Chairs

• Sylvia Xihui Liu, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Jun Cai, Tsinghua University
• Carlos Teixeira, Illinois Institute of Technology
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Keynote Speaker
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• Carlos Teixeira, Ph.D.
• Affiliation: Charles L. Owen Professor of Design, Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology
• Expertise: design strategy, open innovation, and sustainable solutions
Carlos Teixeira is the Charles L. Owen Professor in Design at IIT Institute of Design (ID). He teaches graduate courses and advises doctoral students on the strategic use of design capabilities in complex innovation spaces. Carlos’s research interests include the areas of design strategy, open innovation, and sustainable solutions. He is also the faculty director of the Action Lab. Carlos received a doctorate in design from ID in 2002. Previous to his Ph.D., he received a master’s and bachelor’s degree in design from Pontifícia Universidade Católica in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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The keynote speech title and abstract
• Title: 'What it means to have a Ph.D. in Design?'
Traditionally, a Ph.D. degree means authoritative expertise in a specific domain, such as Design and related topics. It results from intense years of surveying and researching a design issue, leading to an academic position in a university. In this context, the advancement of knowledge in the field through doctoral studies and academic research has been the dominant consensus on the purpose of doing a Ph.D. in Design. However, a Ph.D. degree can also be seen as the development of advanced intellectual and entrepreneurial skills, in addition to the subject matter expertise. This presentation will discuss what it means to have a Ph.D. in Design beyond academic careers.
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