2019 - 2021 | BRICS ID Curricula in the Era of 4IR

This postdoctoral research project by Dr Oluwafemi Samuel Adelabu explored Industrial Design curricula in the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR), with a specific focus on BRICS countries in the Global South. The project was supervised by myself and Dr Karen von Veh from the UJ Department of Visual Art. Samuel is currently a lecturer in Industrial Design at the School of Environmental Technology at the Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria and was awarded a GES 4.0 Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in the Department of Industrial Design, Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture, UJ, to undertake his postdoctoral research.

Overview:

Quality education is crucial for sustainable development and is a tool for driving desirable change in fluid technological, socio-political and economic landscapes.

Since the era of the first industrial revolution, product design has played a significant role in bringing about social-economic transformation through technology, and still holds great potential to encourage human flourishing in the future. However, as the making of things is getting smarter, a high level of critical design thinking will be required to fulfil human needs in a more sustainable way. The 4th Industrial Revolution has been proposed as a new frontier of technological advancement in the developmental agenda of the BRICS countries, and is being used as a platform to reposition higher education towards providing appropriate training.

This study aimed to explore the curricular structure (goal, content and delivery method) of Industrial Design programmes in higher education within the BRICS countries, and relevant policy, and appropriate knowledge/ skills required for the 4IR era. Using both quantitative and qualitative approaches, the study attempted to answers the following central questions:

What is the curriculum relevance of existing Industrial Design programmes for the demands of 4IR-oriented industry and/or 21st-century skills?
What challenges must be addressed to better position Industrial Design programmes to meet industry needs in the 4IR?

For more information on the study please contact Dr Oluwafemi Samuel Adelabu. His ReseachGate profile can be viewed here.

Outcomes:

Adelabu, O.S. & Campbell, A.D. 2020. Appropriate Knowledges: An Exploration of South African Industrial Design Curricula in the Era of 4IR. 22^nd International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education (E&PDE 2020). Herning, Denmark: VIA University.