2021 International Design Masters Lecture Series Attracts 200 Participants Online – September 9th

The International Design Masters Lecture Series was held online for the first time this year. Themed on sustainable development goals (SDGs), the event was graced by the lectures of three professional designers: Professor Mugendi M’Rithaa from Kenya, Professor Isabel Herguera from Spain, and renowned designer Chen Pu from Taiwan. The event started with opening remarks by the program director of TISDC Chair Professor Apex Lin, followed by a speech by Simon Chen, the president of TPCA Environment Foundation, which is the sponsor of the Environmental Sustainability Award in this year’s Taiwan International Student Design Competition.

The first lecturer of the event was the founder and designer of 247 Visual Arts Mr. Chen Pu from Taiwan. The topic was “Jointly Epiphyte – Design Ecosystem, Catalyst, and Derivation.” During his speech, Chen shared his design experiences, introduced the audience to different design mindsets and patterns, and encouraged students to find inspiration from the nature. As designers, despite being busy with work, it’s important to stay true to themselves and make sure that they are satisfied with their every piece of work. In addition, he mentioned that a few years ago, he was sponsored by iSee Taiwan Foundation, the sponsor of this year’s Taiwan International Student Design Competition, to make a design proposal in Africa. Learning a lot throughout the process, he genuinely hoped that design students could have the opportunity to exchange with international design organizations and explore different cultures in the future.

After that, we welcomed the professor of animation at Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln (KHM) Professor Isabel Herguera with her speech “An Open Classroom: A Seminar on Animation Production That Takes Place Simultaneously Across Continents, Languages and Cultures.” Professor Herguera talked about her experiences of animation production using the animation film Letters From the Jungle as an example. The film is based on the letters written by ex-FARC guerrilla warriors, which described the toughest moments they went through during the Colombian conflict. This collaborative animation project was completed by institutions and art centers in several countries, including India, Mexico, Colombia, China, and Germany. Moreover, she mentioned that the animation industry was not severely impacted by the pandemic like other industries were. Instead, she was pleased to see that there have been more and more animation films around the world. She said that hopefully there would be even more talented animators in the industry to bring us more unique and diverse styles of animation films.

Last but not least, the President Emeritus of the World Industrial Design Organization (WDO) Professor Mugendi M’Rithaa enlightened us with the topic “Creativity for Resilience: Design and the UN SDGs.” He shared with us an African proverb, “If you don’t wish to get eaten by the crocodile, cross the river in a crowd,” pinpointing the importance of combating COVID-19 collectively. During his speech, he also introduced the audience to the seven SDGs WDO is currently promoting, which are Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being, Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, and Goal 17: Partnership for the Goals. After knowing the meaning of these seven goals, hopefully each participant can integrate design with the environment and understand the importance of sustainability.

The International Design Masters Lecture Series successfully came to an end after the inspiring lectures of these design masters. Thank you to all the participants for their attendance. We would also like to extend our appreciation to the distinguished guests and teachers. Their efforts and participation were what made this event possible.

Lecture I : “Jointly Epiphyte – Design Ecosystem, Catalyst, and Derivation.”

Lecture I : “Jointly Epiphyte – Design Ecosystem, Catalyst, and Derivation.”

Lecture II : “An Open Classroom: A Seminar on Animation Production That Takes Place Simultaneously Across Continents, Languages and Cultures.”

Lecture II : An Open Classroom: A Seminar on Animation Production That Takes Place Simultaneously Across Continents, Languages and Cultures.

Lecture III : Creativity for Resilience: Design and the UN SDGs.

Lecture III : Creativity for Resilience: Design and the UN SDGs.

2021 International Design Masters Lecture Series Attracts 200 Participants Online

2021 International Design Masters Lecture Series Attracts 200 Participants Online