Hanbat University, South Korea
NTU's partnership with Hanbat National University (HBNU) in South Korea offers students and staff opportunities for exchange, collaborative learning, and progression routes for HBNU students into NTU Product Design courses.
Students from both universities in a calligraphy class
The partnership between NTU and Hanbat National University (HBNU) provides students and staff with valuable opportunities to study, work, and collaborate on exchange in both the UK and South Korea. This partnership promotes academic and cultural exchange, allowing participants to gain international experience while developing new skills and perspectives.
In 2018, NTU’s School of Architecture, Design and Built Environment launched a collaborative project with HBNU and Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in China. This initiative strengthened ties between design courses at all three institutions.
A key element of this collaboration is the International Design Studio (IDS), which promotes global thinking through project-based learning using Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL). IDS creates virtual learning spaces where NTU and partner institution students collaborate on design projects, exchange knowledge, and engage with diverse design cultures.
In 2020/21, two NTU Product Design students undertook a full-year exchange at HBNU, working on exciting projects such as automated café design and robotics. These hands-on experiences provided them with insights into innovative design processes and emerging technologies in an international setting.
Beyond exchange opportunities, both universities offer dynamic summer school programmes for international students, further enhancing global learning experiences. NTU students have the chance to immerse themselves in Korean culture while collaborating across disciplines.
In 2019/20, two NTU students received summer school scholarships from HBNU, taking part in a four-week programme covering topics such as design thinking, drawing and calligraphy, digital imaging, and virtual and augmented reality. The scholarship students had the opportunity to expand their academic and creative skills while gaining first hand experience of the region's artistic and technological landscape.
HBNU remains a key partner in the IDS project, providing NTU students with unique opportunities to work on international design projects, refine their creative abilities, and develop essential intercultural communication skills. See our past International Design Studio (IDS) projects to learn how we support international thinking through project-based learning activities using the principle of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL).