Design Education Talks Ep. 71 – Prof. Taha Duri

Simon Collins – What Design Schools Get Wrong About the Real World Design Education Talks

Simon Collins is one of the most internationally experienced figures working at the intersection of design education, creative leadership and innovation. His career spans global brands including Nike, Zegna and Polo Ralph Lauren, leadership roles at Parsons School of Design, advisory work with governments and major institutions, and his current position as Chief Creative Officer of the Design Innovation Institute Shanghai. Having lived and worked across Europe, the United States and China, Simon brings a rare perspective on how creativity, education and industry intersect across cultures.In this conversation, we explore the evolving purpose of art and design education at a time when artificial intelligence, globalisation and rapidly changing industries are forcing educators to rethink long-held assumptions. Rather than focusing on software or technology, Simon argues that the true purpose of a design school is to teach students how to learn, how to remain curious, and how to approach complex problems with confidence and imagination. Drawing on decades of experience as both practitioner and educator, he reflects on design thinking, innovation, sustainability, industry collaboration, educational philosophy and the relationship between Western and Eastern approaches to creative education.This is a conversation about far more than fashion or design. It is about the qualities that make creative people valuable in an uncertain world: curiosity over certainty, learning over knowing, and thoughtful action over fashionable rhetoric. Whether you are an educator, student, designer, researcher or creative leader, Simon Collins offers an honest and thought-provoking perspective on what art and design education can become when it refuses to separate imagination from reality, and creativity from responsibility.Since its inception in 2019, Design Education Talks podcast has served as a dynamic platform for the exchange of insights and ideas within the realm of art and design education. This initiative sprang from a culmination of nearly a decade of extensive research conducted by Lefteris Heretakis. His rich background, intertwining academia, industry, and student engagement, laid the foundation for a podcast that goes beyond the conventional boundaries of educational discourse.See all of our work on on https://linktr.ee/thenewartschoolFollow us on twitter at @newartschoolRead our latest articles at https://newartschool.education/and https://heretakis.medium.com/Equipment used to produce the podcast:Rodcaster pro IIRode NT1 5th generationElgato Low profile Microphone ArmMonster Prolink Studio Pro microphone cableThe rest of the equipment is here 👉https://kit.co/heretakis/podcasting
  1. Simon Collins – What Design Schools Get Wrong About the Real World
  2. Graham Fink – Why Process Matters More Than Finish in Creative Work
  3. Dan Vlahos – Dynamic Media, Critical Thinking, and Design Pedagogy
  4. Jan Kubasiewicz on Teaching Design as a System of Meaning
  5. Nikolaus Hafermaas – Berlin Unplugged: Design, Education, and the Courage to Disrupt

Prof Taha Duri is a published author, translator, artist, and educator, having taught in Architecture, Interior Design, Health Sciences and the Built Environment and History and Theory of Art and Architecture for twenty years.

Prof. Duri practiced architecture and interior design for a decate in New York City with specialization in the design and construction of health facilities and hospitals before being appointed overseas (UAE) to start up programs in Architectural Engineering and Interior Design (University of Sharjah and the New York Institute of Technology). His appointment at NYIT was as Associate Professor and Assistant Dean at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) in Abu Dhabi, and Strategic Advisor for the Middle East, while also teaching conducting administrative duties, and pursuing his research interests. As of 2016, Duri is at the academic rank of Full Professor.

Many of his articles were published in architecture and design journals through international conferences on architecture, humanities, and the arts. Professor Duri also provided editorial contributions to several newspapers and periodicals such as the New York Times, Herald Tribune, Architectural Digest, and the National in the UAE.

As an artist, Professor Duri had his own art exhibitions and participated in others in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, New York City, and London, in addition to the acquisition of some of his paintings in the permanent collection of the Fischer Fine Arts Library at the University of Pennsylvania. Private collections acquiring his paintings include the Ruling Family of the United Arab Emirates.

Prof. Duri has received several academic awards on consecutive years by the International Institute for Advanced Studies in Systems Research and Cybernetics (IIAS) in Germany and is Member of the Board of Directors. Presently, Professor Duri is the Dean of the College of Design at the American University in the Emirates in addition to his honorary appointment as Visiting Research Professor at the IIAS working on several research projects and works of art.

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