I was delighted to participate last week as an invited speaker at the “Forum of AI-empowered Sustainable Development Goals” organized by Tongji University as a part of the International Talent Conference 2024 in Shanghai. Then we had a wonderful workshop with the editorial board of She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation at the College of Design and Innovation at Tongji University. She Ji really is a unique venue for top design research with an exciting future.
My first post-Covid academic event and I'm so glad to have met some old and to make new friends. The list is long, but first my thanks to Ken Friedman who has been a constant mentor and support for over 15 years, Yongqi Lou and Jin Ma for their wonderful work with She Ji and elevating design in China and globally. Jianxi Luo, Tao Shen, Cees de Bont, Peter Jones, Guillermina Noel, Prof. Sabine Junginger, PhD, Danielle Wilde, pieter desmet, Haian Xue, Dr. Gjoko Muratovski, Barry Katz, Derek Lomas, Carlos Teixeira, Kaja Tooming Buchanan, Jorge Frascara, Eija Salmi FRSA. A collection of super interesting people with whom it was a delight to spend time, learn, and share ideas.
When I decided to pursue a PhD back in 1999, I did it out of frustration with the disconnect between design practice and theory. 25 years later, communities like She Ji have grown globally and it's very exciting to see their impact and to imagine how much progress we have made as a field -as well as how much more will be done in the next 25 years!
Architecture, Design and Planning - University of Sydney