Study Abroad
The School of Design cultivates a culture of international collaboration and exchange.
In addition to our partnership with FHNW HGK Basel School of Design in Basel, Switzerland, we hold an agreement for student and faculty exchange with SookMyung Women’s University in Seoul, Korea, and we maintain a relationship with Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana (UAM) in Mexico City through the Mary and Vincent Paglione Design Challenge. In recent years, UIC Design students and faculty have exhibited work and participated in the programming of Dutch Design week in Eindhoven and Dubai Design Week in the UAE.
The BDes Program encourages students to seek out a study abroad opportunity. We have an established study abroad relationship for graphic design students with Central St. Martins, and several students have studied at the University of the Arts, London. Popular study abroad programs for ID students include a furniture design workshop at DIS in Copenhagen. In 2018, we initiated the Samina Ouraeshi Traveling Fellowship to encourage and support undergraduate students by providing support for study abroad programs.
MDes Graphic Design students participate in the Basel Summer Workshops. This summer program with our partner institution in Basel has been informally in place since 2008 and has recently become a faculty supported UIC Study Abroad program. School of Design faculty have additionally developed UIC Study Abroad programs in India, Mexico, and Switzerland.
The school additionally enjoys international exchange, discovery and recognition through faculty participation in annual conferences and book fairs as well as invited participation in international exhibitions and design award program juries. Many awards received by UIC Design faculty and students are of national/ international significance.