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Product design students have the summer of a lifetime in South Korea

Two students were offered summer school scholarships by Hanbat National University following the course’s International Design Studio (IDS) collaborative project this year.

    HBNU summer school trip
    HBNU summer school class trip

    The comprehensive summer school scholarships from Hanbat National University (HBNU) covered BA (Hons) Product Design students’ Jennifer Dinsdale and Shenese Newton’s accommodation and tuition fees.

    Students on the four-week programme had the opportunity to explore subjects spanning across design thinking, drawing and calligraphy, to digital imaging and design, and virtual and augmented reality. Students also experienced Korean culture, and embarked on trips to take in the local sights.

    HBNU summer school exhibition
    HBNU summer school exhibition

    Excited to hear how our students were getting on, we caught up with both of them. Jennifer commented: “Integrating into classes has been very easy as everyone’s so friendly and helpful. One of the most memorable parts from this trip was our first project, because I worked with a lovely girl called Jin on creating a graphic poster based on the city of Daejeon. Jin was very creative and talented, and we created a really great poster together despite the language barrier."

    She continued: “Another unforgettable moment for me was our day trip to Seoul. We decided to rent a room for the night, along with a few Chinese and Spanish students, to experience Seoul’s nightlife. We even tried karaoke at Hongdae and had one of the best nights ever. If anyone is thinking of coming here in future, I'd highly recommend it. We've made so many friends and it has been an experience of a lifetime.”

    Shenese added: "I didn't have much experience in visual communication, so gaining advice from other students and learning as I went along really helped to improve my skills. By the end of each project, I was always proud of what I had accomplished.

    "Alongside the educational benefits, I have made some amazing friends which I hope to see again very soon. It was an amazing experience and I'd highly recommend it!"

    HBNU calligraphy summer class
    HBNU summer calligraphy class

    Senior Lecturers Grant Baker and Daniel Shin initiated the IDS collaborative project with HBNU and Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in 2018 in an effort to internationalise the University’s offerings, equipping students with sought-after skills for the workplace. The project has since been rolled out to include Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

    Daniel told us: “It is great to see that this summer school experience has been offered by one of our IDS partners as a result of our collaborative workshops.”

    “The international design projects provide a vibrant international learning experience that facilitates the reciprocal exchange of intellectual design culture,” Grant added.

    According to the Gone International: rising aspirations 2019 report, which analyses data from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey, graduates who were mobile during their degree were less likely to be unemployed (3.1% compared to 4.2%), and more likely to earn 5.5% more than their non-mobile peers.

    Published on 15 July 2019
    • Subject area: Art and design
    • Category: Current students; School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment