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Apply and work with the basic "Symbiosis in Development Principles" (SiD) in real-world cases. Develop concepts and strategies that make businesses, industries, cities, buildings and day-to-day life more efficient, more sustainable, more human.

Profile 
Length: 6 days                                           
Dates: June 24 to 29, 2019
Fee: CNY 16,800  /  HKD 20,800
Subject: Sustainability
Level: Post Graduate Education
Language: English, with Chinese Translation
Location: Rotterdam, Netherlands 
Registration: Before April 30, 2019

Attendees
Individuals and organizations who are reaching out to communities or companies on issues of sustainability or who are considering developing economic, environmental, or social indicators for a community or company. Also applicable to communities who are developing master plans as a guide to future development.  Individuals and organizations including designers, architects, engineers, urban planners and developers, business strategists and developers, real estates, policy and decision-makers, grassroots activists, agriculture sectors and government officials.

Benefits
At the end of the course, participants will be able to

- have a fundamental understanding of sustainability
- tackle sustainability challenges on a system-level
- structure integrated sustainable projects & evaluation
- apply and work with the basic SiD tools to a case study
- make action plans for project executions in a team setting

The participants will receive an official SiD certificate upon completion.

Introduction
This course aims to deepen participants’ knowledge and understanding of sustainability. It offers a basic introduction of Symbiosis in Development(SiD) – a framework for developing multi-faceted sustainability innovations, using systems-thinking, network theory, and life cycle understanding. Trainers will demonstrate how to analyze real cases by looking at the entire spectrum of influences. The 6-day course is a mix of presentations, games, personal reflections and group work in an informal environment. Participants learn about system-thinking, the SiD framework and apply it to case studies. SiD has been successfully applied to over 500 projects in contexts as diverse as urban renewal, policy making, design, business strategy, healthcare, and industrial innovation. SiD enables different disciplines to work together and evaluate sustainability spectrum-wide. It uses systems thinking, systems mapping, design-thinking, and complexity thinking in a co-creation process.


Symbiosis in Development (SiD)
SiD guides professionals, designers and decision-makers in incorporating problems beyond material and energy use – extending to include social, ecological, economic, and political issues. To achieve sustainability, we must optimise for all these competing areas of concern at the same time – and this is what SiD does.SiD formulates a way to work with complex systems understanding, making it accessible and workable through a systemic approach, method and process. It connects powerful but abstract theoretical knowledge to daily practice, and provides an overarching framework in which other existing frameworks, such as the Circular Economy and Social Justice, become more meaningful and effective.SiD is a tool, but also a means for greater insight. By developing a new language for multi-disciplinary groups to work together on integrated solutions for a sustainable society, it drafts the foundation of a new way of working, learning, researching and intervention.

About EXCEPT
EXCEPT is a cooperative of over 30 scientists, designers, and social entrepreneurs that take sustainable development to the next level.  With over 500 projects on 4 continents, ranging from urban development, future proof buildings, agriculture, business strategy, and software, Except has become an international leader in the field of sustainable innovation.EXCEPT develops concepts and strategies that make businesses, industries, cities, buildings, and day-to-day life more efficient, more sustainable, more human.  EXCEPT exists to raise the roof, to be the frontrunner in sustainable innovation, smart business models and to help our partners become future-proof and flourishing.  Together, we bridge gaps between sectors to accelerate the frontier of sustainability and create concepts that are realistic and feasible.

About Rotterdam
Rotterdam was once the world’s largest port, where the local economy revolved almost entirely around shipping.  Soon jobs started to decline and the city became poor – having the highest unemployment rate in the country with the biggest population of unskilled immigrant workers, the city had one of the highest crime rates in Europe.  In conjunction, Rotterdam faces a constant threat by rising waters where 90% of the city is below sea level.You may ask, BUT how did this gritty port city turn itself around and become a world leader in Sustainable Urban Design?  Thanks to it being future-obsessed with an abundance of open space, and for having a government willing to support original and sometimes bizarre new solutions (for example, local entrepreneurs are experimenting with mushroom farming, bread recycling, they even try to turn food waste into fake leather).This really is unique about Rotterdam and it is the place to be if you want to learn about SUSTAINABILITY.  Come and surround yourself with sustainable architecture and to experience real-life examples.  By the end, you will also take home a little piece of the Dutch attitude “we don’t talk, we just do”.

Case Studies
Participants work on selected case studies, with 4 to 5 sub-questions.  EXCEPT will guide the development of the cases and will prepare the related documentation for the training in coordination with the attendees.