Venue and Travel Info

Venue

The University of Calabria, since the very beginning of its activity, in 1972, has worked very hard to develop research and didactics both at national and international level.

Unical, so it is called for short, provides university high quality education focused on students' qualification. Its ever-present goal is academic excellence.

The labour market in all fields requires new professional figures and the Unical wishes to fulfil this need by fighting with vitality to ensure that its graduates will be competitive enough and endowed with that social responsibility necessary to be successful professionals in an ever-changing and increasingly complex society.


General Overview

Even though the idea of a university in Calabria dates back to the fifties, almost twenty years elapsed before the idea became a reality with a Parliament law in 1968. In that year the university founding charter was granted, while its statutes were passed in 1971. The construction of the university campus started in 1972 and since then a continuous and visible expansion of new buildings on the campus has been taking place.

This university is one of the few examples of a residential university campus in Italy, For what concerns the university campus, its management and services, it is important to mention the "Centra Residenziale", which provides accommodation and leisure facilities for students. In the residential area the Sports Centre, the Health Centre, and the Centre for Arts, Music and Performance are also located. Moreover there are a Centre for Radio and Television, the University Press, the Language Centre and several other interdepartmental centres. The University Library is among the biggest in the whole South of Italy.


(Click to enlarge)

The possible directions how to get to the Workshop locations - Bus station, Aula Magna, place of Welcome Reception and Residence Socrates - marked by yellow. There are a big maps at the bus station and all around the university's campus.

There are no exact address of each building, so if you are coming by taxi you may give just a main street - Via P. Bucci. You will get to the entrance of the University of Calabria and Bus Stop then.


Information on the Calabria Region

Some geographical and statistical information on the surrounding territory will surely help you to better understand the reality of the University of Calabria

Unical is located in the south of Italy, in the Calabria region. Calabria borders with the Basilicata region and the Tyrrhenian and Tonian Seas which surround its coasts, while the Straits of Messina separate Calabria from Sicily. Territory is mostly mountainous, constituted by coastal plains with massive mountains, spreading from the Tyrrhenian side to the Ionian. Typical are the high levels of Sila, of the Serre, the Aspromonte forests and the Pollino. The hills are fiill of places of historical interest and wonderful landscapes. The total number of its inhabitants is about 2,100,000, while the population density amounts to 138 inhabitants for square kilometre.

The local climate is mild, snow is quite unusual in the cities, and temperature is rarely below 5�C during the winter and rarely up 30�C during the summer. Calabria is divided into 5 Provinces: Catanzaro, Cosenza, Crotone, Reggio Calabria, and Vibo Valentia. The University of Calabria is situated in the province of Cosenza. This province is located in the most northern part of Calabria and is the largest province in the region.

The entire area is easily accessible through a network of modern roads, airports, railway services, and there are comfortable hotel complexes fit to everyone's needs.

The largest city in the area is, almost obviously, Cosenza (about 100,000 inhabitants). Cosenza and Rende (the university town) are practically joint, only a small river separating them.

The university campus is situated in a green area, close to the village of Arcavacata, four kilometres from the historical centre of Rcnde and five from the city of Cosenza.

The old part of the city has its special brand and charm, the streets are full of vitality, and the workshops of craftsmen hum with industry, the many bars located in illustrious ancient palaces have changed to pubs and snack-bars, thus adding a touch of modernity to such austerity. Corso Telesio has recently become a very trendy and attractive place for young people who spend there the late night hours in the pubs or listen to the live concerts that take place in the main squares, In the heart of the modern part of the city you can find another important street called Corso Mazzini, where young people flock for their evening promenade and have drinks and food in the cafeterias and snack bars. At the end of Corso Mazzini, just after Piazza Fera, going down one of the streets leading off the main road you will find the bus station "autostazione". Here a number of daily buses connect Cosenza either to almost all villages in the province of Cosenza or to others outside the province- Cosenza and Rende, the town where the university is built, are connected by a frequent bus service (every hour) to the university campus. Further information can he obtained by visiting the following web site: www.comunccosenza.it

Travel Info

Map of the Campus of the University of Calabria by Google


(Click to enlarge)

Important Items:

1) Entrance to the University of Calabria and Bus Stop
2) Railway Station: Castiglione Cosentino
3) Bus Stop
4) Bus Stop (just outside the Castiglione Cosentino station)
5) Bus Stop (Hotel Majorana, Domus)
Hotels:
H1) Hotel Majorana
H2) Hotel Domus
H3) Hotel Albergo Residence Fattoria Stocchi

How to get to Rende

By car: Free way �A3 Salerno-Reggio Calabria�, gate of �Cosenza-Nord�, follows the label �Universita-Paola�..

Cars can be rented with car rental companies easily available at airports and railway stations of Cosenza. The railway of Cosenza is 5 minute after the railway station of Castiglione Cosentino.

By train: the rail way station is Castiglione Cosentino, it is connected to the node of Paola and Sibari. It is far about 3 km from the Campus of the University of Calabria. Just out the station there is a bus stop that connects Cosenza with the University Campus. Tickets are available at the nearest bars or tabacco shops. You may take the bus number starting from 'U', but not U15.

By bus: there is a bus connection between Cosenza and the University of Calabria. You can take bus with the number starting with 'U', but not U15. You should buy a ticked in advance at the nearest bar or tabacco shop and punch it in the bus. Most of the bus stops are on demand. The following tickets are available:
- 0.77 euro - a single journey ticked (gray); it is valid only to get to the University of Calabria from Castiglione Cosentino train station or the nearest hotels - Majorana, Domus, Executive, Rojal.
- 0.98 euro - a single journey ti�ked (yellow) valid to get to the University from Cosenza.
- 1.55 euro - a one-day ticked (yellow) valid for transportation from Cosenza to the University.

If you are going to go by bus at least two times a day you may consider to buy a one-day ticket.

Time Table from Cosenza to University Campus and vice versa
Time Table Bus from Cosenza to University Campus and vice versa (Holiday only)

By fly: The air port is Lamezia Terme. It is connected to Cosenza by bus. More information are available on the web site www.sacal.it

Departure from LAMEZIA AIRPORT at:06.4511.1014.5015.1518.5023.10
Arrival in COSENZA bus station at:07.4512.1015.5016.1519.450.10

The race takes place every day including Sundays and holidays. The race at 14:50 from Lamezia goes directly to the University of Calabria. Other races go just to the bus station in Cosenza. You will have to take another bus or taxi there.

Visa Info

To know if you need visa for Italy or not please check here. Please contact an Italian embassy in your country for more details.

We recommend you to start a process of obtaining visa as soon as possible. However, we can provide the invitation letter for you only after you have registered and completed the payment. Please note that this letter does not guarantee that you will receive a visa.






For IEEE members from less rich countries in Region 8 there is an opportunity to take a travel support from IEEE Voluntary Contribution Fund. Money can be used for travel and subsistence, no money to meet conference fees. (Travel: airline, train or bus ticket - economy fare only; accommodation; meals only for students and applicants with income under $100/month). For further information and necessary forms visit IEEE Voluntary Contribution Fund web site.