USI at "Giornate autogestite" Ticino 2024
Institutional Communication Service
In March and April 2024, the "giornate autogestite" (self-managed days) took place in the six high schools in Ticino and at Scuola cantonale di Commercio in Bellinzona. These days were organised by the students themselves and involved various local organisations on a voluntary basis. USI offered 44 different educational workshops covering a wide range of topics, including architecture, robot programming, the history of technology, media analysis, and social communication.
Professors and PhD students shared their experiences, highlighting the students' enthusiasm and maturity in managing and actively participating in the meetings. Additionally, some workshops were suggested by USI students, promoting meaningful interaction and enabling participants to explore the university world through the experiences of their peers.
The event provided students with the chance to explore their academic and professional interests and served as a platform for interaction and dialogue between the younger generation and the academic community, fostering collaboration among educational institutions in the region.
Below are some testimonies from USI speakers.
Prof. Wit and Martina Boschi (PhD) - Faculty of Informatics - Proposed topics: Fun with Probability // Data Science for alien invasions
"From the high schools in Mendrisio, Lugano, Bellinzona and Locarno to the Scuola cantonale di Commercio in Bellinzona, it was motivating not only to see how the students independently organised all the activities for these days but also how enthusiastically they responded during the lectures."
Prof. Balbi (Pro-rector for education and students' experience) - Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society - Proposed topic: Smartphones: History, uses and everyday life
"I have been working with high schools' self-managed days in both northern and southern Ticino for several years. It's a great opportunity to understand the perspectives of the new generations, especially on the topics I cover in my activities: communication, media usage, and their relationship with technology. Every year, I learn something new. As the Pro-rector for education and students' experience at USI, I enjoy meeting potential future students and experiencing the environments that have shaped them for years. Finally, I would say that together with OrientaTI (an activity thanks to which Ticino students can 'get to know' the programmes of all the Swiss universities right at USI), "giornate autogestite" is now the most structured and continuous form of collaboration we have with the local high schools."
Deborah Barcella - PhD Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society - Proposed topic: Influencers on social media: successes and failures
"Some people believe that today's youth are too engrossed in smartphones and social media, and as a result, are losing the ability to communicate in person. However, the active participation of young people from Ticino in our workshops on these topics proves otherwise! The Autogestite demonstrated how mistaken those who underestimate teenagers are. Ticino's teenagers not only communicate effectively, but they also engage in critical and interactive dialogue. They are eager to learn about global events and the rapidly evolving media landscape around them. And the best part? Their participation in our activities was completely voluntary! This was my first experience as a PhD student during these special days, and I was truly surprised..."
