Abstract

For over 76 years, Art Center College of Design, located in Pasadena, California, has been one of the leading institutions for art and design education in the world. The college has garnered this position by continuing to examine and evolve its educational philosophy and creative practices in response to the swift technological and socioeconomic changes of the 21st century. Today, with collaboration becoming increasingly important across disparate fields of knowledge and between design disciplines, Art Center’s curricula functions within a highly dynamic framework defined by a multidisciplinary, rigorous, and experimental atmosphere, as well as by a fundamental orientation to reality. The institution is a laboratory for innovation, a locus for partnerships with both industry and public sector development agencies, and a center of international dialogue in design. Since the founding of the International Initiatives Department in 1999, global engagement and social relevance have become even further heightened concerns college-wide. The nature and role of academic institutions in a time of accelerated global transformation represents a provocative inquiry that is synergetic with Art Center’s own and ongoing institutional redefinition and educational agenda. This paper provides an overview of the core programmatic pillars that have enabled the college to best foster relevance beyond its walls, and generate a constant flow of research, cross-sectoral partnerships, and new ideas. The authors also offer a summary of the most significant strategies and alliances behind Art Center’s innovative approach to internationalism, along with a discussion of methodologies and exemplary projects that champion the contributions of the creative individual as a powerful change agent and a citizen of the larger world.