We expect our students to be critical-thinking individuals that want to contribute, to match our pro-active group of students and faculty, whom take into account the needs of contemporary society and set a standard for others to build upon. The biggest challenge lies in the overwhelming scale of the task at hand in the Asian context and the following pressure and expectations from society that need us to address and improve their situation. What is the most important thing for students to learn during this course? As a master’s program, we expect the students to already have a basic architectural skill set. Therefore, the most important aspect we want to teach our students is to be critical, and think reflective. Thus, analysing the situation, assessing the complexity, considering the context and acting from there, then applying this new set of skills to embed a real architectural intervention. Secondly, we encourage people to learn to create from a specific cultural context. In our program we have a group of selected students from all five continents, thus forming a unique bridge between the world and China for both students and faculty. In this way we educate critical designers that think global, act local and really make an impact.
as you become skilled as an architect, is to be visionary. Thus, from your critical attitude reflect on the contribution one can make as an architect. Where or in what kind of jobs do your former architect students mostly end up? Most of our alumni end up actively contributing to the shaping of our living environments, either as designers, planners, developers or administrators. They are well prepared for the real demands, in China and abroad, starting through internships or as part of a particular project team during the graduation year. On top of that, the school has a strong reputation and valuable network, and we see that our architecture students all find suitable jobs easily. Prof. Li Xiaodong Director of English Program Master of Architecture Tsinghua University
What is the most important skill to master when one wants to become an architect? To be visionary. Initially, as a student, one should learn to be critical, and reflective. The second step, over time,
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