Study Period: September 2011 – August 2012 

Affiliation/Grade at the start of studying abroad: Graduate School of Design, Department of Design, 1^st year Master Program, Content and Creative Design Course 

I would like to share a little bit of the atmosphere of studying design at Darmstadt University of Science and Technology. The photo shows our weekly project meetings. 

At this university, projects like those of our Year 4 graduation projects are offered as one of the regular classes. Even though it was a class, the expectation in quantity and quality was the same as the graduation research in the School of Design of Kyushu University. Students are required to submit posters, booklets, and prototypes as well as surveys, sketches, and models, and to hold exhibitions. I highly recommend this university to those who want to develop their design skills and to enjoy the culture of Germany and other European countries. 

Another story about the atmosphere of design education at this university. The entrance examinations for the School of Design were held at the end of June. Even though it is an entrance exam, the university is not closed, and classes are held as usual. You could make models in front of the exam room and have a meeting with the members. So, I wondered, “Are people having an entrance exam now? My friend told me “They are in the next room taking the exam and that’s where the students are”. There was no tense mood at all or to be “Quiet”, and two or three teachers and a couple of students went into the room to interview, sketch, and do a practical test on the models. 

One interesting aspect is that they evaluate the students by incorporating the perspectives of the current students as well as the teachers. Two excellent current students were also present in the exam room, asking questions to the students and observing the students’ practical skills. If I am to imagine this situation in the Kyushu University Graduate School of Design, the students taking the examination will be waiting in the laboratory or drafting room. There will be current students present as well. They can have some conversation and get advice from these current students. They can also get to see cool models, sketches, and CGs being made by current students while waiting, and they would take the exams in an environment where they could hear the design-like meetings, which will inspire them to study harder. I think the students will do well in the exams. 

The characteristics of Darmstadt University of Science and Technology admission process as glimpsed earlier, are the same for its students and international students. This university offers an environment where you can study classic design with a relaxed mind. 

Ryotaro Fujiyama