OCAD U fosters global connections in art and design education

The second annual Global Design and Artchives exhibition at OCAD University is showcasing work by students who participated in international courses held earlier this year – and marks the culmination of the University’s first suite of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) courses.

Over the past four years, 175 students have participated in COIL courses, developed by the University’s International Programs and Collaboration Office (ICPO) and funded by the federal government’s Global Skills Opportunity program, managed by Universities Canada.

“The opportunity to work with students, artists, writers, designers and scholars from around the world is an excellent way for students to develop intercultural competencies, an appreciation of traditional practices and the skills they need to success in a global marketplace,” says Deanne Fisher, Vice-Provost, Students and International. 

“I’m so proud of our IPCO team for developing a model that has made these kinds of experiences accessible to students from all different backgrounds and in so many different practices,” she adds.

To date, the IPCO team has worked with 14 faculty members to develop courses and independent study programs, in addition to supporting the existing study-abroad International Art Collaboration (INTAC) and Design Abroad programs.

Since 2022, offerings have been held in the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Ghana, Germany, Trinidad, France, Mexico, The Bahamas, Nepal, Estonia and Thailand. The University secured more than $600,000 from the Global Skills Opportunity Fund to realize these initiatives.

COURSES INVOLVED MULTIPLE LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS

Almost every one of the above locations involved multiple local partnerships with community organizations and institutions that helped to realize these courses, all of which continue to grow and will lead to future collaboration with OCAD U.

Beyond supporting student mobility and reducing barriers for low-income, Indigenous, and students with disabilities, OCAD U also secured special funding grants for innovation projects.

These included developing arts-based and creative pathways to ensure all faculty, staff and students in the study-abroad programs participated in anti-oppression and intercultural competencies training. Additionally, these projects helped to foster future international collaborations.

The ICPO team’s strategic approach has been recognized on both national and international levels. For example, they have been invited to share their insights on development, execution, evaluation and leadership in this type of programming at multiple knowledge-sharing presentations at Universities Canada and international conferences.

“We are enthusiastic about the next phase of this work, which includes expanding training in COIL through a series of professional development opportunities for interested OCAD U faculty and staff,” explains Jennie Suddick, ICPO Manager.

STUDENTS GIVEN ENRICHED, EXPERIENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES

Among the international courses offered this year, developed by faculty members with the support of the ICPO, was an experiential photography course offered in partnership with De La Salle-College of St. Benilde in the Philippines.

Developed and led by Assistant Professor Ursula Handleigh, the course engaged 11 students in learning about alternative and sustainable photographic processes while adapting to the local environment and resources.

Not only did the students gain technical skills but they were embraced by the St. Benilde community, learning the importance of collaboration and the power of interpersonal relationships. The challenges they faced, from material scarcity to unfamiliar environments, taught students how to adapt, problem-solve, and make the most of what’s available.

Associate Professor Sarah Tranum developed and led the course, Design Abroad: Nepal, travelling to Pokhara, Nepal with 13 students.

During the course, students collaborated with staff and participants from SASANE, a survivor-led organization that works to raise awareness and end human trafficking in Nepal, to co-design communication, product and systems solutions.

“The Design Abroad: Nepal course empowered students to become adaptable design thinkers by immersing them in participatory design,” says Tranum. “Over three weeks in Nepal, they co-created a project with the local community organization, developed an implementation plan for lasting impact and documented their journey through a course blog.”

In addition to presenting their group work, done in collaboration with SASNE, at the Global Design and Artchives exhibition, the students are showcasing their personal reflections in the separate group exhibition, Design Abroad: Nepal. The event takes place from September 27 to October 8 in the Great Hall at OCAD U.

Their reflections embody the course's lessons on working across disciplines, designing with—not for—communities, and using design to build capacity and foster positive change.

“Alongside gaining invaluable skills, students ventured off the beaten path, built lasting friendships, expanded their perspectives, and had a truly life-changing experience,” says Tranum.

Preservation and Perseverance: Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Practice in Thailand was another course, developed and led by Suddick. Sixteen students benefited from the transformative collaboration with the International Sustainable Development Studies Institute in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Students actively participated in workshops, collaborated with local leaders, and explored Chiang Mai’s diverse cultural heritage, from ancient temples and palaces to rural villages and Indigenous communities.

These experiences not only deepened their appreciation for cultural transmission but allowed them to reflect on the integration of these traditions into their own artistic practices.

“As both a facilitator and researcher in global education, I've witnessed how decolonial, community-engaged study abroad programs can transform students,” says Suddick. “They develop crucial intercultural competencies, explore diverse creative practices, and gain flexible, lifelong skills.”

Professor Dr. Nithikul Nimkulrat developed and led the course, Analogue + Digital Materials = Sensorial,which saw 13 students travel to Tallinn, Estonia and collaborate with 12 participants from the Estonian Academy of Arts.

Together, they explored how human senses and sense-making, in the process of working with physical and digital materials in different forms across production technologies, could lead to the invention of sensorial artefacts. The group worked in various studios and environments, including ceramics, digital prototyping and digital weaving.

“The abroad programs provide students with invaluable learning experience that extends beyond classrooms, studios and other environments that they are used to,” explains Dr. Nimkulrat. “Fresh space for individual and collaborative exploration enables students to make connections with new peers and places, respecting and embracing the differences among them when cultivating creativity together.”