From 8th to 12th April 2024, GSA’s School of Innovation and Technology (S.I.T.) is hosting the 9th edition of the Winter School, at the Highlands and Islands Campus in Forres, Scotland.
The Winter School is an international and cross-cultural experience aimed at undergraduate, Masters and PhD students from around the world. This annual event brings together students and professors of design, engineering, computer science and social sciences to explore a contemporary challenge (combining ecological, technological and social dimensions) through an intensive project experience.
This year, the topic is “Soil, Place and Care”, and students, academics and experts are encouraged to engage in a deep, multi-dimensional exploration of soil as a critical element in our ecological system. By examining a single cubic metre of land – extending from subterranean layers to the space above – teams of students from different cultures and educational backgrounds will investigate the intricate relationships between soil, heritage, technology, economy, and human interaction with the environment in which we live.
This year, institutions involved are The Glasgow School of Art’s School of Innovation and Technology (UK), Koln International Design School (Germany), University of Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan), Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava (Slovakia) and Universities of Tsinghua and Renmin from China.
Campus Director and Deputy Director GSA
Professor Irene McAra-McWilliam
International academics and experts
Philipp Heidkamp and Laura Popplow (KISD, Germany), Soheil Ashrafi (UCA, Naryn), Marcel Bencik (AFAD, Bratislava), John Thackara, Jonathan Minchin (Ecological Interaction / IAAC, Barcelona), James Oliver (RMIT, Melbourne), Henry Birt (University of Manchester), and Carol Elkovich (CCA, San Francisco)
GSA SIT
Gordon Hush, Albert Fuster, Gabby Morris, Simon Beeson, Chris Hand, Lisa McDonald, Paul Smith, Lydia Stewart, Mafalda Moreira, Rachel Naysmith, Marianne Mc Innes, Michaela Gleed
GSA Rural Lab
Gina Wall, Clare Devaney, Charlotte Stoney.