Claudia Massioni
Italy

"The course is based on practical assignments which allow you to immediately test the acquired knowledge and apply the proposed tools on a case study of your choice."

While working as a Doctoral Researcher, Claudia participated in the online course Spatial Circularity Strategies for Sustainable Regional Development.

What was your motivation for enrolling in this course/program? 
Part of my PhD thesis deals with the exploration of circular strategies for housing retrofitting processes in marginalized territories. Having a background in Building Engineering and Architecture, I enrolled in the course to gain more knowledge from the spatial planning perspective on the application of circularity strategies in regions with a particular focus on building material flows in peripheral and socio-economically fragile areas.

How did/will this course impact your career or life? 
The course was very beneficial for the progress of my PhD as the work developed during the various assignments will contribute to my final thesis. I acquired knowledge about circularity and I am now more familiar with tools and concepts related to the topic. I believe that taking this course will also guide my future career choices whether they will be in research or in practice.

How was your experience learning online?
The format of the course was an essential setting to make this experience valuable. The content provided was very insightful. I appreciated the flexibility given to access the videos at our own pace and at the same time the small deadlines set for partial assignments to guide and motivate our progress. The feedback given by the instructors was extremely useful and always on time to improve our work in the following assignments. Finally, I think that the final assignment represented a great way to conclude the course and have a tangible result of our work with a coherent narrative.

I appreciated the possibility of engaging in an exchange with other learners about different case studies and focus themes as well as about common ideas, issues, or interests. The communication with the instructors was always smooth and represented great guidance during the round table discussions.

What advice would you give someone who is thinking of taking a similar course?
I highly recommend the course to anyone who is willing to deepen their understanding of circularity and acquire skills for its application in regional contexts. The course is based on practical assignments which allow you to immediately test the acquired knowledge and apply the proposed tools on a case study of your choice. It was an extremely useful opportunity which increased my curiosity to further explore the topic beyond the course duration.