Seminario Alpino 12

What kind of world do we want to inhabit, and what future do we want to build? The Alpine Seminar offers an immersive educational experience linked to sustainability, understood as a cultural, environmental, and political issue that is decisive for our time. Through contributions from experts, group work, and excursions in the territory, students are invited to engage with crucial issues of our time such as climate change, planetary boundaries, global inequalities, and the relationship between nature and society. The Alpine environment thus becomes an integral part of the learning path: not simply a backdrop, but a concrete space in which to observe, discuss, and understand the relationships between human beings, the environment, the economy, and the territory.

Starting from this common core, this seminar offers a specific focus on sustainable architecture, examining how built spaces, materials, infrastructures, and forms of dwelling can contribute to the transition towards more responsible and resilient territories that are attentive to environmental limits.

Programme:

The detailed programme, including excursions and guest speakers, as well as practical information for the stay, will be available on iCorsi no later than one week before the start of the course.

The seminar includes an easy excursion.

Organisation and costs:

The seminar is free of charge and includes accommodation at the Casa della sostenibilità, breakfast, and transport. Meals during the stay are not included.

We strongly invite you to consult the FAQ page on the website, where you can find practical information: https://www.casasostenibilita.usi.ch/it/seminario-alpino .

IMPORTANT:

Once the registration period has expired, it will no longer be possible to cancel your registration, and participation is mandatory. In cases of serious reasons requiring withdrawal, a justified written request must be submitted to [email protected] .

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

• Understand planetary boundaries and the consequences of exceeding them.
• Understand sustainability as a culture that brings social, environmental, and economic aspects into dialogue.
• Reflect on our relationship with nature.
• Stimulate systemic and interdisciplinary thinking.
• Embrace complexity in reflection (the difference from something complicated).
• Encourage an exchange between different ideas and visions.

In presence

• Theoretical introduction to sustainable development.
• Immersion in the Alpine landscape in order to experience the value of environmental resources through 1 or 2 excursions (very easy level, suitable for everyone. Any reduced mobility issues must be reported promptly to [email protected]).
• 1 or 2 meetings with USI lecturers and/or external experts, lasting between 45 and 90 minutes. The meeting with the experts will focus on dialogue with the students (preparation of questions during the seminar).
• Group work and presentation.

Mandatory in-person participation in Airolo. Presentation of a group project to be carried out during the seminar. The presentation and active participation will be assessed to determine whether the course has been passed.

If the presentation and active participation are not considered sufficient, an additional individual written assignment will be required. The submission deadline and modalities will be indicated by the lecturer.

No grade will be assigned; the course will be assessed as either “Pass” or “Fail”.

ECTS credits are awarded depending on the decisions of the Faculty.

• Airolo, Casa della Sostenibilità USI, 15.03.27 - 17.03.27 (Compulsory)