Educating for the green transition: Climate literacy and place-based pedagogies in the TNE-DESK mobility experience in Izmir

Abstract

This contribution presents a structured reflection on a short-term academic mobility carried out at the Izmir Institute of Technology (IZTECH) in June 2025, as part of the Erasmus+ DESK project (Work Package 7 – Green Transition). The educational experience was designed to integrate climateresponsive strategies into architectural training through a combination of active participation in studio activities, interdisciplinary seminars, and institutional dialogue. Methodologically, the mobility adopted a multiscalar and contextual approach, grounded in critical systems thinking, ecological ethics, and collaborative learning. Participation in design juries and the organization of two thematic seminars, focused respectively on sustainable building and resilient urban planning, contributed to strengthening transversal competencies related to the green transition, among both students and faculty members. Real urban case studies, including those from Izmir, Tirana, and Palermo, were used to build connections between theory and practice, while promoting situated and intercultural learning. The experience also produced significant institutional outcomes, including proposals for shared teaching modules, new opportunities for bilateral cooperation, and curriculum innovations aligned with the goals of ecological transition. The article concludes by emphasizing how short-term mobilities, when strategically structured, can serve as effective tools for advancing sustainability education in architecture and initiating long-term transformations through sustained academic cooperation.