The international design symposium “STELLAR Design Summit Busan 2026” (hereinafter SDSB 2026), jointly organized by the Design College of Dongseo University and the RISE Project Group, was held on March 25, 2026, at Dongseo University’s Jurye Campus. Under the theme “Design Futures: Busan and Asia,” the summit explored the future of design in Busan and across Asia while discussing the changing role of design in society, industry, and education.

The summit opened with welcoming remarks by Juyoung Chang, Dean of the Design College. Dean Chang spoke about the upcoming launch of Stella College of Arts and the future direction of innovation in design education at Dongseo University, while also expressing expectations for Busan’s advancement as a design city following its selection as the World Design Capital (WDC) 2028.

In his welcome address, President Jekuk Chang presented Dongseo University’s vision of becoming “Asia’s number one” design education institution through expanded exchanges with world-renowned designers, the launch of Stella College of Arts, and Minerva-based educational innovation. He also emphasized that these changes would open an important era of opportunity for students.

Professor Ken Nah, Chief Designer of Busan Metropolitan City and Distinguished Professor at Dongseo University’s Design College, delivered congratulatory remarks, stating that Busan stands at a turning point toward becoming a global design city and that Dongseo University’s Stella-centered design education would become one of the region’s key competitive strengths.

The keynote session, which formed the core of SDSB 2026, featured three global design leaders. Dr. Thomas Garvey, former President of the World Design Organization (WDO); Yongqi Lou, President of Shanghai University of Engineering Science and internationally recognized innovator in design education; and Wang Tan, Visiting Professor at Dongseo University, Co-founder of XPeng Aridge, and Chief Designer of XPeng Motor leading the development of flying car design, each presented perspectives on the changing global design environment and the competencies future designers must develop within their respective fields.

Based on the Asia Design College Consortium (ADCC), SDSB 2026 served as a platform for sharing the knowledge and insights of global design leaders while exploring future directions for design.

In his closing remarks, Professor Taewan Kim evaluated the successful establishment of SDSB as an annual event and presented plans to further expand educational programs and exchange opportunities centered on ADCC.

SDSB 2026 was successfully held with the support of the Dongseo University RISE Project Group. Building on this momentum, Dongseo University plans to continue expanding global cooperation and exchange in design education.