Renewed Exchange, Lasting Friendship: Singapore Management University’s Visit for Design Workshop Exchange on Tainan’s 400th Anniversary
On the first week of May, a group of 24 faculty members and students from the School of Social Sciences at Singapore Management University (SMU) visited ICID. They engaged in a cross-cultural design workshop exchange with our teachers and students, focusing on the theme of “Tainan 400”, a series of events commemorating Tainan’s 400th anniversary for the upcoming year. During the workshop, we presented seven proposals for activities and service designs, which received unanimous praise and positive feedback from the city government and local stakeholders.
The cross-cultural exchange between ICID and SMU began in 2018 when members of SMU’s Department of Psychology visited NCKU. They collaborated with us on the revitalization of the space and events at Tainan’s Hayashi Department Store, the first-ever department store established in Southern Taiwan. Due to the pandemic, subsequent interactions were limited to sporadic virtual workshops. However, with the opening of international borders this year, the Department of Psychology resumed offering study courses for overseas exchanges. Twenty undergraduate students in their senior years enrolled in the course. In mid-March, our professor, Fred Yang, travelled to Singapore to conduct a one-day workshop introducing design thinking tools and the “Tainan 400” theme. During this period, all the first-year students from ICID, including those pursuing master’s and PhD degrees and students from Singapore, collaborated remotely in online groups to conduct data research, jointly preparing for the physical project design in Tainan in early May.
The Tainan exchange was led by two faculty members from SMU’s Department of Psychology, Angela Leong and Zheng Jiying. During their visit, SMU teachers and students visited various locations related to the “Tainan 400” theme, including Anping Fort, Anping Tree House, Tait & Co. Merchant House, Chihkan Tower, Confucius Temple, Koxinga Shrine, National Museum of Taiwan History, Hayashi Department Store, Tainan Art Museum, and more. They also had exchanges with NCKU on-campus members such as the Startup Accelerator, Library, and College of Planning and Design. In addition, they had discussions with local experts and mentors, including Hongwen Huang, a senior specialist from the Tainan City Government, Chongli Yeh, CEO of the Tainan Enterprises’ Culture and Arts Foundation, Professor Shyhnan Liou, the Research and Development Director of Taiwan Design Research Institute, who is also a professor at ICID, and Peijia Jiang, founder of hsiu Handmade Embroidered Shoes.
After a week of intensive visits, research, and workshops, the teams from both schools presented seven international travel proposals for “Tainan 400”, including Treasure Hunt, Tainan Together, Adventour, Gai Gai with Ky Ky, Drink in Tainan, Matching Pals, and Bus AR Opinions. These proposals rounded off this year’s fruitful international design exchange and the cultivation of cross-border friendships among the younger generation.
Both ICID and SMU expressed mutual appreciation and look forward to continuing our collaboration in the coming year. We also extend a warm welcome to the faculty and students from SMU to revisit Tainan next year and personally experience the “Tainan 400” events. This visit will provide an opportunity to truly appreciate and embody the historical significance of Tainan as a hub for international trade and exchange that began in 1624.
