From September 8th to 12th, 2024, a project expert team from Politecnico di Milano, led by Dr. Marinella Ferrara and Dr. Francesco Ermanno Guida, traveled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for an immersive Teaching Transfer with the Royal Institute of Traditional Arts of KSA (WRTH). Under the warm hospitality of Dr. Saber Marzougui, this event marked the first on-site teaching transfer of the Higher Diploma in Traditional Product Development project, directly bringing Polimi’s Design-Driven Methodology into Saudi classrooms.
The primary goal of this Teaching Transfer was to provide WRTH’s teaching team with an in-depth understanding of the Higher Diploma in Traditional Product Development’s first-semester courses. Throughout the week-long event, the Polimi team delivered detailed presentations covering the course objectives, vision, and methodological approaches, ensuring WRTH faculty could align seamlessly with the program’s educational philosophy.
To break away from traditional lecture formats, the Polimi team designed a series of interactive workshops. These sessions transformed the Teaching Transfer into a bidirectional exchange of knowledge and culture. Through practical activities, the WRTH team gained valuable insights into innovative teaching strategies while sharing their own professional experiences. This created a dynamic, reciprocal learning environment. The workshops covered topics such as Design Thinking, Project-Based Learning, and the cultural adaptation of design methodologies, offering strong support for integrating traditional craftsmanship with modern design education.
To foster mutual cultural understanding, the WRTH team organized visits to the National Museum of Saudi Arabia and the At-Turaif Heritage Site. These cultural excursions allowed the Polimi team to deeply experience Saudi history and culture, gaining firsthand insight into the rich heritage that the Higher Diploma in Traditional Product Development aims to preserve and innovate upon. By exploring historical artifacts, traditional crafts, and unique architectural heritage, the visiting team developed a profound appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s cultural narratives, enriching their perspective on design education within this unique context.
This Teaching Transfer highlighted the critical role of cross-cultural exchange in academic environments. The visit not only deepened both institutions’ understanding of each other’s educational goals and cultural backgrounds but also laid a solid foundation for future collaboration. Both teams engaged in meaningful discussions on teaching methodologies, design philosophies, and cultural preservation practices, exchanging valuable insights and experiences. The WRTH team’s hospitality and openness provided the Polimi professors with unique experiences that will influence future curriculum development and project strategies.
As the event concluded, both institutions recognized the tremendous success of this Teaching Transfer in connecting design education with traditional arts. The project not only equipped the WRTH teaching team with practical tools and methodologies but also allowed the Polimi team to gain a deeper understanding of the Saudi cultural heritage they aim to integrate into the curriculum.
Looking ahead, this experience set a benchmark for how academic collaboration can transcend the classroom, promoting mutual respect, cultural understanding, and a shared mission to blend tradition with innovation. The collaboration between WRTH and Politecnico di Milano continues to be a model of excellence in design education, inspiring a new generation of artisans and designers to respect tradition while embracing modern design principles. This partnership offers a valuable reference model for global collaborations in cultural heritage preservation and design innovation.
