1 Feb 2018
International design expert announced as next Dean of Loughborough Design School
One of the world’s leading design experts, Professor Cees de Bont has been announced as the new Dean of Loughborough University’s Design School.
With extensive academic and industrial experience, Professor de Bont will be joining the University in July.
He is currently Dean of the School of Design at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University(PolyU) – ranked as one of the top design schools in the world – and prior to that was the Dean of the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.
Professor de Bont’s research covers design education, consumer behaviour, innovation adoption, design methods and networked innovation. He has published extensively in international journals, including Design Studies, Design Issues, the Journal of Product Innovation Management, the International Journal of Cultural and Creative Industries and the Journal of Design, Business and Society.
Professor de Bont founded the Creative Industry Scientific Program (CRISP) and chaired the Dutch Innovation Centre for Electric Road Transport (D-incert). He was chair of the management committee of the Design Institute for Social Innovation (DISI) at PolyU and a member of the Board of Directors of the Hong Kong Design Centre and of PMQ, a creative design hub for design talents.
Speaking about his move to Loughborough Professor de Bont said: “I take pride in becoming the next Dean of the Loughborough Design School. The school has an excellent reputation and operates in a first-class university environment.”
Professor Chris Linton, Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Loughborough University, added: “We are delighted that the internationally acclaimed Professor de Bont will be joining the Loughborough family.
“He will bring with him a wealth of design experience, both academic and industrial, and ensure that our Design School – where more than 90% of our research is classed as internationally excellent or world-leading – continues to go from strength to strength."