ROBERTO RUFFINO’S MASTER DOCTORATE LECTURE ON INTERCULTURAL LEARNING - The Traveller’s Compass
Secretary General and co-founder of AFS Intercultura Italy, Dr. Roberto Ruffino was granted an Honorary Doctoral Degree in Intercultural Education from the University of Padua, one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Europe, established in 1222, on Monday April 21st, 2008.
This is the first time ever that an Italian University has granted such an award.
Roberto Ruffino (pictured at right) presented his master doctorate lecture under the title, “La bussola del viandante,” or “The Traveller’s Compass,” focusing on the meaning of intercultural dialogue and on the mission of AFS. He concludes with this thought:
Our cultures are like concrete structures
that hold buildings together
but also forbid a building
from being any different from what it is.
Maybe the time has come
to tear the building apart and get to know its pieces
that are pieces of our lives
and turn them into poles and beams
to carry along
as we walk through the wilderness of tomorrow,
to be turned into tents and huts
easy to assemble and easy to disassemble,
as we settle for a short while on ever-changing grounds,
like tuaregs in the desert
who link the people of the shore and of the green
endlessly
without walls.
Roberto Ruffino’s lecture is now available in English. Download using the link below.
The Traveller’s Compass
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
AFS believes firmly in the value of experiential learning. Participants on an AFS program have structured orientations and are placed in classrooms, but the principal learning opportunities on the AFS program come from the daily experience of living in another cultural environment. Learning by experience is intrinsically motivating, is better remembered, and the skills learned are retained longer than in a classroom setting. Why an AFS Experience Accelerates Learning and the Growth of Competence. [.pdf]
Our framework for learning is involvement in the local culture and community. We encourage participants to become more aware of the issues affecting their host society, to engage in service to the community, and to form close relationships across cultures. When they return home, we support them in their re-integration to their home societies and encourage them to put their new knowledge to use. We work within a Global Education Framework. [.pdf]
AFS is guided by our Educational Advisory Council
