Seminario alpino 19

What kind of world do we want to inhabit, and what future do we want to build? The Alpine Seminar offers an immersive experience on the key themes of sustainability, understood as a cultural, ethical, and political dimension crucial to our time. In a residential and participatory setting, it combines expert contributions, group work, and excursions into the surrounding territory, inviting students to engage critically and interdisciplinarily with major contemporary challenges — planetary limits, global inequalities, and the relationship between nature and culture. The alpine environment is not a simple backdrop, but an integral part of the learning experience: a space in which to observe, question, and rethink the relationships between human beings and their environment. The point is not to think about the world from a distance, but to let direct encounters with the territory and the challenges it raises shape our thinking. Taking part in the Alpine Seminar means stepping out of the classroom and into direct contact with the world, to develop a more conscious perspective, not as distant spectators but as active participants in a complex reality. Learning, in this view, is first and foremost embodied knowledge of the world we live in. Alongside this core focus, the seminar also offers a thematic exploration of the sustainability of artificial intelligence, considering the material impact of the digital world on the environment and its effects on cultural diversity and on cognitive and professional practices.

Program: 

The detailed program with planned excursions, accommodation details and guest-speakers will be available on iCorsi at the latest one week before the start of the course.

Organization and Costs:

The Alpine seminar is free of charge for students, including accommodation at the Sustainability House, breakfast, and train ticket. Excl. costs of meals. 
We strongly encourage you to consult the FAQ page on the website where you can find all the practical information you need: https://www.casasostenibilita.usi.ch/it/seminario-alpino.

IMPORTANT:

Once the registration period has expired, it will no longer be possible to cancel one's registration, and participation is considered mandatory. For serious reasons where withdrawal is necessary, a reasoned request in writing will be to be submitted to [email protected].

The aim of the Alpine seminars is to introduce a reflection on the main themes related to sustainable development. In particular:

• Understanding planetary limits and the consequences of overcoming them.
• Understanding sustainability as a culture that brings social, environmental and economic aspects into dialogue.
• Reflecting on the relationship we have with nature.
• Stimulating systemic and interdisciplinary thinking.
• Embracing complexity (difference with something complicated).
• Support a comparison between different ideas and visions.

In presence

• Introduction on sustainable development.
• Immersion in the alpine landscape for the purpose of experiencing the value of environmental resources with 1 or 2 field trips (very easy level, suitable for everyone. Any problem of reduced mobility must be reported promptly to [email protected]
• In-depth thematic discussions with USI lecturers and/or invited external experts lasting between 45-90 minutes. The meeting with experts will focus on dialogue with students (preparation of questions during the seminar).
• Group work and presentation. 

Mandatory attendance in Airolo. Presentation of a group work that will be done during the seminar. The presentation and active participation will be evaluated to determine if the course has been passed. 

In case the presentation and active participation are not deemed sufficient, additional individual written work will be required (delivery and mode will be indicated by the professor).
No grade will be assigned, but a pass ("Pass") or fail ("Resp") grade will be given.
ECTS are assigned depending on faculty decisions.

For students of the Faculty of Informatics, the Faculty of Theology of Lugano, and the Academy of Architecture, 1.5 ECTS credits are awarded.

• Airolo - Casa della sostenibilità, 09.09.26 - 11.09.26 (Compulsory)