Background Information

The Innovation Field at Tongji University’s College of Design and Innovation is subordinate to the internationally renowned Tongji University College of Design and Innovation. It is a centre for talent development, scientific research, social service projects and cultural preservation and innovation initiatives. It is an open experimental teaching platform for education in the IV-Category Peak Disciplines in Shanghai, and provides a major communicating channel for designing education in China and overseas.

With the support of the Innovation Field, the discipline of design in Tongji has been included in the national Double-First-Class Initiative, and is ranked A (top 3%) in the fourth round of national assessment of designing disciplines by the Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Centre of the Ministry of Education. The College of Design and Innovation is registered as one of the pilot units for the Excellent Engineer Program of the Ministry of Education as well as the Internationalized Model College Promotion Plan proposed by the Ministry of Education and the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affair. Thanks to the fostering and support from the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, the discipline Design Studies of Tongji University has been selected as one of the first batch of IV-Category Peak Disciplines in Shanghai, and ranked 14th in the world and first in Asia in the 2019 QS World University Rankings of Art and Design.

Tongji University College of Design and Innovation has established a T-shaped talent training system for design and innovation, and has taken the lead in creating a complete link of education ecology from secondary school, undergraduate, master, doctoral to postdoctoral education, achieving significant interdisciplinary development. Experimental education plays a vital role in the system by effectively supporting major national education development plans including the Three Holistic Requirements of Education, Emerging Engineering Education and development of ten thousand national Double-First-Class disciplines.

At present, Shanghai is working toward to being recognized as a global influential centre of science and technology innovation. The Shanghai Municipal Party Committee and Shanghai Municipal People's Government has released the document of Suggestions on Accelerating Innovative Development of Cultural and Creative Industries Shanghai (referred to as Shanghai Cultural and Creative 50-Articles), requiring the implementation of innovation-driven development strategy and advancing the construction of international creative design highland. The Articles propose to give full play to the characteristics of creative design that it plays a part in various economic and social sectors and fields, to enhance its function in leading and supporting all sectors and to improve the overall efficiency and international competitiveness of the creative design industry, so as to proceed the transformation from “Made in China” to “Created in China”. The Shanghai Cultural and Creative 50-Articles lay stress on the layout of the Design and Innovation Cluster around Tongji University in assistance to the construction of an international designing metropolis. To achieve this goal, leading talents with excellent practical skills in design and innovation will be essential, who can satisfy the construction and development requirements of Shanghai in the new era.

Experimental education plays a key role in bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and innovative practical skills. The establishment of Shanghai Experimental Education Demonstration Centre of Design and Innovation will help to further improve the comprehensive level and competence of the designing disciplines of Tongji University and provide intellectual and resource support for the building of the global science and innovation centre in Shanghai through educating world-class talents who can serve the purpose of innovation-driven development and economic upgrading transformation.