Blended Intensive Programme

Redesigning cultural and educational spaces: Sustainability, inclusion and gender.

This BIP (Blended Intensive Programme) is a short,  challenge-based course that brings together transnational teams of students that work on creative projects that combine online collaboration with a short physical mobility. In particular, this BIP has been designed to raise students’ awareness of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by solving wicked problems. Wicked problems refer to complex, interrelated problems that do not have a simple solution.

In BIP CULTURE Students will work in transnational and transdisciplinary teams on a hands-on project to propose a solution for the redesign of a cultural or educational space for sustainability, inclusion and taking into account a gender perspective.

BIP CULTURE is organized by lecturers from Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech (UPC) (Spain), Universitatea Tehnică din Cluj-Napoca (Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania), University of Belgrade (Serbia), University of Udine (Italy) and Warsaw University of Life Sciences (Poland).

BIPwill run from February to May 2024 and will involve online collaborative work (COIL, Collaborative Online International Learning) and online lectures, as well as a one-week mobility at UPC (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya) at Vilanova i la Geltrú.

Multidisciplinary teams of students (Urban planning and architecture, technology, law and education/philosophy) will apply their knowledge to make proposals while they apply and develop their creative, intercultural and communication skills. With the help of a supervisors, student teams will develop hands-on projects that require reflection on and responses to challenges related to SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), especially:

4. Quality Education

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

5. Gender Equality

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

11. Sustainable Cities and Communities

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

12. Responsible Consumption and Production

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Course description

This BIP (Blended-Intensive programme) is a short challenge-based course that combines online collaboration and a short physical mobility, in which students will meet face-to-face to work on their projects and present them to other participants. The physical mobility week will take place at UPC Vilanova (Barcelona, Spain) and will include intercultural and social activities.

This BIP is worth 6 ECTS credits.

Aims and learning objectives

Students will be given a wicked problem (using a challenge-based learning methodology) to solve, based on the SDGs defined by the UNESCO 2030 Agenda: THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development .

The intended learning outcomes of this BIP are related to critical thinking, intercultural and transdisciplinary communication, problem solving and project development, and greater awareness of sustainable development in relation to the key topics of SUSTAINABILITY, INCLUSIVE DESIGN/ARCHITECTURE, POLICY-MAKING, GENDER STUDIES and INNOVATION.

The learning goals of this BIP are the following:

• Developing a project in English in an internationalized environment.
• Learning to work in multidisciplinary teams.
• Learning to cooperate transdisciplinarily, developing awareness of the need for transdisciplinary solutions.
• Developing intercultural and communication skills.
• Applying previous knowledge to find a solution to a problem that involves sustainable development.
• Developing greater awareness of SDGs and integrating them in one’s projects and learning experience.

Activities and methodology

The BIP will take the form of project work, in transnational teams, based on a wicked problem. The teams will be faced with the following general question:

How can we redesign cultural and educational spaces to make them more sustainable and inclusive, considering a gender perspective?

In order to approach the question, students will decide to focus their project on a specific cultural or educational space in Europe to make a proposal for the redesign of that space for all, taking into account sustainability, inclusion and a gender perspective. The outcomes will be in the form of a digital communication product (poster/video/short description).

Teams

At the start of the BIP, transnational teams will be formed, each consisting of 4-6 students (1-2 students from each of the BIP partners: Spain, Romania, Serbia, Italy and Poland), with each student having a specific role related to their field of study. The typical team composition for this BIP is as follows:

• Urban planning/architecture/engineering student (Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania).
• Architecture student (Warsaw University of life Sciences, Poland).
• Engineering student (Technical University of Catalonia/Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain).
• Education/Philosophy student (University of Belgrade, Serbia).
• Law student (University of Udine, Italy)

Most of the work will be based on online collaboration (COIL/virtual exchange). Lecturers will coach each of the teams and guide students through the project. Specific video lectures will address key topics in the development of the projects.

Requisites

This BIP is open to students from the different partner universities and places are limited.

If you’re interested in joining this BIP or need more information, contact your lecturer.

EPSEVG students should apply via Demana and should have preferably taken one technical communication course (TEEE, TCAP or HADP).

Calendar

The BIP will take place mainly online, combining asynchronous and synchronous team work. The face-to-face activities will take place at UPC at Vilanova i la Geltrú (Barcelona, Spain) during the week of 11-15 March.

• Week 1: 19th -23rd February - Welcome and introduction to BIP - Virtual
• Week 2: 26th February - 1st March - Forming teams and intercultural activities - Virtual
• Week 3: 4th-7th March - Making project proposals (online lectures and project supervision) - Virtual
• Week 4: 11th-15th March - Starting to develop projects - initial presentations and discussions. Intercultural and social activities-Face-to-face activities at UPC Vilanova
• Weeks 5-8: 18th March- 26 April - Developing projects (online lectures and project supervision) - Virtual
• Weeks 9-10:29th April-10th May- Delivering poster and video, closing the BIP - Virtual

Venue

Face-to-face activities will take place at the School of Engineering of Vilanova i la Geltrú, one of the schools of engineering of Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC).

Vilanova i la Geltrú is a pleasant coastal town, located about 50 kilometres south of Barcelona with a population of around 66,000. Its busy town centre and bustling market are worth a visit just as its old quarter, church and theatre. The beach promenade, lined with coffee shops and bars offers an ideal place to go walking or jogging and the beach itself is the starting point to practice many of the water sports available- sailing, windsurfing, canoeing, etc.

Town Hall of Vilanova i la Geltrú

Tourism Office of Vilanova I la Geltrú

Tourist map

Travel and accommodation

How to get to Vilanova

From Barcelona Airport

You can reach Vilanova from the airport in two different ways, by bus or by train.

There are buses which go to Vilanova i la Geltrú. Check the timetable and prices here. You can take the train from the airport to El Prat de Llobregat, then change trains (at the same track) to Vilanova i la Geltrú. Check the timetable and prices on the Renfe website.

From Girona Airport

You need to take a bus to Barcelona Estació del Nord (single ticket €16). You can find more information on transfer options here.

Then walk to the metro station Arc de Triomf and buy a metro ticket to Passeig de Gracia. Make sure you buy your ticket at the red machine in the back on which it says ´TMB´. Take the metro in the direction Hospital de Belvitge (L1, red line) and get out at Catalunya. There you change to the metro in the direction Trinitat Nova (L3, green line), get out at Passeig de Gracia.

At Passeig de Gracia you can buy a train ticket and take the direct train to Vilanova i la Geltrú.

Social programme

About

This BIP (Blended-Intensive Programme) forms part of the Erasmus+ programme and has been co-funded by the European Union

Partners