2025 Summer Programs in Asia
Japan: Ecology, Phenomena and Craft
The focus of the program will be relationships between the unique ecological and physical environment of central Japan, particular cultural forms and phenomena found there, and distinctive traditional practices in design. Specific experiential dimensions of designed environments, such as modulation of light, color, materiality, morphology, proportion and composition, explored through observational and analytic drawings, will be used as incisive tools to reveal relationships and themes that are of a particular place and tradition, but also relevant to a broader understanding of design and its informed practice today. Students will develop observational, critical and analytical skills, as well as a deepened cultural literacy and historical perspective, crucial to an understanding of humane human habitats. (6 credits/ DES 300/500)
Geopolitics of the Future: Expo 2025 Osaka and the “Future” in World’s Fairs
This future is geopolitical. World’s Fairs, or Expos, are one of the best places to see how different people from across the world imagine, narrate, and contest the future. These global mega-events happen every 5 years and are hosted by different countries: in 2025, Japan will host the event in Osaka with the theme, “Designing Future Society for Our Lives”. For the host country, as well as for participating countries, Expos are an expression of public diplomacy – making them important, if overlooked, sites for the making of geopolitics today. And they nearly always focus on some aspect of the future. (3 credits, GEO400)
Most students are placed in multinational companies who have made Singapore their regional headquarters for operations in Southeast Asia. Students must be prepared to stay on for their internship placement for 11-12 weeks. Placements are available in a variety of areas, including but not limited to: supply chain, process improvement, corporate finance, accounting, marketing, customer service, general management, legal, public affairs, and communications/entertainment. (3 or 6 credits; BUA 470/670 for Business Internships, IPA470/670 for others)