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3rd Edition of the Siena Advanced School on Sustainable Development Successfully Completed

By SDSN Italia

On 23 February, the third edition of the Siena Advanced School on Sustainable Development successfully ended with the participation of 45 students. Students represented academia, public and private sector. They were joined by 25 speakers from academia, public institutions, and businesses. Lectures were held in both Italian and English to strengthen the international dimension of the school. There was a strong focus on the private sector as several representatives presented concrete solutions for socio-environmental sustainability.

Siena Advanced School is organized by the Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development (ASviS), in collaboration with Santa Chiara Lab of the University of Siena, Leonardo, Enel Foundation, RUS - Network of Universities for Sustainable Development, and SDSN Italy.

This year, to respond to the situation imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizers adapted the structure of the School to a new format. From September 2020 until February 2021, three virtual stages combined both didactic and scientific ways of interacting. The first phase (asynchronous) was held online from 1 to 30 September; the second phase (synchronous) was delivered through webinars and interactive workshops one to two times per week, from 1 October to 17 December 2020; and the third and final phase was concluded with a series of webinars held by teachers, experts, and business representatives from 19 January to 23 February.

During the first phase, the School presented fundamentals based on a multidisciplinary and integrated approach to sustainable development. The second and third phases were structured around three themes in which the participants were divided into working groups: 1. Policy, 2. Science and Innovation, and 3. New Business Models.

At the end of the School, each group produced a project idea relevant to one of the themes. During the last day, the projects were presented and discussed in front of a high-level Evaluation Commission. The Commission, consisting of both academia and the private sector, “virtually” delivered certificates of participation.


The project proposals prepared by the three working groups are as follows:

1. Policies for Sustainable Development

  • Local networking 4SDGs - Networking strategies for sustainability
  • Common Future
  • We are fried, we are exhausted
  • A city for children. Observe sustainability from the point of view of children and young people

2. New Business Models for Sustainable Development

  • OrganiCycle
  • Urban Farm Lab. Living Sustainability
  • 123 NEW Canteen - No Emission and Waste Canteen for the 2030 Agenda, Target 12.3

3. Science and Innovation for Sustainable Development

  • MUST - MUseo for the Sustainability of the Territories


For more info please visit the website of the Siena Advanced School on Sustainable Development:
https://sienadvancedschool.unisi.it/it/