On September 28, the 2026 World Design Cities Conference (WDCC 2026), jointly hosted by Shanghai Municipal People’s Government and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and organized by SUES, officially opened. The main exhibition had already opened to the public on September 26. Under the theme “Design Without Boundaries, Intelligence in the Making”, this year’s conference focuses on the transformation of design paradigms in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). Featuring more than 100 events, including interconnected exhibitions, thematic forums, and creative carnivals, WDCC 2026 provides a high-level global platform for design exchange, showcasing innovative achievements, and fostering industry collaboration. Professor Lou Yongqi, President of SUES, serves as Chief Curator of the conference’s main exhibition, overseeing its overarching academic vision, creative strategy, and the implementation of the exhibition. Faculty members and students from School of Design have participated extensively throughout the process, showcasing the university’s strengths in design-driven scientific and technological innovation through interdisciplinary achievements at the intersection of art and technology, as well as their ability to deliver projects from concept to completion. Their contributions highlight the university’s achievements in design education and innovation-driven talent development in the new era.
As part of the overall planning and implementation of the conference, Yao Hui, Associate Dean of School of Design and Head of the Undergraduate Program in Media and Entertainment Design, serves as the on-site executive lead of the main exhibition’s curatorial team. She oversees spatial planning, coordination among exhibition zones, brand partnerships, and on-site implementation. Working closely with multiple stakeholders, she coordinates key stages, including exhibition construction, content refinement, and on-site operations, ensuring the smooth delivery of all exhibition sections. He Mu, a faculty member in the Human–Computer Collaborative Design program, is responsible for the overall design and execution of the thematic exhibition. Integrating parametric design into the “AI × Design” framework, He uses generative visual principles to shape the exhibition environment and organizes its content around three dimensions: creativity, technology, and industry. The exhibition presents a clear picture of the evolution of AI-driven design and its practical value across industries.
The conference features an impressive array of highlights, with several innovative projects from School of Design demonstrating the integration of art and technology. The team led by Associate Professor Chen Junkai, Director of Nlimited Tech Lab, presents two flagship projects: an AI-powered automated guzheng and Harmony in Resonance, an interactive automated xylophone installation. The AI-powered guzheng was featured in the conference opening ceremony. Drawing on the team’s proprietary electronic control technologies and AI-based music composition system, the projects connect the performance mechanisms of traditional musical instruments with modern engineering technologies, enabling real-time synchronization of melody, lighting, and audiovisual elements. By reinterpreting traditional cultural forms through contemporary technology, the team offers an innovative model for integrating art and technology in the age of AI. Also featured in the opening ceremony’s showcase is Reflections, a dynamic lighting installation jointly created by SUES students Li Xin, Zheng Yina, Pan Siyan, and Qin Yiqing. Through changing rhythms, colors, and light intensities synchronized with stage music, the installation transforms the stage into an immersive spatial experience, demonstrating the students’ interdisciplinary creativity and practical innovation skills.
A dynamic visual work by Associate Professor Leonid Krykhtin, Head of the Undergraduate Program in Environmental and Spatial Design, and a conference promotional film created by Associate Professor Wang Zhi, Deputy Head of the Master’s Program in Media and Entertainment Design, are being screened on a loop in the thematic exhibition and the main WDCC venue, respectively. Through diverse forms of moving-image expression, both works interpret the conference theme, “Design Without Boundaries, Intelligence in the Making.”
Wang Mengqi, a faculty member in the Media and Entertainment Design program, serves as Executive Curator of the “Earth Forest · U35 Youth Community”. Guided by the principles of organic growth, creative emergence, and community, the initiative transforms a static exhibition space into a platform for young designers to collaborate, exchange ideas, and co-create. By bringing together emerging design talent, it showcases the vitality and innovative ecosystem of the next generation of designers.
From curatorial coordination and spatial design to art-and-technology installations and visual storytelling, faculty members and students from School of Design have contributed across multiple roles and every stage of the process, establishing a comprehensive framework for innovation and practical learning. Their work demonstrates SUES’ distinctive strengths in interdisciplinary integration of art and technology, industry–education collaboration, and the cultivation of application-oriented innovative talent. Looking ahead, School of Design will continue to advance the University’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach integrating engineering, management, and design. By leveraging major platforms to foster innovation-driven education and talent development, the School will continue to produce high-quality original design work, support industrial upgrading, and contribute to the high-quality development of cities—bringing the innovative strength of Chinese design to audiences around the world.
