Citizen Centric Innovation - International Certificate Course

Event Poster
Monday, September 15, 2014 - 4:00am to Friday, September 26, 2014 - 4:00am

The Program
This program provides intensive executive training on methods and techniques to address complex or so-called “wicked” social problems in a multidisciplinary way. This particular session focuses on food waste in modern urban context as an example of a complex social problem to address. The methods and techniques learned are transferable to other complex social and environmental challenges.

What you will learn
You will receive intensive training in a range of disciplines including human factors, design thinking, system mapping,sustainable business models, and co-creation techniques and methods.

More importantly, you will apply your learning to find creative solutions to a complex problem: food waste in urban centres. The program includes daily field explorations of food-related aspects in each city, including visits to innovative social food enterprises such as Not Far From The Tree, The Stop Community Food Centre, and a private Jane’s Walk in Toronto; participating in a Tapas Lab; going on a Hidden City Tour of Barcelona (unique guided tour through the old town led by homeless guide); and engaging with organic farmers to understand the interdependencies and trade-offs in the complex urban food system.

Who we are
This special program is hosted in Toronto by the Strategic Innovation Lab at OCAD University (Canada's largest art and design school and third largest in North America). It is hosted in Barcelona by the Bau Design College of Barcelona affiliated with the Vic-Central University of Catalonia. Participants who complete the program successfully will receive a Certificate.

Who should attend
-Directors and managers in food related industry
-Government officials interested in urban and social issues
-Program Managers in foundations pursuing change in urban settings
-Directors of CSR in large corporations
-Executive directors of incubators for social entrepreneurship
-Politicians with interest in food security, resilient commuities or sustainability
-In general leaders or leadership candidates seeking to enhance their careers through acquiring new practical knowledge about addressing complex social problems.

When & Where
This session starts on Monday September 15, 2014 and ends on Friday September 26, 2014. Participants will spend one week in Toronto (Canada) followed by one week in Barcelona (Spain).

How
Citizen Centric Innovation (CCI) combines a human-centric participatory design approach with methods of multidisciplinary collaboration to enable exploring root causes of such complex challenges, reframing their issues differently, and developing innovative solutions.

We bring together a group of participants selected among highly talented professionals from around the world, with a team of instructors who are thought leaders in their fields. We leverage the power of such an intellectually rich and diverse environment to teach participants the leadership skills necessary for developing and implementing new solutions to old persistent problems.

You will work in small teams mentored by experienced instructors and innovation professionals on developing new out-of-the-box solutions to a specific problem, in this case food waste in the city of Barcelona and its potential impact on a range of other social problems such as poverty, health and environment.

Cost
Program fees are in U.S. Dollars and include: all program materials, welcome receptions, hotel accommodation in both cities (four-star, single occupancy), breakfast and lunch every day, visits to museums and exhibitions included in the program, one hosted dinner in each city, economy airfare Toronto to Barcelona, and local transportation during the program.

Visit the Eventbrite page for more information on instructors.

Strategic Innovation Lab (sLab) is a centre for research and development in design, innovation and strategic foresight at OCAD University. It is a growing community of scholars and practitioners, designers, business and policy professionals, teachers and students, who are passionate about envisioning possible futures. Located in the heart of Toronto, sLab operates on a model that integrates academic research, professional engagement, education and skills development for participants in the private, public, not-for-profit, and for-benefit sectors. sLab is closely linked with OCAD University’s Masters Program in Strategic Foresight and Innovation.

Bau Design College of Barcelona, Spain is a centre affiliated with the Vic-Central University of Catalonia that provides higher education in the field of design. Located in Barcelona, one of the leading cities in the field of design, Bau is situated in an industrial area of over 8,000 m2 equipped with custom studios and multi-purpose spaces designed to support research, creativity and innovation. The training offered at Bau leads to university degrees in graphic, audiovisual, interior and fashion design as well as Master’s and Postgraduate degrees. The college also offers other courses such as the Diploma in Design ‘Bau Nit’ (Bau Evening), in the specializations of Graphic Design and Interior Design, and the Summer University, in addition to a wide variety of monographic courses and workshops.

Registration required

Venue & Address: 
Strategic Innovation Lab (OCAD U) & Bau Design College (Barcelona)
Cost: 
Free