusaka “Scuola Edmondo De Amicis” (founded in the ‘70s and attended by more than 400 students yearly) and the Italo-Zambian Cultural Center (ZICC). The latter, established in 2019, hosts theatrical, musical and art performances and exhibitions. Additionally, a local committee of the Dante Alighieri Society has been present in Lusaka since June 2019.
As part of the ‘Vivere all’italiana’ programme, the Embassy supports a host of initiatives aimed at promoting the Italian business and cultural model in Zambia, such as the annual Week of Italian Cuisine.
For updates, follow us on our social media accounts:
https://twitter.com/ItalyinZambia
https://www.facebook.com/Amblusaka
https://www.instagram.com/italy_in_zambia/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwbIgkwYFjiy3Xla4QxwkOw?view_as=subscriber
Study in Italy
Various universities in the main Italian cities offer the possibility for foreign students to follow degree and master’s courses in English.
All information on registration and application procedures can be found HERE (Italian) and HERE (English)
The Consular Offices of the Embassy offer services for issuing the Certificate of Value and assistance relating to registrations at Italian Universities.
Italian language and culture
The Embassy is committed to promoting Italian culture in Zambia and to collaborate in the cultural field with the Zambian government. In this context, the Embassy actively collaborates with the Italian School of Lusaka, the Italian-Zambian Cultural Center and the local Committee of the Dante Alighieri Society.
Italian School and Italian-Zambian Cultural Centre
The main center for teaching the Italian language in Zambia is the “Italian School of Lusaka – Edmondo De Amicis” website . In fact, it has been a consolidated presence in the educational and cultural panorama of the city of Lusaka for over thirty years, as well as a point of reference for the promotion of the Italian language and culture throughout Zambia. The school was founded in 1973 by a group of compatriots resident in Zambia, in order to guarantee the children of the then large Italian community a suitable education through the support of the Italian government (which at the time sent teachers from Italy to carry out of the courses).
Since March 2020, the school has had a renowned cultural centre, the “Italian-Zambian Cultural Centre”, built adjacent to the school and financed entirely by the Association that manages the Institute. The structure consists of a theater with a multipurpose room, capable of accommodating 350 seated people and equipped with cutting-edge audio-video systems imported from Italy. The center has the vocation of promoting Italian culture and promoting exchanges with Zambian culture, to contribute to the strengthening of bilateral relations from a systemic perspective and in full synergy with the action of the Embassy. Recently, the cultural center is also becoming a reference at national level for the organization of broad-spectrum local and international cultural initiatives.
Both the school and the cultural center were the subject of the official visit to Zambia by the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, held in July 2022.
For information: contact@italianschool.sch.zm (Italian School of Lusaka) or zicc@italianschool.sch.zm (Italian-Zambian Cultural Centre)
Comitato di Lusaka della Società Dante Alighieri
The Lusaka Committee of the Dante Alighieri Society, based at the Italian-Zambian Cultural Centre, was reactivated, after a silent period, in June 2019. The Committee currently plays a crucial role in teaching the Italian language in Zambia by organizing end of courses for adults, adolescents and children.
Italian language in Zambia (Plida Certification)
The Italian School of Lusaka is also the only PLIDA (Dante Alighieri Italian Language Project) Certifying Body in Zambia. The Plida certification attests knowledge of the language based on the six levels established by the common European framework of reference for the knowledge of foreign languages. This certification is recognized by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and has international value. The Center has programs for both adults and Juniors (13-18 years old), and anyone can apply for the exams from anywhere in Zambia without any obligation to attend.
For info: ladantelusaka@gmail.com
Insights
Move on Zambia
Move on Zambia is a festival where MUSIC meets EARTH !
Move On Zambia is made of two themes, AMBIENTE (environment) and MUSICA (music).
AMBIENTE
AMBIENTE was born as an environmental Indaba, or conference, where the principal players in the fight against environmental degradation and climate change based in Zambia came together in October 2023 and discussed a common way forward. Topics of discussion were how to Move On together from deforestation, air and water pollution, poor waste management, loss of wildlife etc.
Attendees were environmental organizations, national and international development partners, the Government of Zambia and its relevant institutions, and stakeholders from the private sectors.
One concrete result was the “Waste no Waste, Trash is Treasure” 2024 joint environmental campaign, which the Embassy of Italy in Lusaka launched in partnership with the Lusaka City Council. It comprised a series of activities designed to raise awareness and create a positive movement within the City of Lusaka:
1. 42 metal rubbish drums have been adopted by prominent local and international entities/personalities. They were branded with the adopting company’s logo and will now be placed at strategic locations around the city in sets of three, to encourage separation. The locations were chosen by Lusaka City Council (via Lusaka Integrated Solid Waste Management Company), according to the daily waste collection routes.
2. 14 metal rubbish drums, donated by Dangote Cement, were painted by prominent Zambian artists and auctioned last June at an event hosted by the Italian Embassy at the Lusaka National Museum. ZMW 62.000 were raised toward the environmental campaign.
3. A clean-up drive has taken place on October 5th in Bauleni. We have chosen this densely populated part of the city because it was one of the areas most affected by the cholera outbreak in the first months of 2024. We may not be able to avoid another such outbreak, but we can at least make an effort to mitigate the effects by freeing up the drainage system. Nemchem International has kindly agreed to donate all the necessary sanitation equipment.
As we conclude Phase 1 of this project, we are already planning Phase 2 which will take place in 2025 and will aim to get the schools of Lusaka involved. Each private school wishing to participate will acquire several oil drums (bins) to be painted on by their students. The painted bins will then be auctioned among the school community to generate the necessary funds for their installation around town.
MUSICA
The MUSICA Festival takes place in coordination with the AMBIENTE conference. Its aim is to foster dialogue and cooperation between our partners through music. Guests are provided opportunities to get acquainted with and entertain each other, therefore brainstorming new ideas. Some of the most extraordinary Italian, Zambian and Zimbabwean musicians collaborate on stage, mesmerizing the audience with their performances. The music festival takes place on the state of the art stage of the Zambian Italian Cultural Centre.
Let us Move On to the rhythm of the same tune!