IDEA League Summer School 2022
This five-day summer school offers a platform for knowledge exchange and capacity building on technological-innovation aspects of sustainable urban transformation processes with a specific focus on climate action. It builds on the participants’ soft skills for working in a collaborative and interdisciplinary platform in which they reflect on the technology-driven perspectives of climate action through art-based methodologies. The summer school facilitates the RWTH Aachen campus as a grounded learning environment.
The first day begins with an introduction to the theme and programme of the summer school, followed by lectures on design, circularity, energy and governance aspects of urban transformation. Following three days, the participants work in groups to reflect on the thematic focuses covered during the lectures. They conduct fieldwork at RWTH Aachen Campus to gather empirical evidence through art-based methodologies, including observation, sketching, filming and photographing. Two visual artists and a filmmaker guide the fieldwork. The participants present their work on the final day in a short movie format and receive feedback from the lecturers. The summer school ends with a discussion session and social event.
During the summer school, the participants will receive an opportunity to meet the IDEA League Rectors, who will visit the summer school workshop.
Format
On campus, RWTH Aachen University
Expenses
Free participation for IDEA League Students
Programme

When science meets art (05-09 September 2022)
4 September – Arrival of the participants
Drinks (18-19:30) in Magellan, Pontstraße 78, 52062 Aachen, Germany
Day 1 | 5 September, Monday I Introduction + Exploration
RWTH Super C, Ford Room (6th floor)
08:00-08:30 Arrival, registration and coffee
08:30-09:30 Opening by Dr ir Ceren Sezer, and Welcome Speech by Prof Ute Habel and Prof Christa Reicher
09:30-10:30 Lecture 1: Prof Christa Reicher (RWTH), Sustainable Transformation of Cities and Regions, a spatial planning perspective
10:30-12:00 Lecture 2: Prof Eugenio Morello (PoliMi), Living Labs as effective tools of sustainable transformation
12:00-13:00 Lunch
13:00-14:30 Lecture 3: Prof Andy van den Dobbelsteen (TUDelft), Sustainable Transformation of campus areas
14:30-14:45 Coffee break
14:45-16:15 Lecture 4: Prof Antonello Monti (RWTH) – ‘Developing sustainable local energy systems’
16:15-16:30 Coffee break
16:30-18:00 Lecture 5: Prof Niklas von der Aßen (RWTH), ‘Circularity‘
18:00-19:00 Wrapping up and common picnic
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://rwth.zoom.us/j/98530964925?pwd=Tlk5SUVjRFRDY1V0MFJYUWkyRUhnUT09
Meeting ID: 985 3096 4925
Passcode: 579830
Day 2 | 6 September, Tuesday I Research and Conception
RWTH Super C, Ford Room (6th floor)
09:00-09:30 Arrival and coffee
09:30-10:15 Introduction to fieldwork and art-based methodologies
Themes, scenarios, and methods: climate tools, writing video, materials and procedure
Group formation (Five groups: G1,2,3,4,5)
10:15-11:00 Site writing, reading and experience
11:00-11:15 Break
11:15-12:30 Project development / Climate tools
12:30-13:30 Lunch
13:30-14:30 Brief feedback from the groups
14:30-15:00 Coffee break
15:00-17:00 Project development / Climate tools
17:00-18:00 Discussion
Day 3 | 7 September, Wednesday I Development and filming
Location: Super C, Room 531 and 532 (5th floor)
08:15-09:00 Arrival and coffee
09:00-10:00 Introduction: video as an artistic and conceptual framing
10:00-12:00 Group work – reflections of the implementation, process and insights
12:00-13:00 Lunch
13:00-14:45 Planning of videotake –writing voice off
14:45-15:00 Coffee break
15:00-17:30 Planning of videotake –writing voice off
17:30-18:30 Drinks (Super C, Main Hall - top floor)
18:30-19:00 Discussion
Day 4 | 8 September, Thursday I Development and filming
RWTH Super C, Ford Room (6th floor)
08:30-09:00 Arrival and coffee
09:00-12:30 Video & Audio take
12:30-13:30 Lunch
13:30-15:00 Walk-in visits by the IDEA League Rectors
15:00-15:30 Coffee break
15:30-18:00 Video & Audio take
18:00-19:00 Discussion
Evening Film editing
Day 5 | 9 September, Friday I Preparation and presentation
RWTH Super C, Ford Room (6th floor)
08:30-09:00 Arrival and coffee
09:00-12:00 Final preparations
12:00-13:00 Lunch
13:00-15:30 Tour of the projects, forum and reflections
15:30-16:30 Closing screening and drinks
Combat in Numbers
Partner Universities
10+
University Professors
50+
Students Applied
150+

Organisation & Contact
Organisers
RWTH Aachen University - Chair and Institute for Urban Design and European Urbanism
Prof Dr Christa Reicher – Head of Institute
Dr ir Ceren Sezer – Research Associate
Seher Ulusoy M. Sc RWTH – Research Assistant
with the support of
IDEA League General Secretary
Dr J. Leslie Zachariah-Wolff
RWTH Aachen University, Vice Rector for International Affairs
Prof Dr Ute Habel
RWTH Aachen University – International Office
Elina Krause B.A. /IDEA League Network Coordinator
Prof Antonello Monti / RWTH Aachen University, Chair Automation of Complex Power Systems
Prof Eugenio Morello / Politecnico di Milano, Department of Architecture and Urban Studies
Prof Andy van den Dobbelsteen / Delft University of Technology, Department of Architectural Engineering and Technology
Prof Niklas von der Aßen / RWTH Aachen University, Institute of Technical Thermodynamics
M.A. Miriam Hamel
M.A. Claire Waffel
M.A. Rikisaburo Sato
Student Assistants
Transforming City Regions Master Programme, RWTH Aachen
Denis Eke, Ecem Erol, and Shaily Shaily.
Contacts
Participation
Overview
The IDEA League offers the students of the network (Chalmers, ETH Zurich, Politecnico di Milano, RWTH Aachen, TU Delft) the unique opportunity to develop new insights into current research and to enhance their skills and academic excellence.
The summer school takes place from 4 to 9 September 2022
at the RWTH Aachen University.
Registration Deadline
16 May 2022 noon (CET)
Location
RWTH Aachen University, Germany
Accommodation
TBA
Costs
There are no registration and accommodation fees. Students from IDEA League member universities selected to participate in a summer school only have to pay for their own travel costs where applicable.
Description
The summer school invites participants to a week of lectures, discussions and brainstorming sessions on the role of technological developments and innovation to offer solutions to the major challenges of the city regions in Europe and beyond.
This summer school attempts to offer solutions to the major challenges of the city regions in Europe and beyond, which includes:
This summer school is organized by RWTH Aachen University Chair of Urban Design in collaboration with the IDEA League universities.
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providing affordable housing;
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reducing environmental footprints;
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promoting the integration of various communities;
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and encouraging efficient and connected public transport, among others.
Content
TBA. More information: https://tcr.rwth-aachen.de/
Who can apply
Application is open to Master's and PhD. Students of the member universities of the IDEA League Alliance http://idealeague.org
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RWTH Aachen University;
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Delft University of Technology;
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ETH Zürich;
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Politecnico di Milano;
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Chalmers University of Technology.
This summer school is also open to students from the ASPIRE League (http://www.aspireleague.org) alliance.
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The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology;
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Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology;
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Nanyang Technological University;
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Tsinghua University;
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Tokyo Institute of Technology.
How to apply
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Login SiROP application portal.
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Required application documents
The following documents will be requested from you as attachments you will have to upload with your application:
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Curriculum vitae & publications list
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Letter of motivation
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Letter of recommendation (optional)
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Supervisor approval (for Students from TU Delft and PhD students from Chalmers)
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If you have any further questions regarding the application process, please contact the organizer at office@idealeague.org.

Speakers
In alphabetical order





Participants
Husain Syed . RWTH Aachen . Urban studies
Hong Yuening . RWTH Aachen . Construction and robotics
Gallego Gruesso Santiago . RWTH Aachen . Transport engineering and mobility
Derdzikowska Magdalena. RWTH Aachen . Architecture
Grobe Helen . RWTH Aachen . Business administration
Cheng Yuxing . TU Delft . Transport and planning, civil engineering
Prieto Guillermo. TU Delft. Engineering and policy analysis
Martellotto Carolina . TU Delft . Strategic product design
Rolli Christian . ETH . Environmental Sciences
Sierra Jaime . PoliMi. Mobility
Fumarulo Savino . PoliMi . Management engineering
Soukkarieh Rihab . PoliMi . Sustainable architecture and landscape
Lin Zhihang . PoliMi . Architecture
Khodaei Mahya . PoliMi . Urban planning and policy design
Zoe Burgess . PoliMi . Architecture
Jia Shi . PoliMi . Architecture and urban design
Satyasom Rout . PoliMi . Sustainable architecture and landscape design
Delara Tohidi . PoliMi . Urban planning and policy design
Zhang Junhao . NTU, Singapore . Image recovery and fault detection
Amartuvshin Munkhsuuri . Tokyo Tech . Architecture and building engineering
Gallery
















Lectures
Video
A video documenting the scope, methodology and outcomes of the IDEA League Summer School 2022 ‘When Science Meets Art’ for climate action at university campuses, at RWTH Aachen University.