Professors from various nationalities bring new perspectives on innovation, biology, and artistic expression to the Department of Architecture, Arts and Design.
From May 4 to 7, 2026, the Department of Architecture, Arts and Design at ISMAT is hosting the 1st DAAD International Week, an initiative that reinforces the school’s openness to the international context and the exchange of knowledge across different disciplinary fields.
Throughout the week, the department will welcome four international professors, who will share their experiences, references, and working methodologies with students, proposing new ways of thinking about drawing, technologies, creative processes, space, biology, and artistic expression.
This initiative is part of the Department of Architecture, Arts and Design’s strategy to expand its international network, providing students with direct contact with lecturers, artists, and researchers from different countries and areas of expertise. This diversity highlights the department’s interdisciplinary dimension and the way architecture, arts, and design intersect with other fields of knowledge.
The program includes the participation of Dragomira Nikolova, a professor and researcher in the field of medical genetics, who will present the session “The impact of architecture on biology – space vs. psychology” on May 4. Her contribution proposes a reflection on the relationship between space, biology, and psychology, bridging architectural thinking with issues related to health, genetics, and human well-being.
On May 5 and 6, Alek Slon, a visual artist, curator, and university professor, will lead the session “Drawing as a living act”. With a practice that spans painting, drawing, video, and stop-motion animation, his work explores drawing as a living, expressive act connected to the construction of personal and collective imaginaries.
The week will also feature Onur Mengi, a professor in the Department of Industrial Design at Izmir University of Economics, Turkey, who will present “Design processes and methods for innovation design development and design-based strategies” on May 5 and 7. His session focuses on design processes, innovation methodologies, systems thinking, and strategies oriented toward social impact and value creation.
On May 6 and 7, Magda Fokt, a visual artist and university professor, will present “Abstract techniques while fostering their creative expression”. Her practice, developed through painting, collage, and relief, draws from the observation of landscapes and microstructures in nature to explore abstract languages and processes of creative expression.
The DAAD International Week 2026 thus represents an opportunity for students to engage with approaches different from those encountered in their academic routine, expanding their references, methods, and ways of questioning both design and artistic practice.
Student participation in this week will be considered as part of their academic activities, and participants will be excused from their regular classes during the event. More than a replacement of classes, this is an experience of international engagement, exchange, and critical learning.
