AU’s European-style dome landmark prominently featured on the ISARCH Award official website
Asia University ranks 10th globally, with its European-style dome landmark photo prominently featured on the official ISARCH Award website
Asia University, Taiwan (AU) has achieved remarkable success at the 2024 ISARCH AWARD, an international design competition held in Spain. Out of thousands of submissions from 65 countries, 32 AU students received honors across 12 awarded projects, earning 3 Bronze Awards and 9 Excellence Awards. These accomplishments placed AU 10th in the world and 1st in Taiwan. Notably, a photo of the university’s iconic European-style dome building was also highlighted on the official ISARCH Award website alongside top universities from around the world, bringing pride to Taiwan on the global stage.
AU President Jeffrey J.P. Tsai noted that since the establishment of the College of Creative Design in 2007, the university has continuously encouraged students to participate in international creative design competitions, consistently achieving impressive results recognized and supported by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education. The ISARCH Award, comparable in prestige to Germany’s iF and Red Dot Design Awards, is one of the competitions eligible for Ministry of Education funding. For ten consecutive years, Asia University has ranked No. 1 among Taiwanese universities in the number of international design competition awards, significantly boosting student confidence and motivation, while also enhancing their competitiveness in the job market.
AU Vice President and Dean of the College of Creative Design Prof. Chi-Hsiung Chen explained that the ISARCH Award, founded by Spain’s ISARCH organization in 2001, honors excellence in six major fields: architecture, product design, graphic design, fashion, digital media, and art. The award targets both professional design firms and outstanding students, aiming to recognize leading architects, designers, and artists, while discovering and nurturing emerging innovators.
Bronze award recipient Lu Ya-Chu, from the Department of Digital Media Design, shared her poster titled “Crisis on the Plate”, which depicts sea creatures entangled in net-like patterns on a plate—symbolizing the ecological crisis caused by human overfishing driven by consumption. She expressed that winning the ISARCH Award has been an inspiring experience and a strong motivator to continue pursuing excellence in design.
Industrial Design majors Cho Yi-Shan and Lin Yi-Chen, also Bronze Award winners, presented “EEG Ambient Light”, a smart lighting concept responsive to users' brainwaves. The design incorporates e-textile sensors that record sleep brainwave activity and adjust the lighting accordingly. Paired with a sleep management app, it helps users monitor and improve sleep quality.
Interior Design student Chen Yu-Han, who also earned a Bronze Award, created “Tao Yuan”, an interactive ceramic workshop space where visitors can engage in the transformative process of pottery-making, mirroring changes in one’s inner state. She expressed deep gratitude to her advisor Prof. Liu Shih-Yuan for offering guidance and inspiring a new way of thinking about design and detail during junior-year courses.
Asia University celebrates winning 12 ISARCH AWARDs, placing 1st in Taiwan, with President Jeffrey J.P. Tsai (front row, fifth from left) posing with award-winning students and faculty mentors