02 December 2011
First CUMULUS LAB open
Sino-Finnish Centre of Tongji University
Shanghai, China
On the afternoon of Nov. 2nd, 2011, Professor Helmut Lueckenhausen, Vice President of CUMULUS Association, Prof. Zhou Jialun, Chairman of Tongji University Council, and Prof. Wu Zhiqiang, Vice President of Tongji University announced the opening of CUMULUS LAB Shanghai in the Sino-Finnish Centre. Mr. Matti Heimonen, Consul General of Finland in Shanghai, Prof. Martti Raevaara, Vice President of Aalto University, Prof. Hannu Seristö, Vice President of Aalto University, Prof. Ezio Manzini, Coordinator of DESIS, Prof. Lou Yongqi, Vice Dean of College of Design and Innovation and Executive Vice Director of Sino-Finnish Centre, Tongji University, and Prof. Yrjö Sotamaa, Past President of CUMULUS and Executive Vice Director of Sino-Finnish Centre attended the ceremony.
Cumulus Vice President Helmut Lueckenhausen introduced CUMULUS to the audience and expressed his best wishes to SFC’s future. This Lab was a platform in Shanghai for the active establishment of links to world-top universities, companies and organizations. The CUMULUS Lab will encourage its members to discuss and exchange ideas so as to develop regional programs within a worldwide context. The key function of the laboratory would be: a free gathering place for Cumulus Association member institutions where local and cross-cultural Cumulus Association initiatives can take place; a communication platform between the Cumulus Association, local potential partners, to communicate to people what the Cumulus Association is and to describe its activities; an education and research base: the Laboratories would engage in a variety of design and research projects and in networking activities. Prof. Lou Yongqi, Executive Vice Director of Sino-Finnish Centre is also a member of CUMULUS Executive Board.
From September 7 to 10, 2010, the CUMULUS Shanghai conference was held by Tongji University. Prof. LOU Yongqi, was the conference secretary general and Prof. Yrjo Sotamaa was the chairman of the academic committee. Over 300 foreigners were attracted to attend this conference, which made it one of the largest and most successful CUMULUS conferences. In 2010 and in 2011, two CUMULUS Summer Schools took place at the Sino-Finnish Centre.
