We are thrilled to invite 10 exceptional Master and PhD students worldwide to the inaugural EXPRESSO Summer School 2025! With leading experience design professors from the Experience Research Society, we’ll delve into the fascinating world of experience design, research, and the societal impact we can create.
Theme: Cultural Experience Design
Place: Wuxi, China
Time: July 14-25, 2025
We are pleased to share that four esteemed professors will be joining the Expresso Summer School:
Prof. Annemiek van Boeijen – TU Delft
Prof. Henry Duh – The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Prof. Pedro Carvalho de Almeida – University of Aveiro
Prof. Lily Diaz-Kommonen – Aalto University
Our theme, “Cultural Experience Design,” can take many forms. About 30 local graduate students will form teams to tackle the design challenge of creating a Cultural Experience. Each team will include a PhD student who can—but isn’t required to—use this opportunity to explore and gather data on a design method or technique relevant to their research. This could involve proposing a specific method or technique for the prospective Master’s students in their team to follow during the experience design process. Therefore, this summer school offers a valuable chance for PhD students to advance their research in the context of real-world cultural experience design projects.
The School of Design at Jiangnan University (SDJU) is delighted to host this exceptional event at our beautiful Lihu Campus. As one of the earliest and most prestigious design schools in China, SDJU provides an innovative and international learning environment just about 2 hours from Shanghai airport. Wuxi is a vibrant city of 5 million people, and SDJU is located in a touristic area close to the city centre.
The summer school itself is free of charge. SDJU will cover students’ accommodation and meal subsidies during their stay in China, as well as intercity transportation expenses (for a maximum of 3 visited cities). International travel expenses, visa fees, and insurance costs are not covered.
Interested in joining us for the summer school? We’d love to hear from you! Please send a motivation letter to summerschool-contact@experienceresearchsociety.org by March 10th. Tell us a bit about yourself, why you’re interested in this program, and what you hope to gain from it.
March 10: Deadline for applications
March 17: Notification of chosen students
March 31: Visa and travel booking settled
April 15: Team topics are decided, and background research can start
July 1: Preparatory session 1
July 7: Preparatory session 2
July 14-25: Summer school & weekend excursions
Looking forward to the EXPRESSO Summer School 2025, where we’ll spark inspiration, foster connections, and shape the future of cultural experience design research.
The EXPRESSO Summer School 2025 Team
Manager
Yichen Lu, Associate Professor, Jiangnan University
Members
Virpi Roto, Vice Dean of Impact at School of Arts, Design, and Architecture, Aalto University, PhD
Michael Lai, Managing Partner, Tang Consultancy, PhD
Markus Ahola, Chief Specialist, LAB University of Applied Sciences, PhD
Sara Chen, the Deputy Director of the Experience Design Frontier Methodology and Technology Research Center (Overseas Expertise Introduction Center for Discipline Innovation, 111 Center), Jiangnan University
