UWC Adriatic

Casa
Italia
Duino
UWC Adriatic

Welcome to the official page of UWC Adriatic - Collegio del Mondo Unito dell'Adriatico ETS. All students also study Italian.

Our school brings together over 180 students from 90 different countries to make education a force to unite people. UWC Adriatic brings together 180 students from around the world for the final two years of their high school education. Inspired by the ideas of the German educationalist Kurt Hahn, the UWC movement aspires to make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and

a sustainable future. Established in 1982, UWC Adriatic is located in the Italian/Slovene village of Duino/Devin, in north-eastern Italy, 16 km from the city of Trieste. Long a crossroad, the choice of location was deliberate as a meeting point of the Latin, Slavic and Germanic cultures. What better place to locate the first United World College outside the English-speaking world and to work towards intercultural understanding. Life at our 100% residential school can be demanding and we are convinced, transformational. Living in rooms of 2, 3 or 4 students in one of our 7 residences scattered throughout the village, co-curricular life is at the heart of the UWC Adriatic experience, with a particular emphasis on service to others.

80% of our students are non-native English speakers yet all study towards the full International Baccalaureate diploma in English. With all our teachers living in the village as well and acting as personal and residence tutors, we are a very tight knit community.UWC Adriatic offer students from all around the world the opportunity to develop international understanding through a programme which combines high quality academic study and activities that encourage personal initiative and social responsibility. Selections are carried out by national committees and selection partners throughout the world who look for applicants of promise and potential – those who are committed to making a difference in their communities and the world. The result is a truly diverse school population both culturally and socio-economically. We are committed to making every opportunity accessible to all our students.

16/06/2026

At this year's Closing Ceremony, UWC Adriatic alumnus Lord Guglielmo Verdirame (1987–1989) returned to Duino after almost forty years and found that, while certain things may have changed, life as a UWC student feels exactly as he remembered it.

That is also what makes this place so special.

15/06/2026

How can you become a UWC Adriatic student?

Our school is part of the UWC Movement, with 18 UWC (United World College) schools scattered around the world.

If you are an applicant, please note that there is no direct entry to UWC Adriatic. Our students are all selected by UWC National Committees, which run their own selection processes.

Find your National Commitee and contact them at https://www.uwc.org/nationalcommittees

10/06/2026

“’cause somewhere in the crowd there’s you!”

While our school may be quieter than normal, we find ourselves looking back at just how alive and full of energy it was when we were all here together.

Yes, because at UWC Adriatic, whether it’s dance, music, or theatre, we always take the stage together.

This year, Super Trouper, curated by our now alumnus Zalán Sütő (who you can spot lip-syncing throughout the video), brought that magic to life with students and staff dancing and playing music together, lifting the spirits of everyone in the audience at the Closing Ceremony of the 2025–2026 academic year.

video by @3011.project

09/06/2026

same place, just different times of the year.

The College truly feels empty without our students.

But soon enough, we will have several alumni coming back for their Reunion events!

03/06/2026

From the Bavisela Run to the Corsa dei Castelli, Move with Mandi in May, and the runs in Carso or Sistiana, running is a way to connect and de-stress at our College that many staff and students take part in.

On this Global Running Day, we take a trip down memory lane with some runs from the last years.

03/06/2026

The documentary Giulio Regeni – All the Evil in the World is coming to London.

The screening takes place on Friday 12 June at 7pm at the Regent Street Cinema. CinemaItaliaUK will donate all proceeds from ticket sales to the Regeni family.

Tickets and further information are available here: https://www.regentstreetcinema.com/movie/cinemaitaliauk-special-screening-of-giulio-regeni-all-the-evil-in-the-world-introduction/

02/06/2026

when I came here
home was my mother
my father
and my brothers
but look, Mom, I’m high now
and I love it
I’m all the way up here
in one way, I’m higher than you’ll ever be
but in another, I’m just tracing your
footsteps
either way, I’m still happy
and either way, I’m still home
Love of the cubicles,
Love of each atom of body,
Of each dark spot of a colourless rainbow.
Love keeps me standing
thanks to you
so
thank you!

An excerpt from the wonderful poem by our graduating students Bora Morina and Anton Harrits-Nielsen, "Look, Mom, I'm High Now", 2026.

Picture by Giovanni Aiello

30/05/2026

Last Saturday was a show of how much our community matters to us. As our Choir opened the event with "Heroes", the room filled with something that is hard to put into words: pride, joy, and the kind of feeling that only comes when over 180 students from 80 countries have spent two years living together.

The ceremony was marked by great remarks too: from our President Roberto Antonione, our Rettore Dr. Khalid El-Metaal and Lord Guglielmo Verdirame. With a Ballroom-hip hop mix that nobody saw coming and a full-cast Super Trooper that brought students and staff together on stage, we were reminded that at our school, joy is always a collective act.

Music carried us forward, from movements 1 and 2 of Winter from Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, to Somebody to Love, to an A-cappella of Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees and I Want It That Way by the Backstreet Boys (a huge thank you to Christoph Genz and Stefano Sacher for supporting our students' talents and passion for music this academic year too!)

As tradition, we awarded the prize for Best Students of Italian as a Foreign Language, supported by Fondazione CRTrieste and Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale , this year going to second-year students Arielle, Arsenii and Sona.

From the adrenaline of rehearsals to finally stepping onto that stage and receiving your UWC Diploma, you made it.

Congratulations to the UWC Adriatic Class of 2024-2026!

29/05/2026

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Marco Gemelli as the College’s new Rettore, starting in August 2026.

Marco will take on this role at a time when the mission of the UWC movement feels more urgent and necessary than ever. In a world marked by division, conflict and polarisation, our shared commitment to making education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future continues to guide the College’s work every day.

With over twenty-five years of experience in UK and international education, Marco brings extensive academic and leadership expertise developed across complex, multicultural educational environments. After graduating in Physics from the University of Bologna, he continued his professional training in the United Kingdom, where he obtained a PGCE in Secondary Mathematics and later completed a Master’s degree in International Education at Oxford Brookes University. He joins UWC Adriatic after a distinguished career in international education, most recently as Senior Deputy Head at St George’s British International School in Rome.

Throughout the selection process, Marco distinguished himself for the depth of his experience, the clarity of his educational vision and his strong alignment with the values that define the UWC movement: integrity, intercultural dialogue and a deep belief in the transformative potential of young people.

His vision for education is rooted in the belief that schools should be places where intellectual curiosity, personal responsibility and intercultural understanding can flourish together. These principles strongly resonate with our mission and with the wider values of the UWC movement.

Reflecting on his appointment, Marco said:

"I am deeply honoured and humbled to be appointed as Rettore of UWC Adriatic. For over 40 years the College has transformed the lives of young people from every corner of the world. To be entrusted with the stewardship of such a remarkable community is both a profound privilege and a responsibility I embrace wholeheartedly.

During my recent visit to Duino I was impressed with the strength of student and staff alignment with UWC’s mission to make education a force for peace and a sustainable future. I am eager to join this vibrant community of dedicated professionals and committed and ambitious students, and build on Khalid’s strong legacy with the aim to continue to prepare students to make a meaningful difference in our world."

UWC Adriatic is confident that Marco will lead the College with balance, openness and vision, honouring the richness of its community while guiding it into a new chapter of its history. We are delighted to welcome him soon to UWC Adriatic and look forward to the next chapter in the life of the College under his leadership.

28/05/2026

With the Academic Year being over, we are bidding farewell to some truly beloved members of our community, each of whom has left a mark on this college that will never fade.

We celebrate Sarah Spicer, our theatre teacher, who brought creativity, courage, and a whole lot of drama (the good kind) to our stage and to our community.

Zane Linde, English A, B and TOK teacher and UWC Adriatic alumna herself, who brought organisation to her classes and we will miss Sir Tristan. Laura S, our beloved English A: Language and Literature teacher.

Eva Paglia, our psychologist, who has been a steady presence for various members of our community, and who led our social services with warmth and dedication for years.

Andreja Antoni Duhovnik, who has taught Slovene at this college for 43 extraordinary years. 43 years of students, of words, of patience, and of love for this place and its people.

Our Rettore, Khalid El-Metaal the man behind some of our students' English homework (and our President's too!), who led this college for the past years with care, wisdom, humour, and genuine dedication.

We will miss you all dearly.

But as you know in Duino, it's never truly 'goodbye', only 'arrivederci’.

Indirizzo

Frazione Duino, 29, Duino-Aurisina TS
Duino
34011

Telefono

+390403739111

Sito Web

http://www.uwcad.it/

Notifiche

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