The Art & Design program’s International Center for Collaboration and Creativity partnered with TROY’s Center for International Programs to bring a free, virtual three-week seminar to eleven students from China’s Changzhou Institute of Technology.

The seminar kicked off Monday, Nov. 9 and was taught by Assistant Chair and Associate Professor Chris Stagl. The seminar covered typography terms, historical references, best practices, and concluded with a mix of an analog & digital creative projects.

“The goal of the International Cohort Program is to enable Chinese students to experience American teaching styles and pedagogy before they come to the US to study, which is strongly encouraged by our Chinese partners,” said Xiaojuan (Silvia) Li, Director of China Operations. “It further provides a unique opportunity for our Chinese students to see Troy University through their own eyes and to develop a greater desire to come to Troy for this life-changing educational experience.”

“The opportunity for the IC3 to re-establish itself as forerunner in international relations is very important to us as center for learning,” said Stagl, Director of the IC3. “When C.I.T. students come to TROY’s Art & Design program not only are they given the opportunity to learn about Western culture and design but we are enhanced by their contributions, insight, and style. The learning of international creative processes, be it in person or remotely, as this seminar is, is an invaluable experience.”

The creative projects developed by the students enrolled in this seminar will ultimately be on display on the Art & Design department’s website student work section under a new ‘international spotlight’ heading that will also house a series of interviews of current international students enrolled in the program and attending the Troy Campus. These interviews were created by students in Stagl’s Fall 2021 User Experience class in the newly formed Studio207 housed in the IAC. Student directors included Collen Layton, Hannah Keiser, Olivia Kattos, Jazmyn Fletcher and Lamarquez Johnson. International students featured in the interviews included Sophie Bilberg from Sweden, Ailin Jiang from China, Siqi Huang from China and Dang Long from Vietnam. Both the seminar projects and international interviews are slated to be released by the end of the year.