Sustainability and Energy, Peace and Nonviolence, Gender and Social Justice, Ethics and Artificial Intelligence: the University of Padua launches its General Courses

The University of Padua’s educational offering includes numerous general courses on topics of particular relevance and current interest.

General courses are interdisciplinary educational and learning opportunities aimed at the academic community, allowing students to acquire transferable skills and offering them the chance to broaden their knowledge in areas other than their own field of study.

These courses are open to students of all bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes at the University of Padua and are configured as elective exams, at the end of which a final exam is required.

In addition, for some general courses, the University reserves free places for University employees: technical and administrative staff can have their attendance recognised as training, subject to passing the exam.

In particular, for the second semester of the 2025/2026 academic year, the following general courses are available:

• General course “Ambassadors of Sustainability”

The course is aimed at those who want to explore the topic of sustainability through teaching modules and practical laboratory activities, with the aim of stimulating greater awareness of everyone’s responsibilities and offering concrete tools for a more effective commitment to solving environmental problems in urban areas.

20 free places reserved for University staff

For further information

• General Course “Peace and Nonviolent Conflict Transformation”

The course aims to provide basic knowledge of the main models and paradigms in peace studies, active nonviolence and disarmament. It also explores the themes of international law and organisations for peace and human rights, methods of conflict analysis and transformation to prevent violent escalation, peace and human security interventions, introducing a gender approach in conflict situations, and peace and human rights education programmes.

50 free places reserved for University staff

For further information

• General Course “Gender, Knowledge and Social Justice”

The course is aimed at those who wish to explore gender relations in different areas of people’s lives, with the aim of highlighting the stereotypes and prejudices that influence social interactions and promoting a change in perspective necessary for the construction of a more equitable and sustainable society.

50 free places reserved for University staff

For further information

• General Course “Gender Knowledge and Ethics in Artificial Intelligence”

The course aims to explore the relationships between digital technologies, ethics and gender knowledge, with a particular focus on issues that emerge from an analysis of Artificial Intelligence algorithms from the perspective of gender, ethnicity and personal and social development. It also provides the basic knowledge and principles for dealing with the ethical, legal and economic aspects of Artificial Intelligence.

For further information

• General Course “Energy and Sustainability in the 21st Century”

The course aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the technical, political-economic and social impact issues related to the energy sector, with a particular focus on the current ecological-energy transition towards renewable sources, in order to enable students to understand the complexity of the mechanisms and dynamics that regulate the energy issue at national and international level.

For further information

To find out more about the University’s general courses, visit the dedicated page.