Design for Development MA: Events and lectures

There are always interesting activities taking place at Kingston and exciting opportunities to take advantage of. Here are some examples of what you could be involved with if you study this course.

Greengaged activities and events

You may have the opportunity to participate in Greengaged activities and events. This sustainability hub was launched at the Design Council as part of the 2008 London Design Festival and has continued to periodically run events.

Interdependence lectures

Interdependence is a series of lectures for postgraduate design students in which leading practitioners explore the key issues for the creative industries. For example, in 'Help Change The World During Working Hours' Tim Ashton (Antidote), a former Kingston graduate, and Eugenie Harvey (We Are What We Do) discussed themes from their latest book.

Seminars, workshops and site visits

The 2009/10 Design for Development MA teaching programme was packed with internationally renowned and inspirational speakers. The students benefitted from a programme of external speakers, workshops and site visits.

This included seminars by:

• John Thackara (Dott 07 Creative Director and author);
• Professor Stuart Walker (Co-Director of the Innovation Lancaster and Kingston University Visiting Professor);
• Alastair Fuad-Luke (Sustainable Design author and thinker);
• Guy Robinson (Founder of Sprout Design); and
• Mat Hunter (Chief Design Officer, Design Council).

There were also workshops at ThinkPublic on social design and problem setting; Design Council on Dott projects and social innovation and Design Museum on their Sustainable Futures exhibition.

The students attended two PhD research conferences at Lancaster University and Nottingham University and a site visit to the BedZED sustainable housing development which included a 'by invitation only' talk from the renowned award winning BedZED architect Bill Dunster.

The course has also a truly international cohort with students from Australia, Columbia, Cyprus, Lebanon, Peru, Philippines and USA.