Marco Polo International Programme
The Marco Polo International Programme
In 2024, the year marking the 700th anniversary of the death of one of the world’s great explorers, Marco Polo, the University of Warwick is proud to partner with 36 global institutions to launch the Marco Polo International Programme.
The Programme brings together our researchers, students and local communities, in collaboration with many of our University partners around the globe, to push forward the boundaries of scholarship, discovery and engagement not just about Marco Polo, but also in relation to a number of explorers, goods and ideas, which have criss-crossed different parts of the world through time. The Programme as a result champions the power, importance and impact of cultural interaction, engagement and discovery – both in the past and in the present – and underlines Warwick’s ongoing commitment to creating connections across cultures and across the globe.
As part of the Marco Polo International Programme, Warwick academics, in conjunction with our European, Singaporean and Chinese partners, are involved in:
- the rediscovery, restoration and public display of 14th century records of Venetian travellers in India;
- the high-resolution scanning and interdisciplinary study of textiles, ceramics and lacquerware to aid our understanding of goods that travelled across the Silks Roads culminating in a series of virtual and physical exhibitions across the globe;
- the first-ever digitisation of the writings of the Islamic traveller Ibn Battuta as he explored around Africa and Asia;
- a deep dive into the worlds and cultures, which Marco Polo travelled through;
- the uncovering of the views of modern travellers to China during key moments of 20th century Chinese history;
- as well as a wider re-examination of what is at stake in travel writing – in the past and today.
At the same time our students – and those from a wide number of our global University partners – will be developing their own skills in global engagement by taking part in Warwick’s International Conference of Undergraduate Research, as well as celebrating their similarities and differences on our campus through our Global Celebrations ‘One World week’ and International Students Day programme. And together with our local communities, we will be celebrating the global cultures of Coventry through Warwick’s Resonate Festival of Arts and World Cultures, as well as coming together to welcome the Olympic flame to campus as it makes its own journey across multiple cultures on route to Paris.
I offer my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has been involved in making the Marco Polo International Programme a reality in Warwick, Venice and across our global partners.
The Marco Polo International Programme links our campus in Coventry with our Warwick Venice Centre and with our global partners around the world, as we bring researchers, students and our local communities together to celebrate the power, importance and impact of cultural exchange, engagement and discovery.
Join us for the journey!
Prof Michael Scott
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (International), University of Warwick, UK.
Get Involved
Workshop: Following in the Footprints of Marco Polo
Marco Polo was not only a great traveller in the Middle Ages, but also a pioneer of the cultural exchange between Italy and China. Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the University of Warwick will organise a workshop on the occasion of the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo’s death on June 22- 23, 2024, in Shanghai.
International Conference of Undergraduate Research (ICUR) 2024
This is the first time that ICUR will be live streamed at the Warwick Venice Centre, with students participating from the Warwick International Student Programme (WISP). It is an annual, two-day academic conference that showcases the best in undergraduate research from around the world. It provides undergraduate researchers with a unique opportunity to present their research in real-time through video-linked sessions.
The Flame of Friendship Finale
In the run up to the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic games, 62 Coventry primary, secondary and special educational needs schools are currently participating in a torch relay. Join us for the finale!
Latest Marco Polo News and Stories
Warwick restores unique historical Venetian document
A collaborative project setup by Dr Luca Mola, University of Warwick, between the Venetian State Archives and the Museum of Asian Art in Venice will aim to restore and re-evaluate an important testimony on the Venetian merchants who followed in the steps of Marco Polo in the decade after his death
Talk to a virtual Marco Polo
Utilizing advanced artificial intelligence technology to create a virtual image of Marco Polo that can engage in natural conversations with users, providing historical information, cultural interpretations, and educational answers
Participating Institutions
The University of Warwick is delighted to partner with 36 institutions on the Marco Polo International Programme.
Monash University, Australia and Malaysia
University of New South Wales, Australia
Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
University of Calgary, Canada
Concordia University, Canada
Chinese academy of social sciences, China
Fudan University, China
Hangzou Normal University, China
Lanzhou University, China
Nanjing University, China
Nankai University, China
Peking University, China
Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
Shanghai University, China
Shannxi Normal University, China
Tsinghua University, China
Zhejiang University, China
Croatian academy of sciences and arts, Croatia
Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
University of Oldenburg, Germany
University of Szeged, Hungary
Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Italy
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Pompeu Fabra University, Spain
University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Bursa University, Turkey
Istanbul University, Turkey
University of Leeds, UK
University of Sheffield, UK
Zayed University, United Arab Emirates
Columbia University, USA
Cornell University, USA
Middle Tennessee State University, USA
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA