Biomimicry: Nature's genius inspiring solutions all around us.

course description

Ever wondered how can we live on planet earth, in a way that is more sustainable and more in-tune with nature? Biomimicry offers this perspective, it is the field of study that gives you the tools to learn how to deeply look and interpret nature to empower humans to create more sustainable design. The core idea is that nature has already solved many of the problems we are grappling with. Animals, plants, and microbes are the consummate engineers. After billions of years of research and development, failures are fossils, and what surrounds us is the secret to survival.

In this course you will explore the "ethos" of biomimicry - its philosophy, the "connecting with nature" - how to observe nature and the "process of biomimicry design" - the tools to learn from nature. The course is intended to attract an interdisciplinary audience, because only by having people who wear different hats are we able to innovate a world that is truly sustainable.

What to expect:

Participants are expected to make weekly readings about nature strategies and innovations in the field.

Participants are expected to start deeply observing nature surrounding them and making deductions about the strategies in the natural world, in exercises called "i-sites"

Participants are expected to join on a couple of fieldtrips, one half day one by the Nile and one weekend one in Fayoum, where we will get a deep immersion into nature and its various strategies.

Participants are expected to be engaged in a trimester long project with a group that is composed of 3-4 people about a certain challenge that we need to resolve, using nature's inspiration for resolving it.

Participants are expected to start deep observation, to read and make deductions and abstract their understandings in thinking about global issues and how best to solve them.

Why apply:

To become actively involved in changing the world... no really biomimicry will change your perspective, whatever discipline you are pursuing by putting on the "biomimicry lens" it will really equip you with concrete ways of seeing the world from a different perspective, and perspective that over 3.8 billion years has been the most sustainable.