Inauguration of Fall 2007 semester program and presentation of catalog of the project Nokia Only Planet: Innovating through Empathy, September 6, 2007
On September 6, 2007 the Fall semester of the School was inaugurated by Dean Stefano Micelli. The professors who are teaching at VIU for the Fall semester presented their courses to 70 students from the member universities.
The Fall courses offer a blend of cross-disciplinary and disciplinary courses, that address contemporary issues or adopt new or comparative approaches. Courses include Contemporary Technology and Humanism; How to Begin Thinking; Social Simulation; Understanding Relations; Israeli History and Identity; Japan in Translations; The Theatricality of Film, The Myth of Venice; Italian Contemporary History.
On the occasion Dean Micelli also presented the Nokia Only Planet: Innovating through Empathy catalog recently published by Marsilio Editori. The catalog is the outcome of a creative project conducted during the Spring 2007 semester in conjunction with Nokia. The project explored empathy and creativity as fundamental dimensions from which to observe and research the social, economical and cultural environment in which we live.
Students were asked to investigate the concepts of creativity, empathy and intimacy and to immediately visualize through video capture using Nokia mobile phones. The project included a series of workshops with Tina Gonsalves a multi-media artist, VIU researchers and also a number of sitevisits to creative and innovative small and medium enterprises in the Veneto region. After interacting with creative professionals the students developed their own concepts and scenarios. The final four video projects envisage different future scenarios, highlighting not only the advantages that may come from these innovations but also the negative aspects of technology should it be taken too far.
Fall 2007 Semester Program
Nokia Only Planet: Innovating through Empathy