On April 18, on the occasion of the arrival of the biennial Beijing International Auto Show, “CAFATD Students Works Exhibition” was also unveiled. The exhibition comprehensively showcases the achievements of the industry-academic cooperation project of the Transportation Design Major, and works by outstanding graduates and students. During the period of the exhibition, many auto companies and schools at home and abroad visited the exhibition, including Hochschule für Gestaltung Offenbach, Germany, IED (Istituto Europeo di Design), Italy, France PSA Research and Development Center for Asia, design team of Mercedes-Benz’s headquarter in Stuttgart, Germany, Guangzhou Automobile Group Co., Ltd. Audi Research and Development Center for Asia, and College for Creative Studies, USA, and they hoped to have a multiple cooperation with Transportation Design Major.

On April 14, Professor Frank Zebner from School of Product Design of German Hochschule fur Gestaltung Offenbach visited CAFA Transportation Design Major. For the tradition and method of German auto design, Professor Frank Zebner gave a lecture entitled “Concept Car Design”, and had a dialogue with the faculty members and students, talking about the history and tradition of German Design, and individually communicated with the students.

On April 15, Professor Riccardo Balbo, Director of the well-known Italian auto design college – IED (Istituto Europeo di Design) and Mr. Vito Plantamura visited the exhibition. Professor Song Xiewei, Deputy Dean of the School of Design and Wang Xuanzheng, Director of Transportation Design Studio received the guests, who introduced the teaching situation and the industry-academic cooperation of the IED with the faculty members and students, and both sides preliminary agreed with a series of cooperation intentions, including exchanges of students and teachers.

On April 18, design team of France PSA Research and Development Center for Asia visited Transportation Design Major of the School of Design. Honored guests included Pierre Castinel, Gong Fengyou, Pierre Paul Mattei, Marc Pinson, and Ms Zhu Hongyan. Wang Xuanzheng, Director of Transportation Design Studio introduced the teaching and the exhibition to the guests, and the both sides probed the possibility to continue their cooperation. After the end of the visit, some students passed the interview to join the PSA design team, got a job or internship opportunity.

On April 21, visiting guests included the design team of Mercedes-Benz’s headquarter in Stuttgart, Germany, such as the exterior design director Achim Badstubner, engineer Santiago Duenas, designer Teck-Koun Kim; Xiao Ning, Deputy General Manager of GAC Toyota; Alexander Christ; Fabian Weinert, Guo Ke and Ma Ke from Audi Research and Development Center for Asia. Designers had an on-site interaction with the students of the Transportation Design Major, offering them the professional design opinions and experiences of the front-line. Designers of Audi Research and Development Center for Asia will serve as the industry teachers to participate in the teaching of the Transportation Design Major in May, and other auto companies also hope to have an industry-academic cooperation with Transportation Design Major in the future.

On April 22, Sooshin Choi, Provost, and Vice Chairman of the Academic Committee, of CCS (College for Creative Studies) visited it. CCS is an important college of design and arts in the USA, especially in auto design education. In the period of the visit, Professor Soochin Choi met with President Pan Gongkai, Vice President Tan Ping, Wang Ming, Dean of the School of Design, and Song Xiewei, Deputy Dean of the School of Design, and the two sides signed a cooperation agreement for the exchanges of students and teachers, etc. In addition, Professor Soochin Choi also gave a lecture entitled “Be Creative Talents for the Future”, according to the plan Professor Soochin Choi will open a workshop for the kTransportation Design Major in the second half of the year, and the first exchange program of students of auto design will start in the next spring semester.

“CAFATD Students Works Exhibition” will continue until the end of May. The cooperation and exchange with domestic and foreign front-line design teams of auto companies, and well-known oversea colleges will further strengthen the “educational platform” strategy of the Transportation Design Major, attracting excellent industrial designers and international well-known professors to participate in the teaching, to promote the development of the Transportation Design Major.

Text by CAFATD Transportation Design Major, translated by Chen Peihua and edited by Sue/CAFA ART INFO.