New Member Representative of Cumulus 2025
The School of Architecture and Design, Harbin Institute of Technology Officially Joins Cumulus
From June 3 to 7, 2025, Associate Professor Cheng Fangyu and Associate Researcher Qu Dagang represented the School of Architecture and Design at Harbin Institute of Technology at the annual meeting of Cumulus – the International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media, held at École de Design Nantes Atlantique, France. The theme of this year’s conference was “Ethical Leadership: A New Frontier For Design”, focusing on design ethics and pluralistic innovation, with emphasis on the critical role of design in social engagement and sustainable development.
On June 6, 2025, following joint recommendation by Executive Committee members Mr. Gong Miaosen and Ms. Teresa Franqueira, and a vote by member institutions across the global Cumulus network, our School officially joined the Cumulus association.
This membership marks a new chapter in the internationalization of our design discipline, reflecting international recognition for our professional foundation, academic achievements, and educational philosophy. Our School will deeply integrate into the global network of design education, extending its horizons in discipline development, talent cultivation, and research collaboration, and promoting international exchange and cooperation in design education and research to even greater heights.
Honorary President of Cumulus and Executive Director of École de Design Nantes Atlantique, Christian Guellerin, delivering a speech
President of Cumulus and Professor at Sapienza University of Rome, Lorenzo Imbesi, delivering a speech
Philosopher, psychoanalyst, and Professor at Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Cynthia Fleury, delivering a speech
Federico Casalegno, Executive Vice President of Design at Samsung Electronics and former faculty member at MIT, delivering a speech
Confirmation of the new round of Cumulus Executive Committee
Cumulus is the world’s largest and most influential international association of higher education institutions in the fields of art, design, and media. Founded in 1990 by the School of Arts, Design and Architecture at Aalto University (Finland), the Royal College of Art (UK), the Danish Design School, Gerrit Rietveld Academie (Netherlands), University of Duisburg-Essen (Germany), and the University of Applied Arts Vienna (Austria), Cumulus has grown into a global network covering 71 countries with 395 member institutions.
The core mission of Cumulus is to promote cooperation among design schools and to improve the quality of education in art, design, and media worldwide. At the same time, Cumulus actively fosters cooperation with enterprises, public institutions, and governments concerned with art and design education and research.
Beyond serving as a platform for education and academic exchange, Cumulus is also an advocate for social, cultural, and environmental responsibility. In March 2008, representatives of Cumulus signed the Kyoto Design Declaration, pledging to promote more sustainable directions for society through design actions, projects, and research. To support this, Cumulus established the Cumulus Green Award, an international prize aimed at nurturing and guiding global culture, society, and industry toward more ecological and responsible solutions.
Cumulus is a dynamic global network that emphasizes the crucial role of designers and artists in shaping a sustainable future. Through a wide range of conferences and activities, it provides a platform for members to learn from one another and share experiences. Cumulus is committed to bringing together art and design education institutions worldwide, building a knowledge community that continuously engages with cutting-edge design trends through collaboration and exchange in teaching, research, and practice, thereby jointly advancing sustainable development for the future.
