GSAPP Asia Alumni Forum

From Columbia to Asia | 6 × 6 Conversations

A platform bringing together GSAPP alumni across Asia to share perspectives, experiences, and insights on design, cities, and leadership in a rapidly evolving regional context.

Please register here if you would like to attend the event, and if you are interested in participating as a speaker in one of the sessions.

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Program Schedule (Single Room)

13:30 – 14:00 | Arrival & Welcome

Registration, coffee, light refreshments Informal introductions among speakers and participants

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14:00 – 17:00 | From Columbia to Asia

Six Thematic Conversations

Format per session (30 minutes):
• 3 speakers × 6 minutes
• Moderated discussion and audience exchange

All sessions take place in the same room.

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14:00 – 14:30 | Session 1 — Practice

How design is practiced in Asia today.
Speakers will reflect on the realities of scale, speed, collaboration, and professional evolution, sharing how practice in Asia differs from Western models and how GSAPP training continues to shape their work on the ground.

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14:30 – 15:00 | Session 2 — Cities

Asia as an urban laboratory.
This session explores Asian cities as testing grounds for density, infrastructure, resilience, and rapid urban transformation, and what designers can learn from working in environments of constant change.

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15:00 – 15:30 | Session 3 — Development & Capital

Where design meets development and decision-making.
Speakers discuss the relationship between architecture, development, investment, and the public sector, examining how capital, policy, and design intelligence intersect in shaping Asian cities.

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15:30 – 16:00 | Session 4 — Culture & Identity

Global design, local meaning.
This conversation focuses on balancing international design language with local culture, history, and context, and how identity, memory, and place continue to inform design practice across Asia.

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16:00 – 16:30 | Session 5 — Technology & AI

Tools shaping the future of design.
From digital platforms to AI and data-driven decision-making, this session examines how technology is transforming design workflows, professional roles, and the way architects and designers think and operate.

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16:30 – 17:00 | Session 6 — Education & Next Generation

Preparing future designers and leaders.
Speakers reflect on education models, mentorship, and the responsibilities of today’s practitioners in nurturing the next generation of designers, thinkers, and leaders in Asia.

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17:00 – 18:00 | GSAPP Alumni Networking Reception

Drinks and light refreshments
Open conversations among alumni, speakers, and guests

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With generous support from ONE Jea Lee and GSAPP
Organized by Columbia Alumni India and Columbia Alumni Taiwan