International Design Jury consisting of 20 eminent designers and design leaders has awarded the 1.000.000 RMB Frontier Design Prize 2023 to Professor Emeritus Yrjö Sotamaa on 26 September 2023 in Shanghai P.R. China.
He has been dedicated to push the boundaries of design and innovation education since 1980´s. During his early years, he aligned himself with Victor Papanek to champion the concept of design for the real world. During his time as the President of the University of Art and Design Helsinki UIAH, he not only transformed the university into the premier class design university in the North of Europe but also on global level, at the same time he successfully integrated design into the national innovation system of Finland.
Among his achievements, Yrjö Sotamaa spearheaded the creation of Aalto University that has become the global standard setter for interdisciplinary innovation education. Additionally, he played pivotal role in founding Cumulus, the preeminent global association representing art, design and media education and research, making invaluable contribution to the international collaboration not only limited to education and research but between the diverse stakeholders in the disciplines Cumulus represents.
Hooray! Cumulus Association congratulates!
