Designing a Global Future: Chung Yuan University’s British OBU Class Forges a New Generation of International Talent

[The Epoch Times, October 30, 2024](The Epoch Times reporter Xu Naiyi reported in Taoyuan, Taiwan) First-year students of Chung Yuan University’s “Double Bachelor’s Degree Program in Architecture and Urban Design at Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom” (OBU special class) completed a comprehensive The English practical comments are published, showing the high level of its design major and international chemistry program.

This year’s freshmen of Chung Yuan University’s “Double Bachelor’s Degree Program in Architecture and Urban Design at Oxford Brookes University in the UK”. (The first from the right is Director Xie Tongsheng) (Provided by Chung Yuan University)

The photo review was themed “Think Global, Act Local”. The students worked with local business district stores in the on-site environment of Zhongyuan Night Market, and conducted in-depth creation and creation through group base analysis, interviews and 1:1 scale physical construction. practice. Since its establishment, OBU special classes have attracted a new generation of parents and students to choose to study with their all-English teaching mode and the high value of the double degree certificate.

Students from Chung Yuan University designed furniture that has the functions of folding chairs and bar tables for a beverage store in the Chung Yuan business district, which was well received by the store. (Provided by Chung Yuan University)

Chung Yuan University OBU special courses adopt the British curriculum of the Architecture and Urban Design major of Oxford Brookes University, and are supervised and certified by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Royal Town and Country Planning Institute (RTPI). Students’ first two years of courses at Chung Yuan University follow the British curriculum, starting with freshman architecture courses, and entering urban design studies in the second year.

First-year students from Chung Yuan University’s British OBU special class published a practical review in English in Chung Yuan Business District. (Provided by Chung Yuan University)

After that, he went to the UK to continue his studies in the Department of Architecture or Urban Design at Oxford Brookes University. After completing studies according to the chosen study group, in addition to obtaining dual degrees from Taiwan and the United Kingdom, students will also obtain the RIBA Part 1 Architect Qualification Certification or the RTPI Royal Regional Urban and Rural Planner Certification respectively.

Bench (Provided by Chung Yuan University)

The enrollment rate of the second OBU international study class still reached 100%, with a total of 24 freshmen. The first architectural design task of this group of freshmen is to cooperate with the stores of Zhongyuan Night Market in a real field. With a small team of 2 to 3 people in each group, through site analysis, interviews, design and hand-crafted creation of a 1:1 real-life miniature architectural work for public use. In the drawing review presentation, the students presented base analysis drawings, design description drawings, architectural models and wooden structure prototypes, and the entire process was conducted in English.

The “Widen or Hidden” work of the British OBU class at Chung Yuan University is the largest installation in this exhibition. (Provided by Chung Yuan University)

After investigating the needs of the Zhongyuan Night Market business district, a group of students designed furniture that has the functions of folding chairs and bar tables to provide a comfortable and convenient outdoor leisure space for Shisheng Beverage Store. This design uses a wooden frame and foldable structure, plus a sun- and rain-proof canopy, making it easy to store and efficiently utilize space.

Students from the British OBU special class at Chung Yuan University built a novel bar counter that is quite eye-catching. (Provided by Chung Yuan University)

During the implementation process, students improved their planning abilities and enhanced their mastery of the application of materials through case analysis and multiple discussions. Shisheng Beverage Store said that this design not only increases customer flow but also facilitates daily storage, and appreciates the students’ creativity very much.

Students from Chung Yuan University designed folding chairs with purification functions for clothing stores, using natural materials to reduce odors. (Provided by Chung Yuan University)

Another group of works was created in response to the needs of clothing stores in Zhongyuan Night Market. Students felt that the products in some clothing stores were easily contaminated by food fumes, so they designed folding chairs with purification functions and used natural materials to reduce odors. Students personally experience the transformation of works from drawings into reality, which further enhances their enthusiasm for design, and feedback from merchants helps students gain a deeper understanding of user needs. “This implementation brings us closer to our second home, Central Plains, and we look forward to creating more beautiful works in the future,” said the student.

Students from Chung Yuan University designed furniture that functions as both a folding chair and a bar table for students working at a beverage store in the Chung Yuan business district. (Provided by Chung Yuan University)

Xie Tongsheng, director of the dual degree program at OBU in the UK, pointed out that it was not easy for this group of freshmen to demonstrate such quality and quantity within a tight five-week period, and he spoke highly of it.

The implementation requires professional courses to take shape, including: Introduction to Architectural Design, Architectural Expression and Carpentry. Students not only leap from textbook knowledge to real design applications, but also learn the experience of local culture and social responsibility.

Chung Yuan University’s OBU international program special class has attracted the attention of students and parents because of its unique 2+2 international teaching model. According to data from the university’s cultural website, although this special class has only been established for two years, it has already ranked 11th in the “Architecture and Design Group” and ranked in the top 1/4 of relevant departments nationwide in popular discussions and search rankings. Show its competitiveness in the field of architectural design. In particular, the study process of the first two years at Chung Yuan University and the last two years at Oxford Brookes University in the UK, as well as the all-English teaching environment, have made this program favored by the new generation of parents and students.

Chung Yuan University School of Design pointed out that the “Double Bachelor’s Degree Program in Architecture and Urban Design at Oxford Brookes University in the UK” is Taiwan’s unique professional architecture and urban design teaching model, and it also meets the international needs of the future architecture and urban design market.

In the future, Chung Yuan University will continue to strengthen cooperation with local business circles and enterprises, create more practical experience for OBU special class students, and inject a new international perspective into design education. ◇

Editor in charge: Chang Ying