BINUS UNIVERSITY successfully hosted Intercultural Dialogue through Design (iDiDe) 2015 which was conducted from January 30 to February 06. The Intercultural Dialogue through Design (iDiDe) is an international design workshop with a transcultural themed agenda achieved through immersive cultural (in-country) experience and cross-national collaboration. The design education program involves students from a number of institutions: BINUS UNIVERSITY, Deakin University Australia and the International Islamic University of Malaysia working in collaborative studio groups with academics, architects and practice offices offering host mentorship. It was primarily set to explore the contemporary architectural designs and practices within the context of globalization through a dialogue among students from different cultural backgrounds.

Students from the three universities have been placed together in groups and each group is required to design a Communal Plaza and Facility at the Betawi Cultural Village “Setu Babakan”, which is currently being developed in the south of Jakarta. Over the past six days, the students learned about the concept to model their designs, including a site visit to the village. The design outcomes were then being exhibited for public viewing. High officials from the Australian and Malaysian Embassy attended the exhibition and expressed their amazement at how fruitful the project has resulted to be. Everyone who took part in the program was also very pleased with the rewarding outcomes of the program.