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Dr. Sayfan-Giulia Borghini
Faculty of Design
Multidisciplinary Studies
Multidisciplinary Studies
Tel: 03-5026816
Email: sayfanb@hit.ac.il
Buillding 7, second floor, room 213
About
My research in the last ten years is focused on complex systems at the intersection of technological and social forces, and the way new understandings in this area are rapidly upturning some of the fundamental assumptions of existing paradigms of thought. Urbanizing ecosystems, together with social networks, and the emerging phenomena of collective intelligence are fundamental examples of the necessity for an integrated and pluralistic frame to understand the immensely complex layers of the socio-technological world. In my lectures the aim is to clarify and center the correlations among this area of studies, future scenarios, and the critical role of Design across a growing span of territories in an increasingly human dominated world.
Education
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1986 - 1992 University of Rome, La Sapienza, Physics, M.Sc., July 1992
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1993 - 1997 University of Rome, La Sapienza, Ph.D., October 1998 (Thesis on the structural behavior of complex bio-molecules).
Teaching
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2012 - Present, Holon Institute of Technology, Master Program in Integrated Design, Lecturer in the introductory course to Complexity and Urban Ecology, HIT
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2013 – Present, HIT Interdisciplinary Track, Lecturer in Biomimicry for Innovation, with Dr Elad Segev
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2016 – Present, HIT Master Program in Integrated Design, Laboratory: Design Service and Human Centered Approach, co-lecturer
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2013 – Course on Curation and Mapping, HIT, Co-Lecturer
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2013 – Biomimicry Laboratory, HIT, Co-Lecturer
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2014 – Design Management: Technology, Design and Innovation, Tempus Idea, EU, Co-Lecturer
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2014 - Design Week, ISIA Design Rome, Italy, ‘Food Systems' workshop, Co-Lecturer
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2014 - Design Innovation: ‘Food Matters', Tempus Idea, EU, University of Brighton, guest Lecturer.
Selected Lectures
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2018 Emerging Patterns in the Built Environment - 17th Meeting of the AESOP Thematic Group on Urban Planning and Complexity. Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel, 7-9 November. “Patterns of Informalities”.
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2017 New Sciences and Actions for Complex Cities – Social and Institutional organization in self-organizing systems. SYPCITY. Universita’ degli Studi, Florence, Italy, December 14-15; “Mediating Adaptation: A City Action System”.
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2017 15th Meeting of the AESOP Thematic Group on Urban Planning and Complexity. University of Ghent, Belgium, 12-14 April. “Placemaking in a contested city: a story of epigenetic tactics in contemporary Jerusalem”.
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2016 Placemaking through the lens of Cities as Complex Systems; Urban Clinic at the Hebrew University; Jerusalem, 26-27 September. “A Mutual Language”.
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2016 14th Meeting of the AESOP Thematic Group on Planning and Complexity, University of Bamberg, Germany, 11-12 February; "Stigmergy in Informal Communities”;
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2015 ECCO/GBI Seminar Serie 2015-16, VUB Doctoral School, November 27. In: Evolution, Complexity and Cognition - "Stigmergy in the Design of Social Environments”.
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2015 Pattern Languages for Systemic Transformation, Workshop, co-leader, PurpleSoc Conference, Danube University, Graz (Austria), 5-6 July.
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2015 HIT BioDesign Symposium, Holon, April 28, 2015; Lecture: "Biomimicry for Social Innovation”;
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2015 Transition Towns Conference, ISIA Design Week, Pordenone Italy, March 18; Lecture "The transforming Identity of Cities”.
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2014 Open Design Hubs Conference, Shenkar, Tel Aviv; November 26, Lecture: ‘Wicked Problems and Design Research'
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2014 3D Expo 2014, Kiev, Ukraine; November 21, Lecture: ‘Shifting Forms – Systems and Design'
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2013 Ars Campus at Ars Electronica, Linz, Austria, September 5, 2013; Panel moderation: ‘Media Labs: from Science to Art',
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2013 Sustainability in Design, HIT, Holon; Lecture: ‘Design in Systems'
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2013 HIT Design Faculty Congress "Design in Motion/ Motion in Design”, Holon, May 6, 2013; ‘Shifting forms - The generative streams between design and geometry'
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2012 IDHO Laboratory, HIT, Holon; November 27, 2012; Lecture: ‘From Data to Wisdom: Mapping Complex Systems'.
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2012 Icon Festival, Panel on ‘Education for an unknown future', Cinematheque, Tel Aviv, October 4, 2012; Lecture: ‘Education, what for?'
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2011 NextNet Collabathon MetaCurrency Project, Rethinking Value, Tranzact, NJ, USA, October 21,22,23, the Polytopia Project.
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2011 ContactCon, ‘The Evolution will be Social', Angel Orensanz Center, New York, USA; October 20, ‘Polytopia, a Mind Habitat'.
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2011 Sustainability in Design, HIT, Holon; Lecture: ‘Future Trends in Food'
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2010 Desis Middle East ‘Design as engine of Social Innovation', H.I.T, Holon; December 1, "The Future Role of Design”
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2010 TEDxHolyland, ‘It's Time', American Colony, Jerusalem; October 29, 2010; Lecture: "How do we think the Future”.
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2010 Transvision International Conference, Sala dei Cavalieri, Milan, Italy; October 24, 2010; Lecture: "Polytopia, a Mind Habitat”.
Selected Projects and Collaborations
Academic Collaborations
- 2015/Present ECCO - Evolution, Complexity and Cognition Research Group, VUB Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Doctoral School, Affiliated Researcher
- 2018/Present CLEA - The Center Leo Apostel, VUB Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Postgraduate School of Thinking
- 2015-2016 PLAST Project Partner – Pattern Languages for Systemic Transformation, EU Consortium. The Project modeled the impact of socio technical complex systems on social innovation communities.
- 2013/2016 TEMPUS IDEA Project, EU Consortium, Interdisciplinary Education Agenda, Academy industry relations. Knowledge Integration.
Invited Workshops
- 2019 Hadassa Academic College, Jerusalem, Israel, February. DAN, Department of Creative Human Design. “Re-Thinking the Next Step”. Invited Faculty workshop on Academic Innovation.
- 2018 CRI Center for Research and Interdisciplinarity, Paris, France, February. Member of Initiative, Montparnasse Initiative, “Advanced Thinking”. Workshop on possible methodology for multidisciplinary thinking and teaching.
- 2016 Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israe, Junel. Guest Lecturer, Department of Geography and Environmental Development “Complex Patterns in the Urban Fabric”. Invited day workshop to the Master Students in Urban Planning.
- 2016-2017 Invited collaboration with the Urban Clinic and AESOP researchers from Portugal and the Nederland to evaluate a wide Placemaking Project in Jerusalem. Urban Clinic of the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel. “Placemaking in Jerusalem”.
- 2015 Brighton University, Brighton, UK, February. Guest Lecturer, Department of Arts and Design, “Food Matters”. Workshop in collaboration with local industry.
- 2015 Danube University, Graz, Austria, July. Guest Co-Lecturer, PurpleSoc Week “PLAST – Pattern Languages for Systemic Transformation”. Workshop on the use of patterns in complex system for social innovation.
- 2014 ISIA Design Rome, University of Rome, Italy, June. Guest Lecturer, Design week workshop “Food Systems”. Workshop in collaboration with local food industry.
- 2014 Guest Trainer at the Product Design Team at Waze, Israel, on Mapping Social Environments
- 2012/2014 Collaboration with Topos FFO, Los Angeles, Non-dominium as a model for Commons-based peer production.
- 2009/2012 International Coordinator of Polytopia Project, extensive experimental community on the web, exploring future implications of digital environments and pluralistic approaches.
Exhibitions
- 2018 Curator “Intersection” Multidisciplinary Exhibition, Galeria Vitrina Giulia Misrahi, HIT, 10.6 – 16.6.
- 2015 Scientific Advisor and Assistant Curator, "BioDesign – Hybrid Fabrications”, Exhibition, Research Gallery of the Master Program in Integrated Design, HIT, 28.4 – 19.5, 2015
- 2014 Curator, "Art, Science and Technology – an Israeli Perspective”, Exhibition, Kiev Ukraine, November 2014
- 2013 Co-researcher and Assistant Curator, "The Cartography of the Unseen”, Exhibition, Research Gallery of the Master Program in Integrated Design, HIT, 26.11 – 26.12, 2013
- 2013 Scientific Advisor and Assistant Curator, "IL(L) Machine” ArsCampus Israel Exhibition, Presenting 10 Israeli Academies at Ars Electronica Linz, Austria September 5-9, 2013
Community Projects
- 2017 /Present The Lab of Intelligence Cultures, NGO. Founder. Experimental community investigating different approaches to collective intelligence.
- 2009 to 2012 Polytopia Project, Space Collective. International Coordinator. Extensive experimental community on the web, exploring future implications of digital environments and pluralistic approaches.
- 2011 to 2012, ICI, Institute for Collective Intelligence. Invited Board Member. Stratford, Ontario, Canada.
Selected Publications
Book chapter
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Borghini, Boddington (2017) in Interdisciplinary Research and Education Agenda – A Design Driven Perspective, Vacca, F., Warshavski, T. (Editors), “Collective Narratives: Startup Companies, High Tech and the Global Market”.
Journals
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Borghini, S. G., Stigmergy in the Design of Social Environments. Eur. Phys. J. Special Topics 226, 269 –281 (2017)
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Borghini, S.G., Rosner, Y., Boonstra, B., Silva, P. (2018, forthcoming) “Adaptation of the Urban Codes – A Story of Placemaking in Jerusalem”. Environmental Planning B.
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Rosner, Borghini, Rofe (forthcoming) "Stigmergy in Informal Communities”. Complexity, Governance and Networks Journal.
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Finidori, Borghini, Henfrey (2015) "Towards a Fourth Generation Pattern Language: Patterns as Epistemic Threads for Systemic Orientation”. Proceedings - Purplsoc (Pursuit of Pattern Languages for Societal Change) Conference 2015. Danube University Krems, Austria.
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Helene Finidori (Free Knowledge Institute), Tom Henfrey (Schumacher Institute), Nadia McLaren(Global Action Plan International), Kurt Laitner (Third Meta Consulting), Sayfan Borghini (Free Knowledge Institute), Vincent Puig (IRI), Takashi Iba, (Keio University Japan), Martin Pruvost-Beaurain(ICT Consultant), Helmut Leitner (GIVE research society), RenŽ Reiners (Fraunhofer Institute of Technology), Frank Leymann and Michael Falkenthal (University of Stuttgart - Institute of Architectureof Application Systems); "PLAST Pattern Languages for Systemic Transformation”, Spanda Journal, Vol. VI, 1, 2015
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Borghini, "The transforming identity of cities”; Transition Towns Catalogue, Smart City Expo 2014, Barcelona, November 2014
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Levin, Borghini, Geiger, Markfeld, (2014). "Employing Data Visualization to Explore Human Stigmergy in Information Systems”; Proceedings - ECIS 2014, 22d European Conference on Information Systems, Tel Aviv, Israel,
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Doria, Borghini, "A becoming on the line: painting and the genesis of form”; Organizational Aesthetics, Volume 2 (2013) Issue 1, Pages 84 to 96, Digital Commons.
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Doria, JD; Borghini, S.G., "A becoming on the line: painting and the genesis of form – Part 2 Walking the fine line”; Further Field, n.p. Nov 1, 2013.
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Borghini, S.G., "The Evolution of Consensus”, Project: Polytopia, SpaceCollective, n.p. Tue, Nov 22, 2011.
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Borghini, S.G., "Few thoughts on emergent collective”, Project: Polytopia, SpaceCollective, n.p. Tue, Jul 20, 2010.
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Borghini, S.G., "Rewriting the equation individual-collective”, Project: Polytopia, SpaceCollective, n.p. Mon, Nov 22, 2010.
Member
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ECCO, Evolution, Complexity and Cognition research group, VUB Doctoral School, Brussels, Belgium.
Academic Teaching
Masters Students Advised
- Daphna Levin, “Mapping Wikipedia Collaboration &Identifying Patterns for Human Stigmergy Research”, October 2013
- Ester Cohen Tchernichovsky, “The connection between quality education and tangible experiences”, October 2013
- Mor Ashkenazy, “Dead End City – Suburban Planning at the Urban Scale”, October 2014
- Anat Izzik, “Envisioning Healthcare – My Orchid System”, October 2014
- Orly Avital, “Stigmergy in the Urban Space”, October 2016
- Carmel Shiner, “Design and evolution viewed via artifacts: how do critical artifacts influence our genetic make-up and the one of the following generations”, Date Graduated, February 2018
- Ayelet Tarlowski, “A System for Vertical Gardens”, October 2018.
- Tami Edelman, “Future scenarios in agriculture”, October 2018.
Academic Conferences Co-organizer
- Academic Conference Scientific Advisor; “Placemaking through the lens of Cities as Complex Systems”; Urban Clinic at the Hebrew University; Jerusalem, 26-27 September, 2016.
- Member of Organizing Committee; “Bio-Design Symposium”, Master Program in Integrated Design, Design Faculty, HIT, Holon, 28 April, 2015.
- Member of Organizing Committee; “Biomimicry: Learning to Innovate from Nature”, Design Faculty Congress, HIT, Holon, 27 May, 2013.
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