The Design-Centric Futures Symposium, organised by the Master of Design Management programme, took place on 5 August 2025 at the Centre for Postgraduate Studies. Bringing together students, industry professionals, academicians, and members of the public, the event offered a vibrant exchange of ideas on how design can lead strategic innovation and create meaningful social impact.<\/p>
The event commenced with a welcome address by Prof. Dr. Hing Hiang Lian, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of First City University College. This was followed by an insightful keynote by Prof. Emeritus Dato\u2019 Dr Ahmad Haji Zainuddin, Adjunct Professor at First City University College and Chairman of CiDe, Malaysian Design Council (MRM), entitled \u201cThe Centrality of Design\u201d, which connected design directly to Malaysia\u2019s developmental future under the upcoming 13th Malaysia Plan (2026\u20132030). His message underscored that design is not a peripheral skill but a core force for national transformation \u2014 a call to embed design thinking deeply into professional and organisational mindsets.<\/p>
This vision found an inspiring real-world application through Ms. Penny Low, Founder of Amazing Seniors and an alumna of the Master of Design Management programme. In her talk, \u201cThe Amazing Seniors: A Response to the Silent Struggles of the Ageing\u201d, she challenged the audience to rethink how society designs for seniors, proposing inclusive, human-centred solutions that combine empathy with innovation. Her message was clear: good design must be inclusive, future-ready, and grounded in real human needs.<\/p>
The event closed with a dynamic Q&A session moderated by Assoc. Prof. Azali Rahim (CiDe), sparking critical dialogue on how design influences policy, community engagement, and ethical practice. Students actively participated, testing ideas, asking challenging questions, and connecting theory to application, while also benefiting from the diverse perspectives shared by other attendees.<\/p>
The Design-Centric Futures Symposium was more than a showcase of expert knowledge \u2014 it sparked a deeper understanding of how design thinking intersects with national policy, community wellbeing, and market innovation. It also reinforced the Master of Design Management programme\u2019s mission to equip graduates with the vision, agility, and empathy to lead in an increasingly complex world.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Design-Centric Futures Symposium, organised by the Master of Design Management programme, took place on 5 August 2025 at the Centre for Postgraduate Studies. Bringing together students, industry professionals, academicians, […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":51019,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"The Design-Centric Futures Symposium, organised by the Master of Design Management programme, took place on 5 August 2025 at the Centre for Postgraduate Studies. Bringing together students, industry professionals, academicians, and members of the public, the event offered a vibrant exchange of ideas on how design can lead strategic innovation and create meaningful social impact.","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51016","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n