13 guest speakers from seven international universities, among them four from Israel: in late May 2018, KISD – Köln International School of Design launched and hosted the first KISDsummit “Design Education. Global Issues in Regional Contexts. Focus Israel.“
In ten lectures and in an open panel discussion, the two-day-long summit with academic researchers, professionals, and students dealt with the topic of current and future regional and international design education. The new KISD format, developed by Philipp Heidkamp and Wolfgang Laubersheimer, discussed issues such as the terms of “interdisciplinary“ and “transdisciplinary“, presented different approaches on scientific and practical design education and addressed the question on how bi-/multilateral exchange between the universities involved can be fostered and advanced – in particular in the context of a specific regional situation: culturally, economically or politically.
Sustainability, Innovation, and the Global and the Local on the Agenda
For example, the talks held debated topics such as “Designing Innovation“, “The Anthropology of Design“, “Teaching Sustainability“ or “Between the Global and the Local“. How do the academic design curricula differ, what focal points are set, what are the differences and similarities in “Integrated Design“ or other design courses?
However, the KISDsummit addressed not only an exchange between academic staff, but also enabled students to tell their individual stories and experiences having made while being abroad in Germany or Israel. Leon Schniewind, Naja Schulz, and Neta Prizant as (guest) students in Israel and Germany elaborated on their undertakings and observations in their individual guest country and illustrated differences in design education or the impact and short and lasting reflections they had made in a different cultural and political surrounding.
Growing Interest in Israel Exchange Programs
“In recent months and years, we have observed a growing interest among our students to spend their exchange semester in Israel. Many of our students now ask about possibilities of studying in Israel at our partner universities there. By organizing and hosting the KISDsummit ‘Design Education. Focus Israel‘, we have this development taken into account and can now exchange and find a successful dialog between our partners from Israel and other countries. This a good opportunity to get together here in Cologne and to discuss many options for future collaboration,“ says Lisa Janßen from KISD’s International Cooperation Center, at the same time co-organizer of the event. Together with KISD BA “Integrated Design“ student Julia Beer, Lisa co-moderated the KISDsummit – with Julia Beer having spent her last year and two semesters from March 2017 to March 2018 at Jerusalem Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. Both, Philipp Heidkamp and Wolfgang Laubersheimer, were happy about the extremely positive feedback of all participants and are convinced that an excellent foundation for new opportunities of collaboration amongst the partners has been made.
KISDsummit. “Design Education: Global Issues in Regional Contexts. Focus Israel“
May 29 and May 30
KISD – Köln International School of Design
Participants (Universities and Speakers)
Bezalel Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Israel
Jonathan Ventura, Eran Ehrlich
Shenkar Engineering. Design. Art, Israel
Ayelet Karmon, Deganit Stern Schocken
Holon Institute of Technology, Israel
Yael Eylat Van-Essen, David Rawet
College of Management Academic Studies, Israel
Efrat Yedid Ben Ezra, Carmella Jacoby-Volk
Glasgow School of Art, Scotland
Gordon Hush
The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Denmark
Tine Kjølsen, Eva Brandt
The Sustainable Design School, France
Inken Krevet, Maurille Lariviere
KISD – Köln International School of Design
Philipp Heidkamp, Wolfgang Laubersheimer with Julia Beer and Lisa Janßen