China University Union 4x4 Workshop Group

The Institute of Architecture as well as the Marcel Breuer Doctoral School of the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology of the University of Pécs have been collaborating with “China University Union”, an organization overarching 15 renowned universities and academies of art in China since 2013.

The "China University Union" is a professional interest group bringing together individual actors in higher education of architecture and architectural art internationally. Besides the exchange of experience and consulting educational concepts throughout China, their most important professional event is the "4x4" workshop, a joint program lasting throughout the semester. Each member institution nominates four students and four professors out of its instructors who meet to consult four times during the semester. According to the character of architectural design students delegated to the program first present an idea plan, then an outline design, and later an elaborate architectural proposal in accordance with the 4x4 logic.

Projects mostly work with real-world locations at the level of the diploma work. A jury of corporate leaders as well as professors evaluates students’ designs, so that the industry is integrated in the process accordingly.

The event is a great opportunity for prospective candidates of architecture for multiple reasons, as they get a chance to compare their knowledge with other students at an international level. Besides evaluating the diploma plans, the jury supports students with suggestions and useful information. Students giving an exceptional performance are recognized with an award.

Among these awards UP FEIT has offered its own scholarship to the selected student in the form of an opportunity to study at the Faculty’s English-language architecture training at a reduced tuition fee, as well as providing international job offers.

The work of the China University Union is coordinated by Professor Wang Tie, honorary professor of the University of Pécs. His home institution, Central Academy of Fine Arts is one of the guarantees of the quality of the program.

Other participating institutions - which represent frontier areas of interior design, landscape design, and environmental design – are highly important affiliations in the Faculty’s life because of their high-quality training and students.

Since the Institute of Architecture of UP FEIT was invited to join the group in 2013 as its first international participant, the Faculty has delegated its selected students to each workshop and they have presented their design at the relevant location in China. The fourth, final part of the program has been taking place since 2017, where our Faculty hosts representatives and selected students from participating universities.

The projects are presented at an exhibition at the end of the competition. As part of the jubilee event to mark the 650th anniversary of the University of Pécs, the closing workshop was organized in Pécs for the first time - a special occasion for the Faculty, since this was the event, which made the program internationally known.

Universities participating in the program:

Central Academy of Fine Arts
Tsinghua University
Tianjin Academy of Fine Art
Soochow University
Sichuan Fine Arts Institute
Shandong Normal University
Qingdao Technological University
Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology
Shandong Jianzhu University
Jilin Jianzhu University
Northeast Normal University
Beijing Forestry University
University of Stuttgart
Dalian Art College
Jilin University of Arts
Quanzhou University of Information Engineering
Communication University of Shanxi
Nanchang University
University of Pécs

Organizations participating in the program:

Shenzhen creation C- Foundation
China Building Decoration Association Committee of "China Decoration Cup" University
Student National Environmental Design Competition
Committee of China International Space Design Competition

Press reports:

2015:

„Historical Architecture Examination” project 2015

Mid-term Defense 2015

Final Defense 2015

2016:

"Beautiful Countryside Design" project 2016

2018:

Mid-term Defense 2018

2019:

Opening of the 2019 Innovation Fund

“Historical Architecture Examination” project 2019