CIDI Chanapatana offers international design programme in bid to tap Thai talent
Chanapatana International Design Institute (CIDI) aims to groom a new generation of Thai designers to support the government’s Thailand 4.0 policy by offering a new international programme in design.
The programme is also open to people without a background in design.
The institute said the course would be conducted by experienced lecturers from the world’s leading countries for design, while charging only one-third of the tuition fee other international institutions charge their students.
CIDI Chanapatana is a non-profit organisation established in 2000.
With support from Phra Thammongkonlayarn Foundation, CIDI Chanapatana’s mission is to develop skilled designers to compete with international players, Professor Sakorn Suksriwong DBA, president of CIDI Chanapatana, said.
“With the aim of making Thailand the design hub of Asean, CIDI Chanapatana is providing a two-year English diploma programme in Fashion Design and Interior and Product Design,” Sakorn said.
“The Thailand 4.0 Policy will drive the national economy by switching the focus from industry to technology, creativity and innovation. As a result, sufficient number of ‘skilled designers’ would be a key factor to gear Thailand towards that direction. The solution from upstream will change the position of Thai fashion industry, from made-to-order to brand building, value-added and truly sustainable business,” Sakorn added.
To further improve the programmes, CIDI is collaborating with Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) in Milan, Italy, which is among the world’s top 10 design institutes. Students can study at CIDI Chanapatana for two years and at the IED for two years to receive the Diploma Accademico di primo I Livello, which is equivalent to a bachelor’s degree. Alternatively, they can spend one or two years at CIDI Chanapatana and one more year in IED located in either Spain or Italy to receive the Master Accademico di primo I Livello, equivalent to a Master’s degree.
Aiming to make Thailand a design hub for Asean, CIDI Chanapatana is currently an educational institute for not only Thai students, but also international students from various countries such as Italy, US, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos and Malaysia, Sakorn said.