Hold dear both the substance and the instrument ; advance humanity through the art of design.

Design education in the built environment at Shanghai Jiao Tong University can be traced back to the early twentieth century. In December 2017, the University grouped the design related disciplines scattered in different schools, and amalgamated three departments, Architecture, Design and Landscape Architecture, to establish the new School of Design. The new discipline cluster has been incorporating the above 3 disciplines and named “innovative design”.

Over the past 30 years, the design disciplines at Shanghai Jiao Tong have pursued a harmonious communion of humanities, arts, science and technology for educating elite talents in the built environment, art and design fields. The programs have been distinguished by attributes of social conscience, leadership, cosmopolitanism and truth-seeking spirit. Their achievements in education, research, practice, social service and international reach have earned worldwide recognition. In the 2019 QS subject ranking, “Architecture and the Built Environment” at Shanghai Jiao Tong was ranked as the 50th in the world, and the ranking rose to 39 in 2023. The “Art and Design” program has been ranked among the world’s top 100 programs in recent years.

The School of Design currently has more than 150 academics and professional staff and 900 students. Most academic staff have gained their PhDs and work experience from universities of international standing. In the next 3 to 5 years, we will substantially enhance the research and teaching capacity of the school with new recruits from around the world.

The establishment of Shanghai Jiao Tong School of Design coincides with a momentous historical opportunity: the state-initiated strategic transformation from “Made in China” to “Designed in China”, and the municipality’s ambitious plan to turn Shanghai into a “Capital of Design” and a “Centre for Science and Technological Innovation”. Riding on a world-class platform, with high-calibre students and first-rate research, our vision is to become a global School of Design with a distinctive Shanghai Jiao Tong character, sustained by a community of talented scholars and design practitioners.