Thanks Grete for your detailed post !

Your  two points on the part theorist and practitioners, and where to study
caught my eye.These are my major concerns about doing a degree.
When someone goes into great depth into theory, there is a real concern that
one would not be able to relate to practice as observed. But if you take in
less theory, it renders you somewhat incapable as an intellectual.

The next point is: 'where to do such a degree, which is better: the 
academic university or the art college'.
Your preference is for the latter as it allows more creative grounds to do so.

I was thinking and I had thought that
doing in an academic institution would be better since it gives a 
more all-rounded
exposure to other faculties such as medicine, bio-tech, material science etc.
Isn't that vital to have designers/design researchers to come
to earth on what matters directly with the social community ? Would 
designers risk
being artists by studying at purely art colleges ? I have seen some 
works from pure art colleges and
I wonder how many people would really appreciate that ? If its just 
art it would have been very acceptable.
But some of the work do pose a question if they could be all that 
useful. I have noticed quite a number
of people left the seminar halfway when the folio slides were going on.

I suppose we need to consider how people see design. And to allow 
design to raise in social status,
designers need to blend in too with other people being able to see it 
as something that genuinely
value-adding human living in a smart and significant way.


Cheers,
Karen Fu


At 09:15 PM 13/12/2006, Grete Refsum wrote:

 >It is the very closeness to the arts, to the
illogical, intuitive and playful attitude of the arts that they do well
and conquer the designers that are educated in more academic institutions.
And this tale is not only told me at the julebord after the welcome drink,
but regularly confirmed by other sources. <



> >......I suggest it does. Furthermore, I think research in design
>should, at least for a while, allow this art (and design) development work
>to be included as what it is: the in-between-activity. If not, I fear that
>we are back to start with an unbridgeable gap between theorists and
>practitioners. That would in my opinion be bad.<
>
> >The Programme for Research Fellowships in the Arts is an experiment that
>will be evaluated in 2008. I'll keep you informed!
>
>Meanwhile: enjoy your Christmas and New Year celebrations! <