News & Events

On December 27 and 28, coinciding with the anniversary of the School of Design’s first year of existence, Shanghai Jiaotong University hosted its young scholars’ international forum on design innovation at the school’s Minhang Campus. This forum included talented young scholars from global universities including the University of California Berkeley, the Technical University of Munich, the University of Copenhagen, the Polytechnic University of Milan, the National University of Singapore, the University of Hong Kong, as well as Tsinghua University and other famous schools and research institutes in China. In total, 47 young scholars attended, presenting the fruits of their research in many fields. Participants also discussed the central topic of design innovation.

From the Opening Ceremony

The Vice President of Shanghai Jiaotong University Wang Weiming presented opening remarks. He declared that the founding of the School of Design has great significance for the advancement of collaboration between the humanities and sciences at the university. He expressed his hope that more young scholars can work together with Jiaotong University. He noted that such collaboration is important for advancing the school’s status as a world class university. At the same time, it is a part of fulfilling the country’s strategy for advancing innovative design, as well as Shanghai’s goal for advancing its status as a “capital of design.”

The forum extended special invitations to the following guests who presented key remarks:

Xu Zhilei, a fellow of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a visiting lecturer at Shanghai Jiaotong University.

Huang Juzheng, executive editor of the Architectural Journal of China, and professor of architecture at the Central Academy of Fine Arts.

Cheng Yuning, professor of architecture at Southeast University and head of the school’s Institute for Landscape Planning and Design.

The speakers presented the forum’s guests with forefront ideas about the future of design innovation.

A leading expert in machine engineering and design, Xu Zhilei presented on the “Theory, Value, and Significance of Design Innovation.” He remarked that a current barrier to design in China is that different design fields exist within different theoretical frameworks, and that the heart of design innovation is the bringing together of different design concepts into practice and application. He remarked that the nation’s competitive strength is based on the degree of the society’s prosperous economic development, on the transition to commercial forms applications of technical innovation, and that these aspects are closely connected to the country’s design ability and to its overall competitive power.  

Professor Huang Juzheng presented on “Le Corbusier’s Secret—from Drawing to Painting,” and elaborated on the influence exerted by the renowned architect’s experiments in painting on his architecture.

Professor Cheng Yuning presented on “The Generation of Quantity and Quality： The Prospects for Landscape Architecture in the 21st Century.” The talk was based on the development of the field through the perspective of both the “art of science” and the “science of art.” He stated that the field of landscape architecture today is based on the high level integration of science and art in thinking about ecology, space, functionality, and culture. He expressed that the 21st century application of the field should serve the sustainable development of the built environment, and improve and enlarge the “green foundation” in the midst of our cities.

The School of Design through this event furthered its goal of supporting the university’s talent in advancing to the forefront of global academic work, and of supporting Shanghai’s status as a “Capital of Design”—supporting talent with “Feelings for Home and Country,” “Leading Abilities,” “International Vision,” and  “Pursuit of the Truth.” The School of Design looks forward to future hard work in the building of a school that is characteristically “Jiaotong University” and made up of ceaseless innovation of a world class character!

Original Text by Wu Chao and Huang Ju

Photos by Zhang Fan, Xu Mingshuo, Gao Yanhua, Chen Liexue, Liu Litian, Meng Zikun, Zhou Yifan

Translation by Abraham Zamcheck