On July 24, Shenzhen Gravitational Industrial Design and the School of Handicraft Arts, Hunan University of Arts and Crafts formally signed a school-enterprise cooperation agreement. The two parties held in-depth discussions on core issues including discipline development, talent cultivation, internship and employment, as well as industry-education integration. Centered on the "joint construction of a student employment base", they aim to create a new practice model integrating industry, education and research for talent training, nurture emerging design talents with industrial resources, and advance the in-depth integration of design education and industrial demands.

School-Enterprise Partnership

Cultivating Fertile Ground for Design Talent Growth

The School of Handicraft Arts, Hunan University of Arts and Crafts, is deeply engaged in handicraft education. It boasts profound academic heritage in traditional crafts and a sound training system for arts and crafts professionals, featuring distinctive disciplinary strengths in intangible cultural heritage inheritance, craft innovation and aesthetic expression. As a professional design institute focusing on product innovation and industrial implementation, Shenzhen Gravitational Industrial Design has long served numerous sectors such as healthcare and smart consumer goods, with abundant experience in market-oriented projects and full-chain design delivery capabilities.

Sharing the common value recognition of "design aesthetics and engineering implementation", the two sides will jointly drive the implementation of industry-education-research integration.

Zhang Xinghua, Party Secretary of the School of Handicraft Arts, Zeng Li, Director of the Engineering Division, together with other faculty members, visited Gravitational Design for enterprise outreach and professional research activities. The school-enterprise cooperation signing ceremony was held at the premises of Gravitational Design.

Witnessed by members of both teams, Diao Yangquan, Co-founder of Gravitational Design, and Zhang Xinghua, Party Secretary of the School of Handicraft Arts, Hunan University of Arts and Crafts, signed the cooperation agreement on behalf of each party. This marks the official launch of the Joint Student Employment Base jointly built by Gravitational Design and the School of Handicraft Arts, Hunan University of Arts and Crafts.

At the signing ceremony, representatives from the university and the enterprise discussed new approaches for industry-education integration and drew a new blueprint for collaborative talent cultivation. Leaders from both sides engaged in in-depth exchanges concerning base construction and in-depth cooperation.

Taking into account the current development trends of the art and design industry and job competency requirements, Gravitational Design put forward a host of practical suggestions regarding art and design talents’ essential capabilities, including design innovation, product implementation and hands-on industry experience. It elaborated on enterprises’ core demands for high-quality applied design professionals.

The enterprise also communicated with the university in detail to refine elements of the talent training program such as curriculum design, practical training modules and competency development. Both parties strive to align professional teaching more closely with industrial realities and job requirements.

At their core, both education and design are about "cultivating fertile soil" for growth 🌱

For young designers, securing employment is a pivotal life milestone; for enterprises, finding the right talent is likewise a top priority. This cooperation comes with no fancy gimmicks. Its sole purpose is to build an additional bridge for students, so that when they graduate and leave campus, they can step forward with confidence and clear career paths ahead.

Gravitational Design has always paid close attention to the growth and development of young designers, and is dedicated to fulfilling its social responsibilities through concrete actions that support talent cultivation in the industry. Moving forward, the two parties will continue to deepen their school-enterprise cooperation. We hope to walk alongside more exceptional young designers, help them turn brilliant creative ideas into quality products, and let them truly shine and thrive in the design industry.