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Master's Degree in Designland. Beyond Differences - A Dialogue between Cultures on the Public Space Project between Dakar and Reggio Calabria

The international Master's program "Designland. Beyond Differences ," currently underway at the Institut Polytechnique Panafricain (IPP) in Dakar, continues successfully   . The program, a collaboration between the IPP and the Università Mediterranea di ​​Reggio Calabria , focuses on design for public spaces as a tool for intercultural dialogue and sustainable development.

The Master's program is organized by the Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria and the Institut Polytechnique Panafricain (IPP), and is part of the project "Academic Collaboration through Higher International Education for ACHIEVE_IT", funded under the programs aimed at transnational educational initiatives (TNE).

In recent weeks, students have been involved in a series of  thematic workshops  led by Italian and Senegalese teachers, which addressed various aspects of contemporary public space design.

The workshops were held according to the following schedule:

  • Urban landscape and public spaces - Prof. Alessandro Villari  (unirc) 
  • New media and tools for the conception of public space - Prof. Francesco Stilo  (unirc)
  • Public space: a comparison of African and European cultures - Prof. Papis Fall  (IPP)
  • The public space in durable villas - Prof. Luca Barbarossa  (unict) 
  • Laboratoire de conception participative pour les spaces publics  (currently in progress) - Prof. Cecilia Alemagna  (Academy of Fine Arts of Bari)

The activities, enthusiastically welcomed by students, are offering a concrete opportunity for discussion and collaboration between different academic and cultural backgrounds.

The first part of the Master will conclude in the week of November 17th  to  21st  with the workshop led by  Prof. Barra Diop , professor of architectural design at the IPP.

After a short break, the program will resume on  January 12  at the Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria , where it will continue until  March 13, 2026. In this second phase, lessons and workshops will be held by professors from the  Department of Architecture and Design (dArTe)  of the Università Mediterranea.

During these months, the Senegalese Master's students will be staying in Reggio Calabria, enriching their education with a cultural and design exchange experience between Africa and Europe, fostering dialogue, inclusion, and sustainable design.