Program Overview

Introduction to the ICPU Program

The Industry Community Project (ICPU) is an innovative teaching project designed to provide students with the opportunity to acquire soft skills, relationship skills, teamwork, and a problem-solving approach. The program is a collaboration between the University of Padua, the University of Sydney, and the University of Lausanne.

Program Description

The ICPU program is based on an inter-disciplinary learning journey, bearing 6 credits, designed and delivered by professors from the participating universities, along with local partners from the industry. The program introduces a challenge and/or case study that students are encouraged to work on and solve.

Program Summary

The program focuses on rethinking food systems for better health and sustainability. Student teams, representing unique mixes of disciplines, will explore questions such as:

• How can food systems be transformed to meet the changing needs of consumers in a more sustainable way?
• What role can consumers, producers, manufacturers, industry leaders, and government play to achieve ambitious targets?
• How can the narrative of food production and supply be rewritten to reflect a progressive industry that will engage a diverse future workforce and facilitate a comprehensive approach to solving complex issues within the sector?

Partners

The ICPU program is a collaborative effort between three internationally renowned universities:

• The University of Padua (Italy)
• The University of Sydney (Australia)
• The University of Lausanne (Switzerland)

Format

The program combines online activities with field trips and face-to-face classes held at the University of Sydney, Australia.

Dates

The program is scheduled to take place from June 30 to July 27, with the following breakdown:

• Week 1: June 30 - July 3, remote work (online)
• Weeks 2 and 3: July 1 - 18, face-to-face in Sydney, Australia
• Week 4: July 21 - 27, remote work (online)

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the program, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate critical awareness of, and apply, disciplinary knowledge, skills, and personal attributes to address complex real-world problems.
2. Assess and integrate diverse stakeholder perspectives to generate innovative insights into complex problems.
3. Purposefully select and apply complex problem-solving approaches and methods.
4. Communicate novel ideas effectively and persuasively in professional settings using relevant media.
5. Demonstrate professionalism (proficiency, adaptivity, and proactivity) in collaborative project work.

Supervisors and Co-supervisors

The program is supervised by Mara Thiene, with co-supervisors including Roberto Antonietti, Martino Cassandro, Caroline Clark, Francesca Gambino, Luigi Marfč, Alex Martucci, Zuleika Murat, Marco Patruno, and Enrico Zucchi.

Useful Information

• The program is part of the Global Intensives call.
• The number of available places for students of the University of Padua is 25.
• Participants are granted a EUR 1,500 scholarship.
• Applications close on March 12, 1 pm.

Previous Editions

The ICPU program has been held in previous years, with different focuses, such as:

• 2021: International innovative teaching project
• 2020: Food for Thought - Rethinking food systems for better health and sustainability
• 2019: The future of milk and Food and Health

Projects and Mobility Office

The Projects and Mobility Office is located at Palazzo Anselmi, Lungargine del Piovego n.1, 2nd floor - 35131 Padua, Italy.