On 12th August, in the 2022 U Design Week, the Top 20 Digital Innovation Futurist Design Institutes in China Theme Forum was successfully held. In the forum, experts from 20 leading design universities, outstanding talents in the industry, and delegates from Alibaba, discussed about the corporation method and trend of “industry&education&research” in designing under the digital wave.

This forum, with the communication among research facilities, the industry, and education institutes, is highly rare in the domestic designing field. During the event, representatives from all parties reached consensus on three topics: the establishment of a joint laboratory on cutting-edge human-computer interaction and design trends, the standard curriculum of the design institutions in the future, and helping the public good with designing.

The experts present there said that, this forum not only discussed about choices of the cultivation of talents and revolution in the designing industry, but also provided a clear train of thinking about how to serve the society and create values.

President Zhang Linghao was invited in this forum. He said that the change in technology and reformation in society are both important forces pushing forward the reformation in design education. On one hand, the industry should provide more support to universities in the innovation. On the other hand, universities should have a clear view of the future. The connections among universities are highly important. Universities should work together to find the universal topic and exploit their own advantages. Design requires a sense of responsibility, a positive altitude, and active actions. It requires designers to think from different perspectives, including the technical, artistic, and social views. Designers who create new techniques should also be content produces, as the more developed technology is, the more important the contents are.

Other experts who participated include: Professor He Renke from the School of Design of Hunan University, Zhao Chao, Associate Dean of the Academy of Arts and Design of Tsinghua University, Zhang Xinrong, Associate Dean of the School of Design of Central Academy of Fine Arts, Wang Jun, Dean of the Industrial Design and Research Institute of China Academy of Art, Sun Lingyun, Dean of the International Design Institute of Zhejing University, Hu Fei, Dean of the College of Design and Innovation of Tongji University, Sun Xiaohua, Associate Dean of the College of Design and Innovation of Tongji University, Chen Jiang, Dean of the School of Innovation Design of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Cao Ming, Associate Dean of the School of Design of Jiangnan University, Han Ting, Associate Dean of the School of Design of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tan Hao, Associate Dean of the School of Design of Hunan University, Wang Yifei, Dean of the School of Media Animation of Luxun Academy of Fine Arts, Lv Xi, Dean of the Design Academy of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Zhang Li, Associate Dean of the Academy of Design Arts of Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts, Wang Lingyi, Dean of the Department of Design of Hubei Institute of Fine Arts, Xia Jinjun, Associate Dean of the School of Arts of Chongqing University, Hu Yong, Associate Dean of the School of New Media Art and Design of Beihang University, and Dr Wang Yueran from Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts.

The whole forum took The Plan to Facilitate Development of the Digital Economy in the 14th Five-year Plan Period as the foundation and the practical experience of each participant as the basis. Through keynote speeches and a round table forum, it comprehensively demonstrated the achievements and practices of universities in the exploration of the cutting-edge field of design, the development of joint curriculum, and the actions of using design to help public welfare. This forum established a deep foundation and a clear direction for the construction of design institutes in the future under the context of exploring the digital era.

The first Top 20 Digital Innovation Futurist Design Institutes in China theme forum was successfully completed with the support from Alibaba Design and institutes present. Experts and scholars from universities, the top talents in the industry, and representatives from Alibaba Design all expressed their recognition and expectation of the future development.