Project R-15466

Debris Spring School (Education)

The Spring School is a ve-day interdisciplinary learning platform that invites 16 junior researchers to collectively explore socio-environmental challenges through this year's theme of debris. This inaugural edition reects on the socio-material implications of what is discarded, forgotten, or misplaced—whether as physical waste, abandoned ideas, or untold stories. By addressing debris as both a metaphor and a material reality, the Spring School interrogates how power dynamics, inequality, and systemic neglect shape the accumulation and management of what society casts aside. Through peer-led sessions and expert guidance, participants will engage with situated and embodied research practices, exploring dierent methodologies to confront unacknowledged aspects of their disciplines. Emphasizing collaborative learning, the program features writing workshops, site explorations, and interdisciplinary activities to foster unforeseen insights and approaches. Participants are invited to lead a session showcasing their work and methodologies, together shaping the Spring School's program. They will also co-create a joint publication, synthesizing their experiences and reections on how debris informs and transforms research and practice. The Spring School also integrates shared living and nurturing practices, such as communal cooking and collective care for the living space, reinforcing its commitment to embodied, relational learning. Organized by junior researchers from Hasselt University of the Faculty of Architecture and Arts and the School of Social Sciences, and in collaboration with Project Passage, the program oers a unique opportunity for researchers from diverse disciplines—including architecture, arts, design, and social sciences—to experiment, connect, and contribute to meaningful academic and cultural production. The Debris Spring School promises an enriching experience of intellectual and interpersonal growth, fostering an engaged community of thinkers and doers.

31 December 2024 - 31 December 2025