WiT Programme - Bridging capacities to advance resilience of vulnerable communities
Written by Saija Hollmén, 9th of August 2023
Programme description
The Aalto WiT Programme is a 3.5-month, 24 ECTS post-master’s programme, focusing on the resilience of human settlements in the Global Majority context.
The programme is aimed at professionals and academics in fields such as architecture, landscape architecture, design, engineering, management, economics, social sciences, or any other related discipline, who wish to enhance their skills and capacities to work in global development. It is suitable for professionals with a master’s degree and is also compatible with doctoral-level studies. The programme is developed in collaboration with global partner organisations and case providers and is hosted by the World in Transition Research LAB (WiTLAB) at Aalto University’s School of Arts, Design and Architecture.
The WiT Programme integrates innovative theoretical and practice-based pedagogical methods in resilience and systems thinking. It actively promotes decolonial practices through engaged partnerships based on mutual knowledge creation and sharing, aiming at societal impact and local development. The programme includes problem-based and transformative learning approaches, using real-life case studies to provide participants with work-life experience in collaboration with partnering organisations in the field of development and global sustainability.
The WiT Programme comprises two parts:
- Otaniemi Camp (6 weeks) – an on-site phase at Aalto University’s campus in Espoo, Otaniemi.
- Fieldwork – conducted at one of the case study sites in the Global South, coordinated jointly by case provider organisations.
This programme brings together the expertise of universities, organisations, and professionals who are passionate about creating a more just and sustainable world.
WiT Programme in a nutshell
| Who can apply? | Anyone with a master's degree |
| How long do I study? | The programme runs for 3.5 months, from September until December 2025 |
| What are the outcomes for a participant? | The participants will acquire strategic and practical knowledge about methods, tools and procedures in intercultural and multi- stakeholder environments |
| What are the credits? | 12 + 12 ECTS |
| What is the tuition fee? | 15 EUR/ECTS, 360 EUR in total, for those with non-degree study right |
| Mode of study? | On-site and hybrid |
| Language? | English |
WHY STUDY THE WiT PROGRAMME?
The rapid changes in societal and environmental contexts highlight the critical need for collaboration between academia and practice-oriented organisations. The WiT Programme addresses pressing global challenges, including lack of climate adaptation and resiliency, uncontrolled urbanisation, global poverty, and endangered built and cultural heritage.
To tackle these complex issues, the programme fosters sustainable collaboration between academia and practice-oriented organisations and humanitarian NGO’s in vulnerable communities globally.
The WiT Programme brings together professionals from diverse backgrounds to work in interdisciplinary and multicultural teams, enhancing their holistic understanding of how to address wicked problems in the fields of humanitarian architecture, emergency response, and sustainable development.
Our experts employ cutting-edge pedagogical methods in theory and practice, rooted in resilience and systems thinking. The programme advances decolonised practices by working alongside international organisations and local communities, ensuring mutual knowledge creation and sharing with a focus on real-world impact.
The programme’s problem-based and transformative learning approach is applied through real-life case studies, developed in collaboration with our partner organisations and informed by topical academic research and projects.
Career prospects
The Aalto WiT Programme equips participants with strategic and practical skills essential for careers in humanitarian architecture, emergency response, and sustainable development. Graduates develop expertise that is increasingly valued by international organisations, public and private sector organisations, sustainability and development consultancies and research and academic institutions.
Join the Aalto WiT Programme and take your career to the next level in the dynamic and evolving humanitarian field.
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