Human Mind and Migration —
Architect for Aleppo
The students of Messaggero Veneto Scuola are part of the impactmania’s internship program for the 2020-2021 academic year. A series of migration topics were explored in this Program that will culminate in an online exhibition and presentation, May 2021.
COVID made us all Digital Nomads, however, it didn’t stop us from cross-cultural, interdisciplinary learning.
BY GIULIA PECORARO
I’ve interviewed Mariana, a 27 years old from Syria who is studying Architecture at Politecnico di Milano (Polytechnic University of Milan). She is part of an ‘educational corridor’ created by a few universities in Italy. The project supports Syrian students continuing their graduate studies abroad, helping them with the bureaucratic aspects of getting visas and supporting them financially. In our interview we discussed the project she is part of, the opportunity of studying at an Italian University, as well as what it means for her to be a Syrian girl in Italy. I uncovered the differences between the Italian and the Syrian educational system. Through her story, I would like to show the importance of such projects which facilitate student mobility as well as reflect on the role of the younger generations in Syria. As Mariana is a young architect, we also talked about the rebuilding of Syria after the war and which role her generation would play.
Mariana: “It is very important for every discipline to have young experts, who would provide new ideas and different approaches to things. For what concerns the rebuilding of Syria, it’s interesting especially the case of Aleppo which is a very cultural and historical city. I believe they are doing a lot of programs for reconstructing. However, for me as an architect, I find there’s no criteria, no strategy, sometimes it seems like they’re rebuilding because they want to cure the injuries as fast as possible without thinking about the feedback in the future.”
I’m really glad to be able to share Mariana’s experience and story, since I believe it would be really enriching for anyone who would read it.
Giulia Pecoraro was born in Udine, Italy, in 2002. She is currently attending her last year of the humanistic high school “Jacopo Stellini”. Giulia Pecoraro is part of the youth editorial staff of the local newspaper Messaggero Veneto Scuola and part of the impactmania student internship program.