August 19, 2021 Guangzhou – The selection process for successful applicants under the International Design Education (IDE) scholarship programme, an initiative jointly organized by the UN Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries, Word-Eco Design Conference (WEDC), and the International School of Design at Zhejiang University (ZJU-ISD), Ningbo to support students from least developed countries (LDCs) has been completed.
 

Overall, the Zhejiang University received 83 applications from 14 LDCs including, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Comoros, Ethiopia, Guinea, Lesotho, Mali, Nepal, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Yemen, and Zambia. 15.6% of the applicants were from female applicants. After a comprehensive review, 36 students (7 females) were awarded full scholarship and will join the IDE program at the ZJU-ISD this September.

The IDE program course offers potential for LDCs to drive innovation, problem-solving capacity and economic growth potential and will support attainment of the SDGs.
 

“Eco-design provides an opportunity for LDCs to combine innovation, design and sustainable production models using minimal resources that are environmentally friendly and promote sustainable development. This is the first cohort of students towards enhancing eco-design in LDCs through this partnership,” said Joshua Setipa, Managing Director of the UN Technology Bank.
 

The UN Technology Bank, the WEDC, and the ZJU-ISD will continue to widen the coverage of the IDE program to offer opportunities to more students. The three parties seek to collaborate with various universities and research institutions globally to build an international design education network that promotes the integration of industry and education to expand the innovative development of the design industry.

The admission plan for the next International Design Education program is scheduled for early February 2022.