Career jump for young designers: EDU 2.0 started in Kyiv and Kharkiv
20 September, 2021
A project aimed at creative industries development and talented designers, artists, and technologists support – the European Design Upgrade – begins the second phase of its work. Last year, implemented in partnership with the Vasyl Khmelnytskyi foundation K.FUND, GoLocal initiative, technology hubs Brussels Creative in Belgium, and Urban Mill in Finland, the European Design Upgrade became a powerful professional jump for 37 talented creatives from three countries.
This year EDU 2.0 was launched in two Ukrainian cities – Kyiv and Kharkiv. The course includes:
- online lectures from Ukrainian, Belgian and Finnish lecturers;
- offline workshops;
- networking and new acquaintances;
- development of own idea;
- support from cool mentors;
- hackathon and presentation of ideas in the business environment.
Olena Dobrorodneva, vice president of Vasyl Khmelnytskyi foundation K.FUND and conceptual leader of the European Design Upgrade, on September 14, while presenting the course at the UNIT.City innovation park in Kyiv, noted:
“In developing countries or those experiencing turbulent times, creativity and talents are especially strong. This is what all the experts say. Forced to look for non-standard ways to get out of difficult situations, residents of such countries often invent a world-class design. I believe that Ukraine is one such country, and Ukrainians are able to offer the world new non-trivial solutions, innovative materials, business, and behavioral models. So the European Design Upgrade is not just a work project, but a mission.”
Students told what ideas they want to bring in during the course: art therapy for TV journalists, trend agency for fashion designers, redesign of clothes, production of green energy from the road traffic etc. Mentors Alina Gaieva, Olena Orap, Daria Podoltseva and Lilia Derman also took part in the event.
Finally EDU 2.0 was presented in Kharkiv. On September 9, more than 30 students of the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Fine Arts gathered at the UNIT.City Kharkiv to learn about the program. Some of them have already become EDU 2.0 students.
All the participants from Kyiv and Kharkiv will present their ideas to the business environment at the end of the project for further internships and cooperation.
