Aalto WiT Programme

The new Aalto WiT Programme is developed for professionals who wish to work in the humanitarian field. It focuses on the resilience of human settlements in the Global Majority context. This programme gives participants a valuable set of knowledge and grassroots work-life experience needed in the humanitarian field. By participating in this programme participants will gain both academic and practice-based knowledge which enables you to identify and create new opportunities for working with international organisations. 

The WiT Programme is a 5-month intensive transdisciplinary professional diploma programme. It is developed together with our partner organisations and hosted by the World in Transition Research LAB (WiTLAB) at Aalto University. Under the umbrella of Humanitarian Architecture, the programme considers the thematic areas of Sustainable Built Environment, Cultural Heritage and Development, and Humanitarian Response. 

The programme starts in early January with a 2-month intensive “Otaniemi Camp”. This period includes a kick-off session with introduction and team building while partnering organisations will present their work and cases. During these months, the programme will focus on both the general and the case-specific content, according to the organisations’ needs. Before going into the fieldwork, the participants will design and finish a project plan. For the rest of the period, the participants will be supported by mentoring sessions, and the collaboration with the organisations will be supported through coaching. 

The fieldwork is carried out in March, while April and May constitute the incubation period where the projects are being developed. The final projects will be presented during the final seminar at the end of May. 

The aim for each participant is continued collaboration with the organisation after receiving the diploma.