1 Design Education in Asia 2000- 2010 Exploring the impact of institutional ‘twinning’ on graphic design education in Singapore Simon Richards Z3437992 2 3 Although Singapore recently celebrated 50 years of graphic design, relatively little documentation exists about the history of graphic design in the island state. This research explores Singaporean design education institutes that adopted ‘twinning’ strategies with international design schools over the last 20 years and compares them with institutions that have retained a more individual and local profile. Seeking to explore this little-studied field, the research contributes to an emergent conversation about Singapore’s design history and how it has influenced the current state of the design industry in Singapore. The research documents and describes the growth resulting from a decade of investment in the creative fields in Singapore. It also establishes a pattern articulated via interviews and applied research involving local designers and design educators who were invited to take part in the research. The content of the interviews demonstrates strong views that reflect the growing importance of creativity and design in the local society. In considering the deliberate practice of Singaporean graphic design schools adopting twinning strategies with western universities, the research posits questions about whether Singapore is now able to confirm that such relationships have been beneficial as viable long-term strategies for the future of the local design industry. If so, the ramifications may have a significant impact not only in Singapore but also in major new education markets throughout Asia, such as the well-supported creative sectors within China and India. 4 Acknowledgements I would firstly like to thank my supervisors, for the past 2 and a half years, Professor Rick Bennett and Ian McArthur continuous support and guidance, which has been inspiring. Thanks to Jackson Tan and Justin Zhang whom helped get the ball rolling in the initial research and to whom offered interview gallery space and further contacts when I began my local research in Singapore. Thanks to Professor Ron Newman and June Gwee both whom contributed local Singapore resources and contacts in Singapore with regards to education, June most importantly gave me access to articles that were extremely hard to come by. Thanks to Harry Williamson whom initially was an important contact when the topic was focused around Australian design. Thanks to the students and practitioners who gave up their time and energy for the interviews and organising to talk and share their experiences. Thanks to Susan Lang-Lemckert for the final few months of editing and having another person seeing over my words. And finally thanks to family and friends in Singapore and Australia whom have followed me with all your support, whether it is a sofa to crash on, a job, and for your morale support it was all greatly appreciated. Thank you all very much. 5 Contents Introduction 1.1 | Research Statement P. 8 1.2 | Rationale for Study P. 9 1.3 | Aims of this Study P. 13 1.4 | Significance of the Study P. 13 1.5 | Literature Review P. 14 1.6 | Triangulation methodology P. 17 1.7 | Identifying the design community leaders P. 18 1.8 | Interviews / Ethics P. 22 1.9 | History / White papers P. 25 1.10 | Work / Design examples P. 26 1.11 | My authorial voice P. 28 1.12 | Design industry experience P. 29 1.13 | My design education experience P. 31 The founding fathers 2.1 | Brother Joseph McNally P. 39 2.2 | Lim, Hak Tai P. 41 2.3 | Loh, Khee Yew P. 44 2.4 | Dr Earl lu Ming P. 46 The schools, the impact 3.1 | The fostering of creativity P. 53 3.2 | Changing straits P. 58 3.3 | Designing serious education P. 60 3.4 | Their legacy P. 63 3.5 | The ministry of education’s vision P. 66 6 Twinnings 4.1 | Design school impact instant P. 75 4.2 | The benefits and impact P. 80 4.3 | Global schoolhouse P. 82 4.4 | Education hubs as an education industry P. 82 4.5 | Education hubs as a way to internationalise higher education P. 85 The industry, designers and government 5.1 | The local push P. 96 5.2 | The twinning influence P. 102 The gap, almost disappearing 6.1 | A change of thinking P. 111 6.2 | Defining points P. 114 6.4 | The foundations changed P. 119 6.5 | Designer growth P. 121 Conclusion: Back to the future 7.1 | Twinnings P. 131 7.2 | industry designer P. 138 7.3 | Colombo again P. 140 7.4 | Culture and ethics P. 141 7.5 | Conclusion P. 145 References P. 155 7 Research statement The following research is asking questions about the influence of the international design educational providers in the Asian region by focusing on the island city of Singapore, a melting pot of cultures and religions. The journey starts in noting a popular Singaporean adjective - ‘Kiasu’. The 1997 edition of the Australian Macquarie Dictionary defines kiasuism (a concocted noun of the adjective “kiasu”) as, “an obsessive desire for value for money – hailed as a national fixation in Singapore.” Kagda (1993) stated that kiasuism has been dubbed the “negative complement of competitiveness”. Competition breeds a sense of drive and commitment, while kiasuism stems from greed and promotes envy and selfishness. Where competition encourages calculated risk-taking, kiasuism calls for conformity. Translated from Chinese, it means, “scared to lose”, very anxious not to miss an opportunity, or an almost grasping, selfish attitude. (Janice T.S. Ho C.E. Ang Joanne Loh Irene Ng,1998, pp. 359 – 370) “A city-state, Singapore has a total population of 5.18 million (as at the end of June 2011) Comprising 3.79 million Singapore residents, of which 3.26 million were Singapore citizens, 0.53 million permanents resident and 1.39 million non-residents. In 2011, the resident population comprised 74% Chinese, Malays at 13% and Indians at 9.2%. Since gaining independence in 1965, her per capita gross domestic product has risen 85 times from US$516 per annum to US$43,867 in 2010 (Department of Statistics 2011a, 2011b). To remain relevant in the global marketplace she is constantly learning and adapting to the changing environmental landscape. As Kumar (2008) notes, Singapore is a ‘brand’ that is associated with performance. It is a place where things work and a nation that is constantly reviewing, remaking and refreshing itself. It is viewed as a technocratic state where the political and expert systems of governance appear to have merged (The Economist 2011a).” (Prem Kumar, 2013) 8 When we look at education, Singapore is by no means running second in its venture to be ‘The Boston of Asia’. This was highlighted in an Asia Pacific Journal article: “By 2003, Singapore’s public universities and polytechnics could only enroll around 40,000 and 56,000 students respectively; on the other hand, 119,000 students were enrolled by around 170 private tertiary providers, of which 140 offered programs in collaboration with foreign institutions and enrolled 75% of the total student population in this section. The importance of transnational education provision in Singapore has therefore become obvious.” (Asian Pacific Journal, Vol. 31,No. 3, pg.8) By focusing on the ‘twinning’ institutions and their students, I aim to define the impact of ‘twinning’ partnerships and to evidence that these arrangements are here to stay and in a state of constant growth. “Education is seen as a means of attracting and retaining talent, contributing to the revenue potential of the economy, earning income from the export of education and in projecting soft power. The 2010 Global Cities Index (a collaboration between Foreign Policy, A.T. Kearney and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs) revealed that four of the world’s 10 most global cities were in Asia. They were: Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore and Seoul. Singapore ranked 8th, Tokyo came in 3rd, Hong Kong in 5th and Seoul 10th. One of the criteria used was the size of the city’s immigrant population, the quality of the universities, the number of international schools and the percentage of residents with university degrees. Understanding Singapore’s vulnerabilities and limitations would help to explain the thinking behind the policies.” (Prem Kumar 2013, pg.76) Rationale for study Professor Wang Min is the Dean of School of Design at China Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) and is a member of AGI, (Alliance Graphique Internationale) he also served as 9 Vice President of Icograda (2007-2009). Here he writes from experience and reflects on what is clearly upon the design education community. This passage was taken from the (lcograda Manifesto, pg.142,) ‘Icograda is a world body for professional design. It is a non-profit, non-partisan, member-based network of independent organisations and stakeholders working within the multidisciplinary scope of design. Founded in 1963, Icograda actively promotes the value of design practice, thinking, education, research and policy, representing more than 200 organisations in 67 countries and regions globally. ’ He addresses the changing world of design and how we should be sensitive to local culture. An important point he highlights is the mutual respect between cultures, stating that for the role of cultural communication to be a success, we must put certain steps in place. He made this point at the congress held in Taipei, the first meeting of the 2009-2011 term in Beijing, China. The newly-elected Icograda Executive Board unanimously agreed to revisit the ‘Icograda Design Education Manifesto’ to mark the document's 10-year anniversary. While crafting the Icograda Design Education Manifesto update, it became very clear that both the design and education professions have changed dramatically since 2000.