SFD Invited to Participate in the 2023 Beijing International Children's Design Week

The 2023 Beijing International Children's Design Week, with the theme 'Childhood Thoughts, Friendship, and Co-creation,' was scheduled to take place from September 15th to October 15th at various venues, the theme including the China Millennium Monument, China Children's Center, and the National Agriculture Exhibition Center. Beijing Normal University Future Design Institute has been invited to participate in the Design Week series of events, which include thematic forums, design innovation exhibitions, children's art workshops, and keynote lectures. The aim is to showcase the institute's research and initiatives in children's aesthetic education through a multidimensional presentation to the general public.

On September 25th, the opening ceremony of the Beijing International Children's Design Week and the Beijing International Children's Design Innovation series of events was held at the China Millennium Monument in Beijing. On the opening day, Professor Gao Peng, the Dean of Beijing Normal University School of Future Design, was invited to participate in the themed forum 'Co-creating a New Era of Children's Design Aesthetic Education' and delivered a keynote speech at the specialized seminar 'Design Education and Comprehensive Quality Cultivation for Children.' He emphasized that the school's direction in design education is dedicated to innovative explorations in children's aesthetic education, focusing on two levels: 'Education for Design,' which includes research on the rules of design education, design aesthetic education at the elementary education level, and social aesthetic education and design research; and 'Design for Education,' which involves design explorations in various educational settings (classrooms, educational products, functional clothing, and other educational services).

The forum had other distinguished speakers, including Professor Gao Shiming, the Dean of the China Academy of Art, Professor Luca Fois, the founder of Milan Design Week's Children's Design Week, Professor Du Wei, the Dean of the Research Institute of Aesthetic Education at the China Academy of Art, Professor Qian Minhui from Peking University's Department of Sociology, Professor Zheng Qinyan, the Director of the Children's Art Education Research Center at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Zhang Chunyan, the Director of the China International Design Museum at the China Academy of Art, and Professor Hu Bo from the School of Fine Arts at Fujian Normal University.

The themed exhibition of the Beijing International Children's Design Innovation series, titled 'Children's Dreams - A New Era of Children's Design Aesthetic Education,' took place from September 20th to October 15th at the China Millennium Monument Art Museum. This exhibition, organized by the China Academy of Art, China Children's Center, and Beijing International Design Week, gathered contributions from major domestic institutions and organizations regarding the cultivation of children's design thinking and research into design aesthetic education, showcasing examples of how design thinking can become an engine for children's creativity. It also explored meaning and issues through a journey of understanding children's psychology, established their early awareness and goals.

School of Future Design at Beijing Normal University was invited to participate in this exhibition, presenting the school's achievements in PBL (Problem-Based Learning) teaching projects related to children's aesthetic education. Projects included courses in 'Design Thinking,' revitalizing oracle bone civilization, designing smart classrooms for primary and secondary schools, guidelines for the construction of Beijing Normal University Elementary Education Schools, school uniform design, and Chinese aesthetic education material museums. On the opening day, Dean Gao Peng introduced the school's showcased projects to the guests at the exhibition area and shared the school's philosophy and efforts in the field of children's aesthetic education.”