Introduction
The dominant dynamics in modernization processes are moving toward a society of increasingly isolated and passive individuals: a society of people who are unlearning how to collaborate. Collaboration between people is a way to break isolation, build new social networks, and achieve results that advance the transition toward ecological and just societies. The Thematic Cluster of DESIS network, “Power of Collaboration”, aims to update ideas and practices of collaboration, and design for collaboration, in different social, cultural and technological contexts. The collaboration of cluster is based on cases study in the field of human well-being by mutual help, environmental common as capillary care, social economy initiatives as sustainable production. A roadmap of cluster is defined for two years after preparatory period in 2025. A primary case study has been done (see “PoC example” below) and now we are open to invite more participation of the cluster (see “PoC invitation to participate” below).
DESIS Thematic Cluster: Power of Collaboration (PoC): Invitation to participate. (download)
PoC Examples: cases emerged in the preparatory activities (download)
Coordination team
Yumei Dong, Jiangnan University, [email protected]
Miaosen Gong, Jiangnan University, [email protected]
Ezio Manzini, DESIS network, [email protected]
Preparatory activities
PoC Cluster started with some preparatory activities done by a “core group” with the aim of better defining the theme and criteria and to propose some cases as examples of what should be researched. The Cluster has been presented at Jiangnan University in China last October and has been the core of the DESIS event, titled Collaboration and Ubuntu, before the Cumulus Conference 2025, in Johannesburg.
Core group (for the preparation activities)
Jiangnan University DESIS Lab (Wuxi, China), Miaosen Gong and Yumei Dong, serve as technical secretariat
Aalborg DESIS Lab (Copenhagen, Denmark), Nicola Morelli
Aveiro University DESIS Lab (Aveiro, Portugal), Teresa Franqueira
KNUST Kumasi DESIS Lab (Kumasi，Ghana), Ralitsa Debrah
NID DESIS Lab (Ahmadabad, India), Amresh Panigrhai
Tsinghua University DESIS Lab (Beijing, China), Fang Zhong
UFRJ DESIS Lab (Rio de Janeiro，Brazil), Carla Cipolla
Polimi DESIS Lab (Milano, Italy), Daniela Selloni, Daniela Sangiorgi, Stefana Broadbent
UAL DESIS Lab (London, UK), Adam Thorpe
Preparatory activities
DESIS events on PoC at Jiangnan University Oct. 2025
DESIS events on PoC at University of Johannesburg, Nov. 2025
DESIS workshop on “Scaling up” at Jiangnan University, Dec. 2025
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