On March 2, 2026, as a prelude to the Suzhou Industrial Park International Joint Design Workshop, faculty and students from the University of Pennsylvania School of Design, the National University of Singapore's College of Design and Engineering, and Tongji University's College of Architecture and Urban Planning gathered in Shanghai for academic exchange and urban exploration. The undergraduate graduation design team in Urban and Rural Planning at Tongji, led by Professor Wang Lan and Associate Professor Liu Bochu, participated in this event.

At the start, Professor Philip F. Yuan, Dean of Tongji's College of Architecture and Urban Planning, warmly welcomed the visiting guests. He emphasized that cross-cultural and interdisciplinary joint design is crucial for cultivating students' ability to address complex contemporary urban issues, expressing hope for fruitful collaboration in the upcoming workshop.

Subsequently, Professor Jeffery Lin from the University of Pennsylvania and Associate Professor H. Koon Wee from the National University of Singapore delivered speeches, thanking Tongji for the hospitality and expressing high expectations for the joint workshop. They stressed the significance of cross-school and cross-cultural exchanges in driving disciplinary development.

The group conducted field research at locations like Xuhui West Bund, M50 Creative Park, Sihang Warehouse and Ti'an Qianshu focusing on urban renewal, waterfront design, and historic building preservation. Through these visits, students deepened their understanding of Shanghai's urban evolution and gathered ideas for the upcoming workshop.

Next, the faculty and students will head to Suzhou Industrial Park to engage in joint design exploration with peers from Southeast University and Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University.