Join the Cumulus Working Groups meetings at the Cumulus South Africa 2025 conference!<\/p>\n
Design Intelligence and 5IR All times are local SAST. (UTC+2) Johannesburg, South Africa<\/p>\n CWGs are communities of practice created by and for our members to share expertise and engage on a diversity of topics that matter to our disciplines.<\/p>\n Through an evolving process of knowledge development and sharing, CWGs create a year-round space for virtual and in-person focused sessions to regularly increase engagement and communication on a variety of relevant and timely interests.<\/p>\n – Global X Working Group<\/strong> After an introduction to the higher education system in South Africa by a local expert, this workshop will explore how Artificial Intelligence can be harnessed to support and enhance internationalisation in higher education. Through a combination of expert presentations and interactive group activities, participants will reflect on opportunities, share best practices and discuss the challenges of integrating AI into international strategies.<\/p>\n 1. Welcome & Updates (5 min) Cumulus Food Think Tank<\/strong> Following on from Food Transformation I and II this working group will explore the migration of food recipes and identities across continents. Food Think Tank will build on the co-edited Routledge publication the Transformative Nature of Food: Adaptation, Connectivity and Identity (Daou & Sarantou) by inviting authors, researchers and practitioners to explore local and hybrid food identities to design connecting ecological systems.<\/p>\n P-R-E AI Digital Culture Working group<\/strong> The Cumulus+IxDA partnership \u2013 with institutions and organizations from diff erent parts of the world \u2013 creates diversifi ed and constructed spaces for conversations building on the synergy of education and research expertise, brought by Cumulusians, along with the practitioners\u2019 perspectives brought by IxDA and its local partners.The Johannesburg session is a follow up to the Nantes session in June 2025 about the shift in Digital Culture with the Cult of AI. How are we bending the corners as practitioners, as researchers, as educators ?The P-R-E series encourages focused conversations on identifying critical elements that further capacity building for designers, at diff erent stages of their careers, from studies to professional practice to lifelong learning. The Johannesburg P-R-E meeting will continue the discussion about what could be or should be at stake for \u201ccritical thinking\u201d for any stakeholder. Let\u2019s bend design? Let\u2019s bend AI?<\/p>\n Cumulus Fashion and Textile Working Group<\/strong> A glimpse at African fashion<\/p>\n IP Cumulus Working Group<\/strong> At this meeting of the CUMULUS Intellectual Property Working Group , we will continue our collaborative work on the \u201cIP Teaching Standards for Design Academies\u201d toolkit, developed with EUIPO to support the integration of IP education in design and art institutions. In addition, we will open a discussion on the emerging challenges and opportunities of AI in academia, focusing on how universities can develop responsible IP and AI strategies for teaching, research, and creative practice. The session will be a workshop format, aimed at sharing experiences, mapping needs, and co-creating a roadmap for future activities of the Working Group.<\/p>\n In this workshop-format meeting, we will:<\/p>\n – Continue our collaborative work on the IP Teaching Kit & Standards. Service Design Working Group<\/strong> Through case studies from across the globe, this workshop helps designers understand how forward-looking service prototyping, analysis and tools can promote and create empathic, emotion-oriented and relevant services. The workshop is based on a book called “Empathic Service Design: Challenges in design, analysis and services” by Eds. Melanie Sarantou, Satu Miettinen and Titta Jylk\u00e4s. Please see: https:\/\/www.bloomsbury.com\/uk\/empathic-service-design-9781350476400\/<\/a>The workshop will feature a series of presentations related to the book and provide a discussion forum for sharing experiences.<\/p>\n Presentations: Other workshops:<\/p>\n Co-creating the Designer\u00b4s code of ethics<\/strong> What should be the ethics that guide the discipline? What constructs are relevant to design dilemmas? Join us to co-create a code of ethics that can help our association develop a code of ethics for our discipline.<\/p>\n
\nTime: November 26-28, 2025, Johannesburg, South Africa
\nOn-site: University of Johannesburg
\nOnline: Teams (free for all interested representatives of Cumulus member institutions)
\nhttps:\/\/cumulussouthafrica2025.uj.ac.za\/<\/a><\/p>\n
\n26 November 2025
\nTime: 15.30-18.30
\nTeams link<\/a>
\nMeeting ID: 399 957 127 617 57
\nPasscode: cA9CR7P7
\nTheme: Bridging Gaps with AI: rethinking internationalisation
\nCostanza Marinelli c.marinelli@strate.design<\/p>\n
\n\u25cf Opening remarks and session objectives
\n\u25cf Key updates on Global X international affairs (online presentation of the members of the board)
\n2. Round Table Introductions (10 min)
\n\u25cf Short introductions from all participants on site and online
\n3. Expert Talks (45 min)
\nTopic 1: Overview of the South African Art & Design Higher Education System (15 minutes)
\nTopic 2: Harnessing AI to Enhance Internationalisation in Higher Education : 2 case study or expert view (30 minutes)
\n4. Coffee Break & Networking (20 min)
\n5. Workshop: Bridging Gaps with AI: rethinking internationalisation (1h30) Format: Group discussions on the following topics:
\n\u25cf Overcoming language barriers (automatic translation, live captioning, multilingual curricula)
\n\u25cf Strengthening intercultural competences and better preparing students and staff for mobility
\n\u25cf Supporting faculty and staff in navigating cultural gaps and enhancing collaboration
\n\u25cf Facilitating internationalisation processes (streamlining admin, translating portals, improving access)
\n\u25cf Enhancing international dissemination of research through AI-enabled multilingual publications These topics will be examined in relation to key challenges associated with AI, including the need to ensure data confidentiality and compliance with legislation (e.g. GDPR in the EU), to address ethical issues in its use for education and internationalisation, to preserve the human touch and interpersonal exchange that technology cannot replace, and to prevent digital fatigue by promoting a balanced, human-centred approach.
\n7. Closing Discussion (20 min)
\n\u25cf Presentation of group results
\n\u25cf Reflections, action points, and next steps
\n\u25cf Planning for the next online meeting ahead of Cumulus Athens<\/p>\n
\n26 November 2025
\nTime: 17.15-18.50
\nTeams link<\/a>
\nMeeting ID: 318 783 954 063
\nPasscode: mR7vk2hF
\nFood transformation III: Connectivity
\nDolly Daou, Cindebray University, d.daou@dollydaou.org<\/p>\n
\n26 November 2025
\nTime: 17:15-18:50
\nTeams link<\/a>
\nMeeting ID: 371 015 817 362 06
\nPasscode: 9ij2Qu3B
\nFrederic Degouzon, L’ecole de Design Nantes f.degouzon@lecolededesign.com<\/p>\n
\n26 November 2025
\nTime: 17:15.18.50
\nTeams link<\/a>
\nNatacha Lallemand, Desiree Small<\/p>\n
\n27 November 2025
\nTime: 15:30-17:00
\nTeams link<\/a>
\nMeeting ID: 314 912 175 287 1
\nPasscode: S9tj2tF9
\nIP and AI strategies for academies
\nFlora Gubicz, MOME gubicz@mome.hu<\/p>\n
\n– Explore the emerging challenges and opportunities of AI in academia, specifically regarding responsible IP and AI strategies for teaching, research, and creative practice.
\n– Discuss the AMPRA model, and how it could be integrated into our toolkit.
\n– Work together on outlining a practical IP + AI Strategy Kit for design academies.
\n– Define the next steps and timeline for completing the toolkit.<\/p>\n
\n27 November 2025
\nTime: 15.30-17.00
\nTeams link<\/a>
\nMeeting ID: 390 467 639 411
\nPasscode: Fz9N8Ek6
\nEmpathetic Service Design for Forward-looking, Emotion-oriented and Relevant Services
\nAmna Qureshi, Heidi Pietarinen, Satu Miettinen, University of Lapland satu.miettinen@ulapland.fi<\/p>\n
\n– Introducing the Empathetic Service Design, Melanie Sarantou, Satu Miettinen & Titta Jylk\u00e4s
\n– User Empathy in the Early Phase of Product\u2013Service Systems Development: Challenges with User Research, Service Blueprinting and Service Prototyping, Thomas Abrell
\n– Design for Longevity: An Empathic Service Design Framework, Sheng-Hung Lee
\n– Role of Empathy in Reliving Indigenous Cultural Heritage: Insights from Arts Ceduna, South Australia, Amna Qureshi
\n– More-Than-Human Empathy in Arts-Based Material Research Processes, Jenny Bergstr\u00f6m, Heidi Pietarinen
\n– Empathic Development for Service Prototyping: Challenges and Opportunities that Emerged During Design Thinking Workshops with Analogue and Digital Tools, Kiwoong Nam
\n– Using Service Design to Create Smart Jewellery Low-Fi Prototypes for Pandemic Challenges Virve Inget, Mari Suoheimo, Manuela Quaresma, and Jonna H\u00e4kkil\u00e4<\/p>\n
\n27 November 2025
\nTime: 15.30-17.00
\nTeams link<\/a>
\nMeeting ID: 344 632 665 026 22
\nPasscode: vz9km9p4
\nRoberto I\u00f1iguez Flores, Teresa Franqueira<\/p>\n