OUR STORY
Fondazione SIRSSU
ILI – Istituto di lettere italiane
The Fondazione della Svizzera Italiana per la Ricerca Scientifica e gli Studi Universitari (F.SIRSSU), established in 1979 with the aim of boosting and promoting Italian language and culture, and fostering the growth of the University of Italian Switzerland (1996), included the ILI (Istituto di Lettere Italiane) project in its development programme in 1981.
ILI School of Italian Language and Culture, Lugano
The first Italian courses started in 1984, under the didactic supervision of Professor Ottavio Lurati (Professor of Italian Linguistics, University of Basel).
In 1992, the ILI School of Italian Language and Culture took shape at the Civic Centre (now the USI campus), with the assistance of the City of Lugano. On 19.12.1995, the SIRSSU Foundation signed an agreement with the then Department of Education and Culture (now DECS) to set up a programme to encourage the arrival of non-Italian-speaking students at USI, later extended to SUPSI. Since 1996, alongside the ILI / USI-SUPSI courses, the ILI / USI-SUPSI Fund has been set up, aided by the SIRSSU Foundation, which awards scholarships to students to attend ILI courses, thus facilitating access to USI university facilities for national and international students. For 20 years (until the founding of the Istituto Studi Italiani, USI), courses were organised for the Academy of Architecture in Mendrisio. The courses for the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano continue today, after more than 20 years. Since its inception, we have also been welcoming students from the Faculty of Theology.
The professionalism and ability of the ILI School and its trainers to constantly update their teaching approach has allowed the School to cope with the emergence of Covid-19, and to remain in operation, offering Italian courses throughout the pandemic period (2020-2021). We were the first in Ticino, with Zoom digital platform courses that started on 16 March 2020
In 2021, we obtained accreditation for the FIDE test. The FIDE test, which assesses knowledge of the Italian language, was developed on behalf of the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM).
Language, Culture and Education Department – eduQua certificate
Lifelong learning workshop
In 2002, the ILI project expanded further, taking the form of the Language, Culture and Education Department, with eduQua certification on the occasion of the presentation of the Lifelong Learning Workshop (ILI Workshop) . The ILI Workshop is a space for theoretical reflection on education in our social context. Together with the School, it ensures the continuous training of ILI teachers. Our choices of method dialogue with our values, with the science, and with changes in the social and cultural world. The didactic implications of these reflections are what is conveyed in our teaching practice.
In 2022, the Lifelong Learning Workshop opened to the general public, further enriching its training offer with the FSEA Certificate of Adult Educator/Trainer, which provides the basic skills to conduct adult courses, and with the Accompaniment, Mentoring and Supervision of Work Teams.
The building on the Gradinata Mimosa and architectural polychromy of Le Corbusier
In 2001, the former Hotel Lucerne Jura (c. 1930) became the headquarters of the ILI School.
In 2012, we set out our way of doing school in our spaces, colouring the building. The carefully chosen, modulated colours were inspired by Le Corbusier’s “architectural colours”. In their philosophy, we found important affinities with ILI: all shades are eminently architectural, naturally harmonious and infinitely combinable. Each hue has real potential, with effects on space and people: we enter the school with vermilion red 59, a fiery, captivating hue, that delimits the space; we are greeted by vivid cerulean, bright, warm, and Mediterranean, rising from the corridor to the top step; the secretary’s office is carmine red, brilliant and rich in history; the classrooms are coloured bright yellow, the radiant colour of the sun; the administration is bright orange, energetic, dynamic, decisive, and optimistic.
As we go up, we find shades of green in the classrooms: natural, balanced, fresh, bright, deep, bright, and summery. Once on the top floor, the classrooms vie with each other in shades of blue: sky, sea, and water: vivid, intense, spectacular, captivating, and capable of subverting worlds…
The new ILI website
In 2024, a new website was created to celebrate our history. With intricate graphics that tell of passion, freedom, movement, the site captures the attention of visitors from the very first moment. The colours chosen for the background are bright yellow and bright cerulean. Yellow, which has always been part of our logo – a reference to the Gradinata Mimosa – shines from the page, conveying warmth and vitality. The bright, Mediterranean cerulean welcomes onlookers with a feeling of peace and serenity.
Every detail has been carefully crafted, as if every pixel contained a piece of our history. Images and texts blend together, creating a unique, engaging atmosphere that invites users to explore and discover more about our world: a place that encapsulates our being, our philosophy, and our history, giving unforgettable experiences to those who have lived it, learning Italian.
A nod to the future
In 2024 we are working with a background colour: Le Corbusier’s blue. And, the first step, is directed at all ILI’s valuable contributors: a week of just four days “captivating and world-shaking“….for you.
This decision reflects our commitment to living in a creative environment with a close-knit team, where each employee can give their best and realise their potential.
We are proud to be trailblazers and to show that it is possible to reconcile business success with the well-being of your employees.
And so, with blue as our guide, we can pave the way for a bright future full of opportunities. Thank you for being part of this adventure and sharing it with us.
