From June 3 to 12, Professor Qin Jian, Dean of the Institute of Creativity and Innovation (ICI), led a delegation on an official visit to France, Slovenia, and Switzerland. The delegation attended the 2025 Spring Cumulus Conference in Nantes and the European Design Festival 2025 in Ljubljana, and conducted exchange visits to Center Rog, the University of Ljubljana, the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), and the Geneva University of Art and Design (HEAD -Genève).
From June 3 to 7, the 2025 Spring Cumulus Conference, also marking Cumulus's 35th anniversary, was hosted by L'École de design Nantes Atlantique. Centered around the theme of "Ethical Leadership: A New Frontier for Design," the conference explored new dimensions of design ethics through six tracks: Care, City, Food, Digital, Media, and Design & Entrepreneurship. Over 500 scholars and experts from nearly 400 member institutions participated.
During the conference, the delegation attended keynote speeches and engaged in roundtable discussions, student exhibitions, and academic paper presentations. Dean Qin Jian participated in the General Assembly, reviewed reports, and cast his vote in the election for the new Cumulus Board. In the academic paper session, Niloofar Amini, lecturer of environmental design at ICI, presented her work titled "Care in Urban Design: Reclaiming Identity and Embracing Idleness through the Third Landscape". Focusing on three key dimensions—environment, market, and reuse—she demonstrated through teaching cases how design can reactivate underutilized spaces, foster local cultural narratives, and rebuild community identity, ultimately advocating for a more connected and inclusive design approach.
From June 7 to 9, the delegation was in Ljubljana, Slovenia, for the European Design Awards 2025 events and in-depth visits to Center Rog and the University of Ljubljana.
As the first Chinese institute invited to exhibit at the European Design Festival, ICI presented 20 student works at the TAM TAM Figovec exhibition space in central Ljubljana. These works push the boundaries of design by integrating digital technology, critical thinking, and experimental narrative from cross-cultural and interdisciplinary perspectives. Each piece deeply focuses on crucial themes such as inclusivity, sustainability, and symbiotic systems, reflecting the designers' contemplation and practice of social responsibility. On the evening of June 7, the delegation was invited to the European Design Awards ceremony, joined by ICI faculty representatives Nace Pušnik and Gurpreet Dhanjal.
During the visit to Center Rog, Director Renata Zamida introduced the center's development. As one of Europe's largest maker spaces and one of Ljubljana's best-preserved industrial heritage buildings, Center Rog has adopted new social functions through spatial regeneration, providing integrated ecosystem for public production practice, cultural education, and leisure experience. During the exchange, both parties expressed a shared vision for new collaborative pathways, hoping to further promote interaction and professional exchange through joint workshops and short-term faculty/student exchanges.
The delegation then visited the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana, where they held meetings with Urška Stanković Elesini, Dean of the Faculty, Jure Ahtik, Head of Department of Textiles, Graphic Arts and Design, Raša Urbas, Chair of Information and Graphic Technology, and Nataša Peršuh, Chair of Textile and Fashion Design. Both parties exchanged views on deepening cooperation in academic exchanges, talent cultivation, and resource sharing. Following the meeting, the two institutions formally signed the Erasmus+ Inter-Institutional Agreement, establishing a strategic partnership.
On June 10, the delegation arrived in Switzerland for a visit to the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). The delegation was warmly received by Florence Balthasar, Head of International Affairs, Hansuli Matter, Head of the Department of Design, and Marijke Hoogenboom, Director of the Department of Performing Arts and Film. In-depth discussions were held on topics including innovation in design education and the development of cross-cultural collaboration mechanisms in the context of digital transformation.
During the visit, the delegation visited the graduation exhibitions of ZHdK’s Industrial Design, Audiovisual Media, Visual Communication, and Interaction Design programmes. They listened to student presentations and applauded students’ interdisciplinary innovative thinking and practical capabilities. Furthermore, the delegation exchanged views with Nico Lypitkas, Head of Cast/Audiovisual Media, on new modes of critical documentation that employ social speculation, and discussed potential future collaborations in exhibition curation and faculty-student exchanges.
On June 11, the delegation visited the HEAD-Genève. They were warmly received by Aurélie Elisa Gfeller, Dean of Studies, Anthony Masure, Head of Research, and Audrey Zecchin, Head of International Relations. Both Parties shared experience in international cooperation and expressed a joint commitment to actively explore multifaceted practical collaboration. Following the meeting, the delegation engaged in discussions with Javier Fernández Contreras, Head of Space Design Department, Alexandra Midal, Head of MA Media Design, and Vytautas Jankauskas, Head of Digital Pool, exploring the integration of studio-based and project-based learning methodologies. These multi-layered in-depth exchanges further solidified the foundation for bilateral cooperation.
