Education for SDGs in the wider community

Università IULM has dedicated outreach educational activities for the wider community, through a comprehensive programme of outreach and lifelong learning activities open to alumni, displaced people, refugees and the local community.
These initiatives extend the University’s mission beyond the campus, providing accessible, inclusive, and interdisciplinary learning opportunities aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

1. Lifelong learning and alumni engagement

IULM offers continuing education opportunities for graduates and professionals through thematic events and workshops on sustainability, innovation, and leadership.
Key 2024–2025 initiatives included:

• W Leadership Summit 2025 – a national forum on female leadership, ESG governance, and inclusive management, organised in partnership with IULM Alumni and Class Editori.
• Le Nuove Frontiere del Marketing – an open discussion with alumni and corporate leaders on sustainability communication, AI, and digital innovation in post-pandemic markets.

These programmes promote continuous professional development and foster a community of alumni committed to the principles of sustainable leadership.

2. Open-access education for the public

IULM provides free and open learning opportunities to promote civic education, critical thinking, and global awareness:

• Fondamenta – a free online programme of 12 masterclasses led by IULM professors, addressing topics such as ethics, communication, and sustainability.
• IULM for the City – a cycle of public lectures and dialogues on culture, creativity, and sustainability that connect academia with citizens and local organisations.
• TOP – Tutoring Online Project – digital mentoring for students and graduates, providing personalised support in study methods, employability, and academic inclusion.
• Teacher Training Courses and Progetto Licei – capacity-building for secondary-school teachers and orientation for high-school students, fostering SDG literacy and intercultural understanding.
• Junior Summer and Winter Schools 2024 – open courses introducing secondary-school students to communication, languages, and creative industries.
• Graduate Summer School – Open Lectures – postgraduate seminars on sustainability and strategic communication, accessible to the wider public.
• Civil Week 2024 and International Week 2024 – civic and educational programmes promoting active citizenship, inclusion, and global awareness.
• “Leggo molto” at IULM – a reading promotion initiative organised with Libraccio, encouraging literacy and community engagement through an open-access book fair.

3. Public lectures and international Flow Talks series

The IULM Flow Talks are open webinars featuring global experts addressing sustainability, innovation, and social issues.
 Recent 2024 sessions included:

• TALK 56 – Empower Leadership: Creative and Critical Thinking Perspective
• TALK 55 – Addressing the Complex Challenges of Global Food Security (with FAO)
• TALK 54 – Communicating Sustainability Effectively
• TALK 53 – Gamification for Environmental and Social Education
• TALK 52 – Green Deal: Local Innovations for Sustainability
   This format encourages global dialogue and public participation, reaching over 4,000 online attendees annually.

4. Experiential learning through art, cinema, and theatre

The IULM campus functions as a cultural laboratory open to the public, hosting exhibitions, performances, and debates that connect art, sustainability, and social dialogue.
 Notable 2024 initiatives included:

• Masterclass with Marco D’Amore – public acting and storytelling workshop connecting students and citizens through performance and narrative techniques.
• Is peace a utopia? - a congress by Archbishop Mons. Mario Delpini.
• Sognielettrici - IULM festival of fantastic and science fiction.
• Noir in Festival 2024 – a week of film premieres and literary meetings, comics, and Podcasts.
• The Legacy of Prometheus– conference of Italian universities and design academies addressing creativity, artificial intelligence, and visual culture.
• Inauguration of “Le avventure della visione”, an exhibition by Virgilio Villoresi – open audiovisual art exhibition.
• AI.motion - Italian Film and Audiovisual Festival.
• BookCity 2024 at IULM - a series of meetings with authors, writers, round tables, presentations, and debates whose absolute protagonists are books.
• Don Winslow and the rubble of America - U.S. writer meets with students and audience at IULM.
• Michele Placido and Fabrizio Bentivoglio in IULM for the presentation of the film Eterno visionario.
• "Io, Shakespeare e Pirandello" - a theater play by Giorgio Pasotti
• “Tutta un’altra musica” – Lecture-concert for World Arabic Language Day – live event combining performance and education on Arabic culture and music.
• Franco Mussida in IULM – concert and open workshop on the social and emotional power of music.
• The Mariachi and Mexican Music at IULM – concert-lecture promoting cultural exchange and musical heritage.
• Piano City Milano 2024 – open piano concert by Antonio Alessandri in the IULM Auditorium as part of the city’s festival of music.
• “Gender Cultures” Conference – multidisciplinary symposium combining arts, media, and gender studies to promote equality and diversity.
• “Carissimo Bernardino – A Study Day” – public academic session exploring the multifaceted artistic and literary work of Bernardino Zapponi.
• W.J.T. Mitchell guest at IULM - a cycle of three seminars for PhD in Visual and Media Studies and open to the public..
• Anthropology of Screens – public seminar on the aesthetics and politics of images.
• “How Can Music Improve the Places Where We Live?” – lecture by Shain Shapiro, Sound Diplomacy founder, exploring music’s role in urban well-being.
• The Voice / The Voices of Women, from classics to contemporaries - a conference and a theatrical performance

5. Inclusion and outreach for displaced learners and refugees

During the 2023/2024 academic year, IULM participated in the InZone programme coordinated by the University of Geneva, offering distance courses for students in refugee camps in Azraq (Jordan) and Kakuma (Kenya).
Courses cover Strategy and Management, Data analysis for Communication, Social Media relations Management, Sociology of media supporting inclusion, resilience, and employability among displaced youth.
This initiative exemplifies IULM’s commitment to extending education to vulnerable communities globally.