KISD professor Philipp Heidkamp receives “fellowship“ distinction of Musashino Art University
KISD professor Philipp Heidkamp, Dean of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences of TH Köln and KISD professor for the area of expertise “Interaction and Interface Design“, has been chosen to be Fellow of Japanese Musashino Art University (MAU). On the final day of this year’s “Global Design Initiative“ (GDI) workshop with the Musashino Art University as 2017 hosting institution, the honor of fellowship was given to Philipp Heidkamp by Kunihiko TAKAI, Chairperson of the University’s Board of Trustees, on March 11 in an official ceremony. Heidkamp, at the time in 2005 invited by MAU to host their first English-held workshop, received this high distinction due to his significant support towards the development of Musashino Art University and bilateral international cooperation in science and design.
Prof. Heidkamp said: “Given this distinction, new and interesting perspectives for future cooperation between our institutions will arise – both in the context of the Global Design Initiative and forthcoming bilateral collaboration. So far, there haven’t been so many fellowships granted by Musashino Art University so that this new ´fellow´-position will open up the chance to actively co-design MAU’s current and future institutional role and profile. The appointment of the other three founding members of the Global Design Initiative decisively gives momentum to our cooperation and its high quality – also and ever taken place in a wonderful setting besides the mere formal agenda. Speaking for our institution, we appreciated it a lot if we could also use a respective tool for our affiliates and partners supporting us so much in the past and in the future with regard to research and teaching and international collaboration. “
During this year’s “Global Design Initiative“ workshop, the third of its kind since its launching in 2015, design and art schools from London, Singapore, Tokyo, and Taiwan together with KISD – Köln International School of Design discussed and elaborated on concepts towards a modern, international-oriented, and interdisciplinary education and study in design. Partner of KISD – GDI’s host in 2016 – were once again Central Saint Martins College of London University of the Arts, LASALLE College of the Arts Singapore, Shih Chien University Taiwan and, in 2017 to be host, Musashino Art University, Tokyo. Under this year’s topic “Designing Strangeness II“, GDI’s objective is/was to make tangible the handling of strangeness and dichotomy in order to develop, respect, and create commonness and openness towards cultural plurality and different perspectives on design, arts, and culture.