Design advocate honoured
Fri, 18 Nov 2016 15:08:00 GMT
Kigge Hvid received an Honorary Doctorate of the University for services to design and sustainability
IN September 2012, visitors to the University of Huddersfield’s campus were engrossed by an open-air exhibition that featured 60 innovations from inventors and designers across the world. It had already travelled to Singapore, Germany and Luxembourg and after Huddersfield – its first ever UK stopover – it would journey to Hong Kong.
Now, the Danish design visionary who heads the organisation behind the renowned travelling exhibition has received an Honorary Doctorate of the University, where she has been a member of the advisory board of its School of Art, Design and Architecture.
Kigge Mai Hvid has led INDEX: Design to Improve Life since its foundation in 2001. It is a Danish non-profit organisation with global reach, which inspires, educates and engages in the design of sustainable solutions to global challenges. The INDEX: Awards are among the most prestigious in the world.
The honorary doctorate was conferred at one of the sequence of awards ceremonies taking place at the University of Huddersfield during a week that saw almost 1,500 students receive their degrees.
When she spoke, Kigge revealed that it was her first degree of any kind and thanked the University for the honour.
An oration was delivered by Professor Mike Kagioglou, who is the Dean of Art, Design and Architecture. He outlined Kigge’s career and how she had been driven by passion for design and social justice since an early age.
The INDEX organisation has influenced design sectors worldwide, said Professor Kagioglou. “It is clear that Kigge truly believes design can change people’s lives,” he added, and described how her expertise and advice is in high demand globally. For example, she a member of the World Economic Forum Expert Network.
“She has made a significant contribution to ensuring that surface and product designs have a social and humanitarian impact. That is why we are awarding the Honorary Doctorate”, concluded Professor Kagioglou.
In her response, Kigge Mai Hvid traced the source of her inspiration and belief in the power of design and concluded by stating: “I promise you that I will do anything within my ability to respond to the challenges and possibilities in the world now and in the future.
