The fourth International Design Workshop, jointly organized by Dalian University of Technology and Kyushu University, successfully concluded its first stage in Dalian on October 17, 2023. The Dalian University of Technology-Kyushu University International Design Workshop started in 2018 with the aim of enhancing the cross integration and team collaboration among industrial design students from China and Japan and promoting international exchange between students. The theme for this deign workshop was“Innovative Design for the integration of rural culture andtourism in the western suburbs of Dalian”.
The workshop was divided into two stages:Dalian stage and Fukuoka stage. The Dalian Station commenced from October 14th to 17th, 2023. In this phase, our Industrial Design Department was represented by two teachers, Xu Wei and Zhang Lu, along with 16 undergraduate and graduate students. Additionally, Professor Yoshitaka Sugimoto and Professor Tomohiro Sakotsubo from Kyushu University, along with 14 undergraduate and graduate students from Kyushu University's Industrial Design program, also participated in this educational activity.
The tasks for the Dalian stage were twofold: firstly, on October 14th and 15th, the participants conducted on-site investigations in the rural areas of the western suburbs of Dalian to identify opportunities and design challenges; secondly, on October 16th, the student groups presented design proposals and outcomes for the packaging and service design of fruits in the western suburbs of Dalian, water-based sports and experiential design in Xishan Lake, camping product and service design, andcultural innovation and service design for the flower market. The teachers provided feedback and comments. On October 17th, the activities for the fourth Dalian University of Technology-Kyushu University International Design Workshop in Dalian concluded, and the Japanese teachers and students returned to Fukuoka smoothly.
The current international design workshop is still ongoing, and our teachers and students will visit the Faculty of Art and Design at Kyushu University on October 25th to finalize the plans and make presentations. Through the multi-stage exchange and learning between teachers and students from China and Japan, the students' problem awareness, design response capabilities, and international teamwork and coordination abilities have been exercised, resulting in significant teaching effects and fruitful outcomes.
The students of the Sino-Japan joint design workshop received funding support from the Internationalization Fund of Dalian University of Technology, which provided financial support for this student international exchange activity.
