On May 5, 2025, the final online meeting took place between students and faculty from the Faculty of Design at Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design (KNUTD) and representatives from Birmingham City University (United Kingdom) and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (USA). This meeting was part of the international academic mobility program and the collaborative COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) project titled “Global Live Project: A Portal Connecting Three Countries”.
The purpose of the event was to present the results of the academic mobility in the format of a virtual exhibition, created by students of the KNUTD Faculty of Design in collaboration with students from the partner universities abroad. Participants in the “Global Live Project: A Portal Connecting Three Countries” included students from the Faculty of Arts, Fashion and Media at Birmingham City University, the School of the Art Institute of the University of Chicago, and the KNUTD departments of Multimedia Design, Graphic Design, Interior and Furniture Design, and Costume Art and Design. Among the participating KNUTD students were: Viktor Aleksandrov, Nikita Bakov, Andrii Berdnikov, Alina Bilokon, Alina Vasyliuk, Polina Harkusha, Yuliia Heorhiieva, Anna Davydenko, Kateryna Dodenko, Liliia Kalyta, Mykola Klymenko, Valeriia Kryvunenko, Daryna Kushnir, Erika Lopatina, Kateryna Osypenko, Viktoriia Penia, Mariia Ponomarenko, Mariia Samofalova, Violetta Semenchenko, Kira Ulych, Oleksandra Us, Ievgeniia Tsarii, and others.
The project was curated by Lara Furniss, lecturer at Birmingham City University (UK); Kalyna Pashkevych, Dean of the Faculty of Design at KNUTD; Olena Vasyliyeva, Head of the Department of Multimedia Design at KNUTD (Ukraine); and Jackie Vu, lecturer at the School of the Art Institute of the University of Chicago (USA).
Faculty and students from the departments of the partner universities were invited to attend the virtual exhibition presentation.
Snapshots from the online meeting between students and faculty of KNUTD, Birmingham City University, and the School of the Art Institute of the University of Chicago
During the meeting, students from the partner universities presented the projects they had worked on over a three-month period – four collaborative creative works based on the theme “WHAT MAKES A HOME?” These projects focused on the concepts of Comfort, Memory, Nature, and Safe Place.
Throughout the academic mobility program, students brainstormed ideas, discussed them, selected the most relevant and compelling concepts, and, forming international teams, brought the projects to life. The outcomes spanned a variety of formats: graphic designs, 3D models, video and animation clips, photomontages, and more.
At the final meeting, participants showcased the results of their joint efforts, sharing insights into their project implementation process, design stages, challenges they encountered, and the creative strategies employed in this international collaboration.
Snapshots from the presentation of the results of international academic mobility and the virtual exhibition “Global Live Project: A Portal Connecting Three Countries” (Birmingham | Kyiv | Chicago)
This meeting marked another significant milestone in strengthening international cooperation between KNUTD, Birmingham City University, and the School of the Art Institute of the University of Chicago.
Participants in the international academic mobility program demonstrated not only their professional skills but also a high level of creativity and the ability to collaborate effectively in international teams. They showcased how cooperation among students from different countries can lead to the development of innovative and unique projects.
The students expressed hope for future collaboration, while faculty members gained valuable experience in organizing COIL-based international online learning projects.
The virtual exhibition of the projects developed through the academic mobility initiative “Global Live Project: A Portal Connecting Three Countries” (Birmingham | Kyiv | Chicago) is available to view via the following link on the Spatial platform: [link].
16.05.2025
