PhD position available at Victoria University School of Design in Wellington

The Victoria University School of Design in Wellington is happy to announce a PhD position available:

Topic:
Schools of Creative Practice Based Research in a Design Knowledge Framework

In Design there is insufficient discussion about the definition and
creation of 'formal' design knowledge, what constitutes 'valid'
research, and the role creative exploration plays within that
context. In the creative industries where design is seen as a crucial vehicle for innovation, a knowledge vision is necessary to inform the creation and
validation of design outcomes. Therefore, a robust study of design practice, creative outputs, and academic research is required. The project will investigate how design knowledge can be defined through a theoretical, practical and historical analysis of the discipline in close debate with both the creative industries and design academia. This framework will suggest a series of creative experiments which will generate formal design knowledge as a basis to explore and expose new forms of validation. The candidate will be required to exhibit strong creative skills and theoretical design knowledge in Industrial Design.

The deadline for applications is 15 May 2008.
Application forms are available from
www.victoria.ac.nz/scholarships

Further information is available from the contacts below, either
research or application:

Research contact details:
Dr. Aukje Thomassen
Postgraduate Research Coordinator - School of Design
Victoria University of Wellington
School of Design
PO Box 600, Wellington
New Zealand
Telephone: +64 4 463 6136
Email: aukje.thomassen@vuw.ac.nz

Application contact:
Scholarships Office
Victoria University of Wellington
Telephone: +64-4-463 7493
Email: philippa.hay@vuw.ac.nz

Background:
Located in Wellington, the capital city, the School of Design shares its facilities with the highly-regarded School of Architecture in an award-winning building in the city's artistic centre. Victoria University was the first New Zealand University to offer a Bachelor of Design degree in 1992 with a range of disciplines. The School has gone through a rapid development to become a leader in the field of design education in New Zealand. Victoria's School of Design is founded on an experimental and inquisitive educational philosophy that embraces diverse cultures, critical thought and innovative technologies. The Bachelor of Design degree is based on four years of full-time study. It consists of First Year Design, a shared study programme, followed by three years in which students specialise in a
particular professional discipline. The School also offers a Master of Design program in each professional discipline and PhD-level study. The strategic development of the School of Design established a fourth design stream in 2006 focused on digital media and interactive design.
The mission of the School is to enhance teaching, learning, research and creative activities across the three and four-dimensional design disciplines whilst enabling each discipline to retain its distinctive focus. Studio-centred, the School engages with a wide range of ideas and issues relating to the understanding, creation and production of
material culture, and supports both professional and academic viewpoints as they reflect, embody and contribute to enhancing the quality of life of our social and cultural communities.

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dr. Aukje Thomassen
senior lecturer
postgraduate research coordinator School of Design

Victoria University
School of Design
139 Vivianstreet
Wellington
New Zealand
T: 0064 (0) 463 6136
http://www.vuw.ac.nz/design
http://www.mediazone.co.nz/