Kookmin University launches international design award in Milan

Organizers of the inaugural Design Beyond East & West (DBEW) Award hold a ceremony at the ADI Design Museum in Milan, April 22. Kookmin University, one of Korea’s leading institutions in design education, and the Italian Association for Industrial Design co-hosted the event. Courtesy of Kookmin University

Kookmin University, one of Korea’s leading institutions in design education, co-hosted an international design award ceremony for the first time jointly with the Italian Association for Industrial Design (ADI) in Milan last week.

The university said the inaugural Design Beyond East & West (DBEW) Award, held at the ADI Design Museum, served not only as an award ceremony, but also as a forum where students, educators and experts discussed the future of design.

Kookmin announced that the Gold Prize was awarded to Baoyi Huang and professor David Buck from the University of Sheffield for their design work titled “Ecological Samsara — Soundscape Transformation of Parkwood Springs.”

The Silver Prizes went to three teams from HTW Berlin University of Applied Sciences, Avantika University in India and L'École de design Nantes Atlantique in France.

Kookmin University noted that the award is a global recognition reflecting the design values and aesthetics of Asian culture within the broader context of world design.

Based on a new design paradigm that transcends the boundaries between East and West, the award highlighted creative design education and its achievements for the future society in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).

“The DBEW Award serves as a platform that demonstrates the potential of a global educational cluster in which universities transcend the boundaries of nations and disciplines to share technology and philosophy in addressing common challenges facing humanity," Jeong Seung-ryul, president of Kookmin University, said.

He added, “It will become both a new role model and a practical compass for design education in the AI era.”

The university said that unlike conventional competitions, the award attracted significant attention from the international design community by recognizing and honoring the collaborative achievements of both students and educators.

The successful hosting of the event is expected to help Kookmin further consolidate its position in design education both at home and abroad.

The DBEW Award closed submissions on March 15 and received more than 800 entries from 44 countries around the world, demonstrating an exceptional level of interest for a newly established award.

Entries were comprehensively evaluated across three categories — architecture and spatial design, product and fashion design, and visual, communication and service design — based on originality, innovation, sustainability and integrative value in the AI era.

A design work titled “Ecological Samsara – Soundscape Transformation of Parkwood Springs” takes the Gold Prize at the Design Beyond East & West (DBEW) Award ceremony at the ADI Design Museum in Milan, April 22. The piece was presented by Baoyi Huang and professor David Buck from the University of Sheffield. Courtesy of Kookmin University

A university official quoted Andrea Cancellato, director of the ADI Design Museum, as saying, “This award, which was established following the MOU (memorandum of understanding) signed with Kookmin University last year, is the only model in the world that honors both educators and students at the same time.”

“For a museum that has embraced diverse voices within the international design community, this represents an important milestone in strengthening ties with Asia,” Cancellato added.

Paola Antonelli, chair of the jury and senior curator at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, was quoted as saying that the award highlighted the tendency for teachers’ dedication to be undervalued, emphasizing the significance of the DBEW Award in bringing public recognition to the noble value of educators beyond the professional identity of designers.

Lorenzo Imbesi, president of the Cumulus Association, and Italian Ambassador to Korea Emilia Gatto emphasized the significance of international solidarity and exchange in their congratulatory remarks.

During the concurrent forum, participants engaged in in-depth discussions under the theme of “Reframing the Future of Design Education.” They candidly shared the fundamental challenges facing design education in the rapidly evolving AI era while stressing the importance of critical thinking.

The Oriental Culture & Design Center at Kookmin University contributed to the establishment of the award. The center was founded in 2004 by Choi Kyung-ran, who currently serves as chair of the award’s steering committee.

The university said that for more than two decades, the center has explored the essential values of design with a focus on Asia, including Korea, China and Japan. Its accumulated achievements expanded through the DBEW Forum in 2023 and the DBEW Exhibitions in 2024 and 2025, ultimately providing the solid foundation for the launch of the DBEW Award.