Finnish designer, educator wins Shanghai's top design prize at WDCC

Ti Gong

Shanghai has granted the Frontier Design Prize of the annual World Design Cities Conference (WDCC) to Yrjö Sotamaa, former president of the Helsinki School of Art and Design, who once taught in Shanghai and won the city's Magnolia Award.

Shanghai Vice Mayor Chen Jie presented the "Outstanding Contribution Award" to Sotamaa during the opening ceremony of the WDCC on Tuesday, for his contributions to the field of design.

"I believe this precious award not only recognizes my personal work but also acknowledges the design and creative community I belong to," Sotamaa said.

"Over the years, I have had the privilege of working with them in Shanghai and around the world," he added.

Professor Sotamaa is an international scholar who has served as the vice director of the Sino-Finnish Centre at Tongji University and a professor at the College of Design and Innovation.

During his four years in Shanghai, he received both the Shanghai Magnolia Silver Award and the Chinese government's Friendship Award for his extensive design research and educational experience.

He provided academic guidance to China's design education and contributed to teaching, research and social innovation within the context of Shanghai's development as a design capital, according to the judges' panel.

The prize, organized by the Design Innovation Institute of Shanghai, is an international non-profit design award that celebrates visionary and pioneering design endeavors from around the world.

The prize aims to encourage and lead development and innovation in design, while encouraging public understanding of how design creates a better quality of life.

Sotamaa has dedicated his career to pushing the frontiers of global design and innovation education.

During his tenure as president of the Helsinki School of Art and Design, he not only transformed the institution into one of the top design schools in the Nordic region, but also successfully integrated design into Finland's national innovation system. His founding of Aalto University in Finland has become a global benchmark for interdisciplinary innovative education.

"This award, by recognizing those who have made pioneering contributions to design, is shaping the future of global design and represents Shanghai's attitude and stance towards design," said Professor Lou Yongqi, vice president of Tongji University and one of the judges of the prize.