The Norman Foster Institute (NFI) is an initiative of the Norman Foster Foundation (NFF) to create a new centre for multidisciplinary education open to graduates and professionals in fields related to sustainability and cities. The creation of the institute follows from the success of the foundation’s programme of workshops, which have been running since its launch in 2017, bringing together experts from academia, practice and consulting to engage with top graduates from around the world.
The programmes of the institute will link to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, which has recognised the NFF as one of its Centres of Excellence. The first course from the NFI will be a one-year programme on cities and sustainability. Unlike other courses, time will be divided between classroom, studio and on-site experience with neighbourhoods, city planners and administrators.
The course directors are Norman Foster and Kent Larson, who heads the City Science Group at the MIT’s Media Lab. They will lead a body of distinguished global experts drawn from diverse backgrounds and disciplines.
