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Rapid and ongoing global changes are forcing educators to consider how students can be supported to navigate these events successfully. Reports from the World Economic Forum (WEF, 2018) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, 2018) highlight the need for developing learner and worker agency and for embedding curricula with projects that develop problem solving skills; enable deep thinking and reflection; and focus on transferable skills, knowledge, attitudes, and values. There is an ever-increasing need for knowledge-based practice in the design industry and the value of design research in addressing cross-disciplinary challenges has been noted by several government agencies. Within this context, the curricula of first degrees in interior design and exhibition design at the University of Lincoln (UK) were redeveloped in 2017. The decision was made to eliminate the 'contextual studies' stream and to replace it with a stream of modules focused on 'research practice'. While contextual studies consider the temporal understanding of the artefact; research practice is positioned as central to the design process and with greater potential to develop agency. Emphasis is placed on design entrepreneurship and critical practice through the rigorous documentation of, and reflection on, standard design products. This approach culminates in the identification and formulation of an appropriate design research project which is showcased in an exegesis. This paper will describe and interpret the major informants to the curriculation process in order to evaluate the underpinnings of this decision. By shifting the focus away from specific content to transferable processes, the curriculum is more flexible with greater opportunities for agency and co-production between staff and students. A focus on the research process, in lieu of the historic development of western aesthetics, is particularly important in postcolonial contexts where this ‘history’ is so f

Due to historical connections and a common political system, Europe remains an attractive destination for South African migrants. In this context the British Museum presented the South Africa: the art of a nation exhibit from 27 October 2016 to 26 February 2017. In this study we consider how our heritage is reshaped due to globalisation by referring to three archaeological artefacts from the exhibit: the Makapansgat Pebble of Many Faces (3,000,000 BP); the Mapungubwe Rhinoceros (1250-90); and the Linton Panel (pre-1900). These objects are selected since the exhibit directly challenges the notion of what it means to be human (although they are employed to define a South African identity). The inclusion of the Makapansgat Pebble specifically makes the case that human imagination emerged in Africa; the exhibit claims “we are all descended from Africa, both in terms of our bodily structure and in the way that we act, think and feel”. In this way an attempt is made to incorporate exotic and ancient artefacts into a contemporary European locale which challenges the notion of citizenship and nationality. As ‘newcomers in Europe’ we will use this paper to reflect on our heritage in a European context: how does the display of our archaeological heritage affect our sense of self, our sense of place, and our community (African or European)? How does the exhibition of these objects inform our sense of citizenship and belonging (South African or global)? Interior designers can create meaningful arrangements by placing found objects in close proximity to create ensembles; ensembles are further commonly used to structure museum exhibits. In both cases the selection, bringing together, and placement of objects are important creative processes. We consider this ensemble of disparate objects, in a foreign location, as a deliberately meaningful, and challenging, cultural act which can serve as analogy for the experience of migration. A transdisciplinary reflection, from the perspectiv