The collaboration agreement whereby the Catalonia Institute for Advanced Architecture (IAAC) and the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK), together with the Harbin Institute of Technology of China (HIT), the 9th university in a ranking of 3.000 Chinese universities, will create a training centre for design, architecture and urbanism in Shenzhen, China, was signed yesterday.
This new non-profit centre will house up to 1.200 post-graduate and doctoral students, with an emphasis on the three subject areas Architecture, Infrastructures & Urbanism, Products, Spaces & Urban Cultures, and Identity, Communication & Media. It is based in a new campus for Research, Education and Production to be built within the HIT campus and will be designed by the IAAC in collaboration with the city of Shenzhen, the ZHdK and the HIT.
The agreement agrees on advice from the IAAC and the ZHdK for the creation of eight master's degree programmes and a Hub for technological research in the field of design, architecture and urbanism in the city of Shenzhen.
Lecturers and other staff will have the opportunity to acquire experience in a major international project, cooperating with one of the largest universities in China (HIT) and two of the world's leading architecture schools (IAAC and ZHdK), while benefiting from the strong practical focus provided by the involvement of local companies and institutions. Exchanges will give lecturers and students the opportunity to carry out teaching, learning and research within an extremely dynamic cultural and economic environment.
The joint proposal of IACC and ZHdK plan to transfer their experience in recent years, during which they have become international benchmark centres. The aim is to position them as leaders in the international and professional university world of design, architecture, planning and technology. A platform for international cooperation, research and education will be created to promote highly innovative and competitive talents.
