We are pleased to announce Walter Chan as the second Design Trust Graphic Archive Research Fellow. Walter is a researcher in arts, heritage and visual culture based in Hong Kong. He studied English and archaeology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and University College London respectively. He founded Libertas Culture Studio to serve local communities by providing consultancy on research, and facilitating public workshops on arts, culture, and somatic practices. Walter formerly worked at Hong Kong museums and institutions such as University Museum and Art Gallery of the University of Hong Kong, where he curated exhibitions featuring visual and material culture, including Buddhist art and Chinese ceramics. In partnership with professional conservation practitioners, Walter co-directed cultural and historical research on rural livelihood at Yin Kong village, and published "The Swallow Comes Home: The Heritage of Yin Kong".
Open Call for Design Trust Graphic Archive Research Fellowship (third term) and Announcement of second term Fellow
1. 8. 2025
Application for the third term Design Trust Graphic Archive Research Fellowship, in partnership with HKDI, is now open until September 5th 2025. The fellowship programme supports one fellow per year for a 6-month fellowship period to conduct research on the history and development of graphic design, publishing and advertising from the 1940s to the 1980s in Hong Kong to unfold the transition of ‘commercial art’ as a trade to ‘graphic design’ as a profession. The fellow will work closely with the Graphic Archive of HKDI, a reference library that preserves, records, and makes available graphic design artefacts of historical significance for teaching and research purposes while tracing the evolution of Hong Kong’s graphic design profession from the past to the present day. The fellow will also be supported by a group of world-renowned experts to advance the research to a wider regional and international audience.
Eligibility
Applicants are required to have attained the following qualifications:
- a degree qualification in communication design, graphic design, visual communication, design history, design culture and theory, art history, curatorial practices or a related discipline, preferably with a post-graduate qualification;
- at least three years of working experience in a related area including a combination of design practice, teaching, research, and/or exhibitions;
- excellent research and writing skills;
- demonstrated experience in at least one of these areas: (1) graphic design (2) exhibition design (3) curatorial work (4) teaching; and,
- legal status (citizenship or visa) to base in Hong Kong for the whole fellowship period.
Stipend
The project budget for each Fellow is a total of HKD400,000 including stipend for the six-month fellowship period and a production fee for a publication, a small-scale display, and the production of a teaching and learning package.
Third Fellowship Period
Nov 2025–April 2026
Deliverables
At the end of the Fellowship period, each Fellow is required to deliver:
- A text of minimum 5,000 words for exhibition purposes. (format: a coherent juxtaposition of images and text presented in book format)
- A small-scale display of artefacts juxtaposed coherently with didactic texts, in collaboration with Design Trust’s public programmes.
- A collection of artefacts catalogued. (format: a digital database with scanned images, metadata and textual descriptions shared on a cloud service)
- A teaching and learning package at higher diploma level (format: at QF level 4; open; as printed worksheets/kit, webpages, videos, slide decks, as the fellow sees fit)
- A public presentation and talk
Review Process
The fellowship will be awarded on a competitive basis by a selection panel chaired by Hong Kong Design Institute comprising representatives from Design Trust, Hong Kong Design Institute as well as invited experts. After the initial screening process, shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview.
How to Apply
Interested applicants please submit the following items via email to Ms Kiki Yau at hkdi-ccd@vtc.edu.hk with the email subject “Application for Research Fellow” by September 5th 2025:
- A one-page letter of intent
- A full curriculum vitae showing education background, employment history, publications and exhibition record
- Two academic references from previous teachers or employers
- A portfolio of previous research, writing, graphic design, or curatorial work
- A 1,000-word research outline on your proposed research topic that falls within the overarching research theme (i.e. packaging, advertising or publishing)
Please prepare the above documents in English. Use of Traditional Chinese for supplementary purposes is welcomed.
Submit as five separate PDF documents named in this format:
Surname_GivenName_1_letter
Surname_GivenName_2_cv
Surname_GivenName_3_references
Surname_GivenName_4_portfolio
Surname_GivenName_5_outline
Notification
Interviews will be held during September 2025. Results will be announced by October 2025. Applicants not notified within four weeks from the application deadline may consider their application unsuccessful. Design Trust and Hong Kong Design Institute reserve the right not to fill the post.
*Please note that the appointed Fellow will not be considered a full-time employee of Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) nor the Vocational Training Council (VTC).
Contact
If you have any questions about the application process, please contact hkdi-ccd@vtc.edu.hk
About Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI)
Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI), as one of the member institutions under the VTC Group, is one of the most influential design institutions in Hong Kong. It provides high-quality education to cultivate knowledge and professionalism, nurturing design talents to support Hong Kong’s creative industry development.
With years of experience in design education, HKDI brings together the strengths of its design departments – Architecture, Interior and Product Design, Communication Design, Digital Media and Fashion and Image Design – to provide over 20 full-time design programmes, preparing students for work-readiness with socially conscious solutions to meet the demand of the 21st century workplace.
HKDI strives to provide flexible and diversified pathways from Higher Diploma to one-year Bachelor degrees conferred by reputable universities in the UK, or degree programmes offered by local universities, as well as continuing education programmes leading to postgraduate qualifications. Through an established network with over 40 overseas design institutions, HKDI students are connected to the world through international exchange and project collaboration.
About Graphic Archive
The Graphic Archive at the Hong Kong Design Institute is a reference library that preserves, records, and makes available graphic design artefacts of historical significance for teaching and research purposes. Through learning and teaching activities, research studies and exhibitions, the Graphic Archive aims to interrogate artefacts, identify practices, investigate contexts, generate insights that would enable us to innovate for the future. With contributions from designers and collectors, the Archive’s collections trace the evolution of Hong Kong’s graphic design profession from the 1930s to the present day.