About The Cumulus Association
Cumulus is the leading global association of art and design education and research, connecting 395 member institutions across 71 countries. It serves as a dynamic ecosystem for internationalization, knowledge exchange, and collaboration in art and design pedagogy, research, and practice. Cumulus aims to elevate the positive role of designers and artists in creating sustainable and humane futures for all.
About Cumulus Conference 2025 | Johannesburg | South Africa 26-28 November
Hosted by the University of Johannesburg in collaboration with the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, the bi-annual Cumulus Conference returns to the African continent under the theme: Design Intelligence and the Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR).
This double-blind peer-reviewed conference will explore the evolving role of design in the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the emerging 5IR. As technological advancement transforms how we live, work, and learn, the conference invites designers, educators, and researchers to critically reflect on the role of Design Intelligence in shaping human-centred, ethically driven, and collaborative futures.
While 4IR is driven by automation and data, 5IR prioritises the integration of human values with technology. This conference provides a platform to interrogate how design can lead in building more humane, personalised, and sustainable systems where people and machines work in harmony.
Join us in Johannesburg, a city of innovation and resilience, to engage with global perspectives and local insights at the intersection of design, education, and technological evolution.
About the University of Johannesburg
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) was established in 2005 following a landmark merger between the Rand Afrikaans University, the Technikon Witwatersrand, and the Vista University Soweto Campus. This bold restructuring laid the foundation for a new kind of South African university—one that embodies transformation, accessibility, and academic excellence.
Since its inception, UJ has grown into a dynamic, multicultural, and inclusive institution with a student body of over 50,000, including more than 3,000 international students from over 80 countries. As one of the largest contact universities in South Africa, UJ plays a leading role in the country’s higher education landscape.
Located in the heart of Johannesburg, UJ reflects the energy, diversity, and ambition of the city it calls home. Proudly South African and deeply rooted in Africa, the university is committed to realising the potential of higher education for the development of the continent.
About The Cape Peninsula University of Technology
The Cape Peninsula University of Technology is at the heart of technology education and innovation in Africa. An internationally acclaimed institution, it is the only university of technology in the Western Cape and is the largest university in the region with an enrolment of more than 30 000 students.
The university has six faculties offering a wide range of accredited undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the fields of Applied Sciences, Business and Management Sciences, Education, Engineering & the Built Environment, Informatics and Design as well as Health and Wellness Sciences.
Prof Federico Freschi
Executive Dean
Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture at the University of Johannesburg
Prof Neshane Harvey
Vice Dean – Research and Internationalization
Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture at the University of Johannesburg
Prof Desiree Smal
Vice-Dean: Teaching and Learning
Associate Professor in Fashion Design at the University of Johannesburg
Monica Di Ruvo
HoD: Applied Design
Faculty of Informatics and Design at Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Pieter Jacobs
Head of Division
UJ Arts & Culture Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture at the University of Johannesburg
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