Re-make: make (something) again or differently.
Why was China the world’s largest importer of waste until it stopped in 2019? How has the globalized economic system contributed to social inequality, exploitation of labor and a billion tons of waste annually? To address this global challenge, we look locally at communities in Shanghai and propose relevant solutions for their needs via service learning projects. Students will learn directly from local residents, workers and government officials how waste is managed and investigate and explore innovative ways to transform discarded materials into potential products in areas such as art, graphic and industrial design, architecture, fashion, textiles, and etc. Through research and development, students will collaborate to develop a critical understanding of sustainability and learn how traditional techniques and new technologies among the sustainable design philosophy can be utilized as powerful tools for addressing social and environmental problems. At the end of the course, students will gain their own definition of value and preciousness, enhance social responsibility and citizenship skills and become more self-directed in their intellectual and creative growth.