Imagining Tomorrow International 2026

Imagining Tomorrow International is a global seminar where students from various universities collaborate both online and offline to tackle complex social and cultural challenges through co-creation. Participants explore critical and challenging issues in the context of sustainability, well-being, technology, mobility, or education. Throughout the seminar, students engage with real-world problems that align with the missions of public and private organizations, conducting research to envision and articulate future scenarios for these organizations. The visions developed by the students provide valuable insights and innovative solutions, empowering organizations to address these intricate problems more effectively.

International universities and disciplines

In the seminar, approximately 125 students from various international art, design and business schools collaborate in multidisciplinary teams. Each team, composed of around five art, design and management students, is guided by international coaches. By leveraging insights from design thinking, artistic methods, creative problem solving, and social design, these teams develop their own research design that is experimental, innovative, embodied, and material. There are no set rules for how teams must visualize their future visions for the organizations; they have the freedom to express their ideas through various forms, including performance, film, animation, installation, objects, prototypes, graphic design, or any combination of these media.

Seminar

The seminar takes place both online and at KASK Gent (Belgium) and is co-funded through the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme. The seminar begins with two online preparatory sessions in December 2025, where students have the opportunity to get to know each other and familiarize themselves with the assignments provided by the client organizations. The on-site program will run from January 21 to 30, 2026, at KASK Gent (Belgium). During these 10 days, teams also spend time working directly with the client organizations to foster co-creation and collaboration. The seminar includes a variety of activities, such as online expert classes and field trips to various locations. The final day features an exhibition where the teams present their work to clients, lecturers, coaches, students, and the general public. Imagining Tomorrow International concludes with an online evaluation session.

During these 10 days, teams also spend time working directly with the client organizations to foster co-creation and collaboration. The seminar includes a variety of activities, such as online expert classes and field trips to various locations. The final day features an exhibition where the teams present their work to clients, lecturers, coaches, students, and the general public. Imagining Tomorrow International concludes with an online evaluation session.

Important dates

Online preparatory session 1: Monday 15 December 2025, 9:00-10:00
Online preparatory session 2: Tuesday 16 December 2025, 9:00-10:00
Physical seminar (at School of Arts Gent/KASK-Conservatory): 21-30 January 2026 fulltime
Online evaluation and conclusion: Wednesday 12 February 2026, 9:00-10:00

Participating universities

Participating clients

Participating clients till now

• Museum Kamp Amersfoort
• TwynstraGudde
• KWF Dutch Cancer Society
• Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, and the Municipality of Utrecht
• ZKM Center for Art and Media, Karlsruhe, Germany
• Reet Aus, Sustainable Fashion Studio, Tallinn, Estonia
• Anne Frank Foundation, Berlin, Germany
• International Red Cross, The Hague, Netherlands
• The City of Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
• The Beach, community-based design agency, Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Local2Local, sustainable food production services, Utrecht, Netherlands
• OBA, Amsterdam Public Library, Netherlands
• Rescaled met Veronica Achaoui
• NS Stations, Nederlands
• KF Heinfonds, Utrecht, Netherlands
• RAUM, Utrecht, Netherlands

Study credits

3 ECTS

Contact

Do you want more information about this seminar? Please contact Erwin Slegers, erwin.slegers@hku.nl

Feedback students and lecturers

Leonard van Oord, 3rd year student HKU University of the Arts, BA Art and Economics

“In that collaboration of people, who are so different from each other and for that reason also complementary, came about one of the most interesting collaborations I have ever participated in. The makers and artists look at completely different aspects of a problem or solution that would be completely overlooked in a more rational approach. Many of the more 'soft' things that are often vital for the success of a change. They not only think about what the solution should be, but also how it should look and feel for not one, but all stakeholders. In collaboration with Art and Economics students, the feasibility of the solutions is not forgotten. In this way, something disruptive/creative follows that is actually feasible.”

Irene Pouw, Community Manager Red Cross Princess Margriet Fund

“International Imagining Tomorrow is a very fun and inspiring event! Not only for the students, but also for us as a client. It is special to see how students know how to transform our complex questions into the core and how they can create very unique concepts in a very short time.

The students went to work with great enthusiasm and really surprised us with relevant and out-of-the-box ideas. We will definitely look at how we can process their input.”

Juklia Wutzier, student of Prof. Stephan Sonnenburg

"Imagining tomorrow was an amazing experience. I met so many wonderful people from the Netherlands, India, Japan and the United States and I really loved the creative atmosphere, that was everywhere."

Friedemann Bauknecht, student of Prof. Stephan Sonnenburg

"It was a unique experience to engage in a creative project with international team members you didn't know in advance. Together with the high multidisciplinarity, due to the many different study programs, we had a wide range of perspectives who led to a more creative outcome. Besides, we had a lot of fun with our teams, during our trips to Den Haag or Rotterdam and could learn a lot interculturally but also personally. I am glad having been part of this!"