CAS ETH in Regenerative Systems: Sustainability to Regeneration

This description is only available in English.

  • Autumn Semester 2025

    Start
  • 3 months

    Duration
  • Hybrid: online plus field trip to Italy

    Location
  • English
    Tuition language
  • tba

    Application period

  • CHF 8,230

    Programme fee

In brief: The CAS ETH in Regenerative Systems: Sustainability to Regeneration

The CAS hybridises science, design and transformative praxis. It embodies systems physically through experiential (outdoor) didactics, social engagement, and personal flow experiences.

Structure and content

Programme description

The programme is about more diverse, creative and organic ways to deal with complex societal challenges and nested crises – for designing resilient regenerative systems (DRRS). Exciting real-world, living illustrations take participants to partnering real-world labs and bio-regional learning centres, i.e. MonViso Institute in Italy, for embodying complex systems across multiple governance scales. This opens for a relational understanding across system types and dynamics.

Objectives

The main aim of the programme is co-creating positive impact in complex systems as part of learning communities. To meet today’s challenges (e.g. climate change, economic inequality) the CAS complements academic training from non-design disciplines to expand on creatively dealing with complexity, and use these skill sets based on worldview values and directions to intervene. Such interventions will strengthen bio-economies and local communities, while increasing cooperation on different scales.

Professional perspectives

The CAS is systemic, diverse, inclusive in terms of topics, ways of reasoning, methods, data types, systems scales, focal areas, and cultures. The inclusiveness of this unique programme allows for engineers, economists, biologists, activists, service designers, teachers, permaculture designs, farmers, tourism managers, architects and city mayors, from different positions, ages, cultures, to expand on their fields by learning and co-creating with synergistic stimulation and exchange.

Structure and format

The CAS is a hybrid course, organised in six thematic modules that build upon the MOOCs content structure. After an introduction week the course engages in a real-world design field trip to the MonViso Institute, Italy, including a serious game development and a Systemic Cycles multiple day bike tour.

Additional information

Each of the six modules takes two weeks and finishes with a peer-graded delivery. After the first introduction week the entire course engages in a physical real-world design field trip to the MonViso Institute, Italy. The modules include virtual live meetings with lecturers and guest speakers, in-depth discussions, individual QUEST coaching, and peer learning. Virtual content is programmed to stimulate physical and social interaction in the bio-region where the participants live.

At the end of the CAS, participants will be asked to submit a self-reflection of their QUEST in both textual and graphical form. This CAS counts towards the future MAS ETH in Regenerative Systems.

Tuition language(s)

English

Credits

12 ECTS credits

Target group and admission

Target group

The programme addresses thought leaders and decision makers from a variety of fields who want to embrace uncertainty and co-design across governance scales, cultures and thought schools for a better, more resilient and regenerative future.

Requirements

Master's degree acknowledged by ETH or equivalent educational qualifications.

Required language skills

English: C1 (German: C1) – external page Show proficiency scales

Language(s) of performance assessment

English

Dates and venue

Start

Autumn Semester 2025

Duration

3 months plus MOOC#1 participation prior to the CAS (approx. 12 weeks)

Application period

Location

Online plus field trip to Italy

Fees

Programme fee

CHF 8,230

Application fee

CHF 50 for persons with a Swiss university degree, CHF 150 for persons with another university degree (non-​refundable, credit card payment only)

Withdrawal fee

  • Within 30 days after the admission date: free of charge
  • More than 30 days after the admission date: CHF 3,000
  • After the start of the programme: CHF 8,230

Application

Questions about the application

ETH Zurich, School for Continuing Education, HG E 17–​18.5, Rämistrasse 101, 8092 Zurich, Tel. external page +41 44 632 56 59, E-mail

Application documents

Additional application documents

  • Certificate of ETH DRRS MOOC#1 Sustainability to Regeneration
  • Written essay with graphical elements: reflect about your personal QUEST in the context of this study programme

Organiser

Programme management

Professor Tobias Luthe
Programme Director
Professor Tobias Luthe
Michael Grimm
Programme Coordinator
Professor Guillaume Habert
Deputy Programme Director
Professor Guillaume Habert

Contact

Systemic Design Labs
Designing Resilient Regenerative Systems (DRRS)

ETH Zurich
D-BAUG (Dept. of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering)
Institute for Spatial and Landscape Development (IRL)
Planning of Landscape and Urban Systems (PLUS)
8093 Zurich

Responsible body

ETH Zurich, D-BAUG, Institute for Spatial and Landscape Development (IRL), Chair of Planning of Landscape and Urban Systems (PLUS)

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