Official release of the Chinese Translation of the Cumulus Design Declaration (2025)
The Cumulus Design Declaration (2025) was formally announced in June 2025 at the Cumulus 35th Anniversary Conference in Nantes. It represents an important repositioning in international design education since the Kyoto Design Declaration in 2008. On October 23, as part of the 2026 Design & Multi-Symbiosis International Conference: Breaking the Edges, the Chinese translation of the Cumulus Design Declaration (2025) will be publicly released for the first time at the School of Design, Jiangnan University, and will be presented alongside the multilingual display of the declaration. During the event, the full Chinese text will be open to the public, bringing the declaration into the discussion arena of the Chinese design community.
23 October 2026 | 9:00
Cumulus Design Declaration 2025 – Global Translations Exhibition
As a declaration travels across languages, it also connects diverse cultures through shared values. During the 2026 Design & Multi-Symbiosis International Conference: Breaking the Edges, the Global Translations Exhibition of the Cumulus Design Declaration (2025) will be presented alongside official release of Chinese translation of the declaration. Featuring translations in more than 20 languages, the exhibition will use texts, video, and interactive content to explore the declaration’s reach across cultures. It will also revisit the launches of the Kyoto Design Declaration in 2008 and the Cumulus Design Declaration in 2025.
23–25 October 2026
Cross-Association Presidents’ Dialogue
Design at a Tipping-Point: Common Crises and Shared Future
How should design respond to common crises and take action for a shared future when global society faces technological and ethical challenges posed by climate change, geopolitical conflicts, social divisions, and artificial intelligence?
On October 23rd, the presidents from four major international design associations will gather at Jiangnan University to hold a cross-association roundtable dialogue on the theme of “Design at Tipping Points: Common Crisis and Shared Future”. They are Lorenzo Imbesi, the President of Cumulus; Ezio Manzini, the President of DESIS; Hua Dong, the President of DRS; and Makiko Tsumura, the President-elect of WDO. The dialogue will be chaired by Miaosen Gong, the vice President of Cumulus. Four guests will share their thoughts and practices on how their organizations are facing global changes, and explore new paths for cross-association cooperation to build consensus for a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable shared future.
23 October 2026 | 16:00–17:00
School of Design, Jiangnan University | Wuxi, China
Event information: https://news.jiangnan.edu.cn/info/1132/110674.htm
