Teaching Beyond the Curriculum
Abstract
This research primarily centres on the domain of Art and Design education in transnational settings, looking specifically at the collaboration between the United Kingdom, China and Hong Kong but is not limited to the cultural frontiers of these countries only. This paper aims to illustrate educators’ challenges and concerns with these educational initiatives. The research begins by examining the intercultural tensions that prevail in such collaborations through a literature review to achieve this. Further, using two case studies, the paper articulates the viewpoints of essential stakeholders, including educators from both the host and home countries. The first Case Study is the event, The Impact of STEAM on Transnational Education: A Celebration of Transnational Education Partnership Working, Knowledge Exchange and Cultural Diversity, held virtually in October 2021. The Virtual Lounge aimed to create reflective discussion, generate insights, and welcome opportunities for collaboration and innovation. The second Case Study is the Open Studio at Birmingham City University’s MA Design Management Programme, which aims at making students ‘global citizens’; by inviting speakers from diverse cultures, backgrounds and disciplinary focus, students are given a deep and diverse flavour of what the ‘business of design’ looks like across the globe. In conclusion, this paper provides an insightful analysis of the intercultural challenges and tensions educators face in the realm of transnational higher educational initiatives. It highlights the significance of recognizing and understanding these challenges, essential for devising well-informed strategies to overcome obstacles and promote educational progress.
Xiaorui Zhang completed her master’s in jewellery at the School of Jewellery, Birmingham City University in 2010. Her contemporary jewellery work has been selected and exhibited in ‘Talente’ competition of ‘’Schmuch 2011’. Xiaorui is now a lecturer at the Birmingham Institute of Fashion & Creative Art and PhD candidate at Birmingham City University. Her research interest mainly focuses on utilising a design-based approach to explore the field of transnational Art and Design higher educational institutions in the context of China.
Nick Irvin is a lecturer in Design Management, and this programme attracts students from a diverse range of design and non-design disciplines from the UK and overseas. He is an enthusiastic person and collaborator with experience engaging with colleagues, students, alumni, higher education partners and industry in the UK and overseas. Nick is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He is keen to provide further teaching and reflective design practice knowledge and experience in higher education, based on a career spanning 18 years in creative design practices, account/project management roles and teaching environments. Nick is also a Chartered Society of Designers (CSD) member.
Dr. Mersha Aftab’s research expertise is in applying empathy to understand users, stakeholders and people, and her teaching encourages learners to be equal partners in creating inclusive, engaging and transformative experiences. She has experience using human-centred design as a connector integrator, supporting different disciplines to co-create an understanding of problems and developing solutions. An important strand of her research is the impact of empathy in leading, managing and supporting transformations. She is currently leading an international network called Design-led Transformation, which brings together the public, private and higher education sectors to discuss and articulate the role of design in transformation. She is also the Principal Investigator for a project funded by InterAct (ESRC) entitled ‘Informing empathy-led change management: Creating a measurable readiness health plan for adopting digital technologies in manufacturing’.