Presenting the Lugano Dance Project's Social Impact Report

Last week, Franklin students from the senior capstone course BUS 455W on Global Strategic Management presented their social, economic, financial, and marketing-related report on the first edition of the Lugano Dance Project, scheduled for May 25-29, 2022. 

With a visual presentation in the LAC conference room at Franklin, covering the scope of a social impact report and its philanthropic importance, the class explained their work and analysis to a prominent audience from the Lugano Arte e Cultura (LAC) composed of Michel Gagnon, general manager, Gregory Birth, head of marketing and sales support, and Isabella Lenzo, head of cultural mediation. In addition, President Greg Warden and Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Franklin, Kim Hildebrant, attended the event.

Specifically, the objective of the senior capstone course, led by Professors Giulia Miniero, David Suleiman, and Vera Dianova from the Business and Economics Division, was the creation of a social impact report for the Lugano Dance Project which explored the festival's key performance indicators, its key stakeholders and their interests, and its short, medium and long-term objectives and goals. This required professors to adjust the curriculum of the Capstone course to equip students not only with theoretical but especially practical tools for constructing the report in such detail. Thus, significant preparation and extensive research on the part of the professors were necessary for re-designing the course structure, with the scope of expanding and enriching the academic curriculum beyond the standard topics presented in the original Capstone course.

In order for students to fully grasp the scope of the Lugano Dance Festival, and to experience its complexity and its potential, throughout the semester the students had the opportunity to meet with representatives of the LAC and the Lugano Division of Culture. This allowed students to gain a unique insider’s view of a real-world project.

The Lugano Dance Project presented a one-of-a-kind opportunity not only for the International Management students of Franklin University Switzerland, but also for those of the Communication and Media Studies major, who are working on aspects of filming practice, and the students from the Arts and Cultures Division, through the pilot course in Creative Practices. Particularly, the festival offered all students an exceptional, innovative, multifaceted, and active learning experience.