At the invitation of Professor Miki Sugimoto of the Faculty of Design at Kyushu University, a delegation from the School of Architecture and Fine Art, Dalian University of Technology — led by faculty members Xu Wei and Zhang Lu and comprising 10 students — visited Fukuoka, Japan from September 21 to 28, 2025 to participate in an international academic exchange.
The visit formed the second phase of the “Kyushu University–Donghua University–Dalian University of Technology Joint International Design Workshop,” co-organized by the School of Architecture and Fine Art of Dalian University of Technology, the Faculty of Design of Kyushu University, and the School of Mechanical Engineering of Donghua University. The first phase of the workshop was successfully held at Donghua University’s Songjiang Campus from September 11 to 13, 2025. Centered on the theme “Innovative Design of Xuxing Yellow Grass Weaving Techniques,” the program sought to explore contemporary innovations and applications of traditional crafts through multidisciplinary perspectives and cross-cultural collaboration.
During the workshop, students from the three universities in China and Japan conducted in-depth research and hands-on practice of the national intangible cultural heritage “Xuxing Yellow Grass Weaving.” Building on their findings, they developed innovative designs for modern lifestyle products and successfully presented their final outcomes under the guidance of faculty teams from all three universities and master inheritors of the craft.
This visit marked the 6th international design workshop jointly held by the School of Architecture and Fine Art of Dalian University of Technology and the Faculty of Design of Kyushu University, and the second tripartite collaboration following the previous year’s partnership with Beijing Institute of Technology. The exchange significantly broadened the international horizons of participating faculty and students, enhanced their skills in observation, research, design innovation, and international teamwork, and laid a solid foundation for further expanding the school’s global engagement and cooperation in the future.
