On July 3, 2024, Professor Akira Ueda, Director of the Design Research Institute (DRI) at Chiba University in Japan, visited the School of Architecture and Fine Arts at Dalian University of Technology upon invitation. In the morning, he held discussions with Professor Cai Jun, Dean of the School, Professor Ma Hui, Vice Dean, Associate Professor Xu Wei, Head of the Industrial Design Department, and Associate Professor Zhang Lu. They conducted in-depth exchanges and discussions on teaching and research in the field of design. Professor Akira Ueda was appointed as a visiting professor at the School, and Dean Cai Jun presented him with a letter of appointment.
In the afternoon, Professor Akira Ueda delivered a lecture titled “An Attempt to Create Innovation by Design Research Institute of Chiba University in Sumida Satellite Campus” for the faculty and students of our School. The lecture was hosted and translated by Associate Professor Zhang Lu from the Industrial Design Department. During the lecture, Professor Ueda introduced the development history of the design discipline at Chiba University, with a focus on the newly established Design Research Institute (DRI) in Tokyo in 2021. He also discussed the research directions and developments of various design research laboratories within the institute. The concept of "Cross-fertilization"—the interdisciplinary integration in the design education at Chiba University—provided significant inspiration for our faculty and students in their future education, research, and learning endeavors. After the lecture, Professor Ueda answered numerous questions from students. The attendees expressed that they greatly benefited from the lecture and were highly impressed by Professor Ueda's academic presentation and scholarly approach.
Professor Ueda's visit not only enriched the academic knowledge of our faculty and students and broadened their international perspectives, but also laid a solid foundation for future in-depth exchanges and collaborations between our School and the Japanese design community.
