Professor Juliette MacDonald and ECA Principal Professor Juan Cruz gathered with colleagues and alumni in Shanghai to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Shanghai International College of Fashion and Innovation (SCF) at Donghua University (DHU). 

SCF is a joint institute between Donghua University and the University of Edinburgh. It was set up in 2014 with the aim of strengthening existing relationships between Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) within the University of Edinburgh and Donghua University (DHU). 

Based at DHU’s City campus, SCF enables students to engage with fashion and creative industry events within the city, and benefit from the dynamic culture of Shanghai as a cosmopolitan city. 

Juliette is the International Dean at SCF and Chair of Craft History and Theory at ECA. Reflecting on the aims of SCF and the joint institute’s progress, Juliette said: “From the outset, this partnership was built on mutual respect and trust and the aim of SCF as we began the partnership was to embrace a transcultural vision for the disciplines of fashion and interior design, whilst also leveraging professional skills and intellectual support from Shanghai’s thriving fashion and creative industries.” 

A conference, ceilidh and a spectacular light show 

The celebration festivities took place on 22 September, with a number of events taking place over the course of the day, including a forum on developing Sino-UK cooperative education towards sustainable goals and an exhibition showcasing SCF's research achievements over the past decade. 

The day closed with a breath-taking anniversary-themed light show, titled A Decade of Brilliance: Fashion Illuminates Shanghai, illuminating the iconic Shanghai Oriental Pearl TV Tower. In the tower’s events suite, Juliette donned the mantle of ceilidh leader and she and ECA/SCF academic Will Nolan led friends and colleagues in a whirlwind of Scottish country dancing. 

The celebration was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on all that SCF has achieved over the last 10 years.  

“As a team, SCF have navigated challenges together and overcome obstacles in order to create a strong bridge, culturally and pedagogically, between our two universities,” Juliette said. “Our focus is on integrating environmental responsibility with creativity and fostering a strong sense of social responsibility in our students. We have established an integrated industry-education platform for collaborative projects with companies such as Burberry, Coach, Gentle Monster to name but a few and we have enjoyed workshops led by global fashion design icons including Stella McCartney, Paul Smith, and Simon Collins. 

“This integration with the fashion industry has helped to develop students' interdisciplinary skills and deepens their professional knowledge. In 2020 SCF were co-winners of the China-Scottish Business Awards for Educational Innovation, acknowledging the work done in conjunction with well-known design companies. Our undergraduate graduates have consistently achieved a 100% employment rate and are often recognized for their creative design thinking, practical abilities, and international communication skills, earning praise from both academic and industry circles in China and abroad.” 

About SCF 

SCF aims to embrace a trans-cultural pedagogical vision for the disciplines of design, whilst also harnessing professional skills and intellectual support from the fashion and creative industries in Shanghai and other global fashion centres. SCF is centred on two programmes, fashion innovation and fashion interior design.   

During their second year of study, SCF students have the opportunity to transfer for years 3 and 4 to study Fashion or Interior Design at Edinburgh College of Art. Students who have completed two years’ study at SCF and two years’ study at ECA, and passed all courses required by both SCF and ECA, will receive a University of Edinburgh BA (Hons) in Fashion or BA (Hons) Interior Design award. Students who remain at SCF will receive the Donghua University Undergraduate Graduation Certificate. 

Successful research projects hosted by SCF include the ‘Shanghai Histories Project’ with participation from colleagues at SCF, ECA and London College of Fashion. This project culminated in the book Styling Shanghai (eds Christopher Breward and Juliette MacDonald) published by Bloomsbury in 2020 and ‘CARE: Sustainable Fashion’ a collaborative project between researchers and students at SCF, ECA, Amsterdam Fashion Institute and Lasalle, Singapore.