Social media are the main source of information on global issues today. However, in the education of future designers, they are not well enough grounded to teach intercultural competencies, multilingualism, an understanding of diversity, networking and experience in international work contexts.
Therefore, Folkwang University of the Arts and the Vignelli Center for Design Studies at RIT, New York establish the EMBASSIES FOR DESIGN PERSPECTIVES. Corresponding to the embassies of the countries of the world, these will serve as places of transfer, research, experimentation and lively exchange.
The embassies as places for exchange build spaces for students, where they have the freedom to work together, independent of financial pressure. "Student Ambassadors" lead design workshops at the embassies in each other’s countries on the research topic "Backtracking Modern Times. Are the ideas of Modernism sufficient to solve 21st Century problems?" As students of different positions and backgrounds working together, their design practice and research, their methods and attitudes influence each others and international design studies in general.
Additionly, the student ambassadors are sent to international conventions and institutes. In doing so, they acquire fundamental mediation skills for future design activities in an international context. They publish their work results in a travel log, in open access and print media and expand the network of EMBASSIES FOR DESIGN PERSPECTIVES.