By Vesa Rantanen, doing his exchange period at OCAD, Toronto

I currently study in exchange program at Integrated Media in OCAD University in Toronto, Canada.
OCAD has huge depth and breadth in visual arts and design programs. Emphasis on imagination, functionality and critical inquiry, OCAD is -by far- the most distinguished art and design school in Canada.

OCAD (Ontario College of Art and Design) University

Also, for me it is the foremost high-flying and demanding school I have ever been to. Studying here is all about getting your feet wet, rationalizing your work, and critical engagement in design.

School
OCAD´s way of approach to design differs a lot from TAMK´s. First, OCAD is a university and thus, more academic. BA students take courses in social studies (i.e..culture anthropology, psychology) and have more theory courses in general. In addition, projects involve more research, reasoning and written process work. At the end  of the day, it is more important to justify your decisions, clarify the process to others, rationalize your design and demonstrate the functionality of it. Also it is important to know how to place yourself in the creative field, how it affects you and vice versa.
Design itself is, in some assignments, only a fraction of the final mark.

From the magazine Vesa has made at OCAD with the topic"Observations of an outsider in Toronto"

OCAD is very demanding in terms of professional way of approach to everything students produce. Half-baked work is automatically a fail (of course, a subject of consideration by professors). Students are constantly pushed to go beyond their comfort zone. Result is prominent; classes full of confident, talented young designers and artist who produce new, high-quality material all the time.
Amount of classes available is overwhelming. From 3D printing to nano publishing and guerrilla entrepreneurship, focused courses specialize to basically anything you feel like wanting.

Unconventional learning methods are widely supported. Like exquisite corpses, where one day, all of a sudden, professor mixes up everyone’s work by saying "Hand your work to the person sitting next to you".  Then students take up where the initial designer left and continue from there.
Not always the methods are that progressive and insightful; In my 3D print class, professor announced, that in two weeks, each of us should know our ways around in Rhinoceros 3D software, which is beyond complicated. And learn it by ourselves.

From the magazine Vesa has made at OCAD with the topic "Observations of an outsider in Toronto"

Tempo of work is high. In my first classes, I did not realize that the assignments given we´re for next week. Telling by the amount of work, I thought they were coursework's for which there would be three months of time to work.

Sounds rough, huh? It is. On the other hand, I have learned a lot of crucial and essential information a designer should have.  Also I have produced more work in few months than I did the last whole year.

Toronto
Canada holds some weird prejudices, that are, for sure, out of date.
Lumberjacks with flannel shirts on, chasing beavers? Ice hockey players with no teeth, constantly saying Ehhhh? Maple syrup on top of everything?
Canada is one of the most progressive countries in the world. Canadians are pioneers when it comes to art and design. They influence from the diverse nature and it shows. Canada embraces it ́s nature as well as preserves it. Even though the biggest imperium of twentieth-century lives right next door, Canadians keep to themselves. I founded that as something very positive. Canada is not the hat of the US. It is it´s own, prosperous and progressive country with amazing, laid-back people.

Toronto

For now, I have been too busy to travel outside of Toronto, but I don´t mind. Toronto is Canada´s biggest city with approximately 3 million people (6 million in GTA).  A major north-American metropolitan city has everything a young fellow can wish for; lively music scene, bars, cultural happenings. A rich and vivid street culture in general.


For those, who might be looking for a prospective exchange at OCAD, go for it! Yet, keep in mind not to book too much stuff for the time in here. School work takes a lot, so prepare to spend long hours and weekends working (some classes end at 10:30pm anyways). Then again, you will -for sure- walk out of the school as a better designer you were before coming here.

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The author is a student of our International Media Programme
Read more about student exchange
Read more stories by and about IMPs, the Media students
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By Aino Yrjänä, doing her exchange period at Konkuk University in Seoul

Itaewon, my home neighborhood, view from my bus stop

It has been now a bit over two months since I departured from Finland. It feels surreal. Another two months and it's time for my final reports. I have been attending classes now a bit over a month and it's been very interesting for me. It is totally different from Finnish educational system with its pros and cons, of course. I have been generally happy with my studies. I have gained more academic knowledge under Communication Design than I could hope in the beginning of my semester. This was one of my learning goal. I have learned a lot from other students of my major (and from others in general) by observing and getting to know them.

180 exchange students of Konkuk University fall semester

I have been also eager to learn Korean language, one of my main learning goals as well. Hangul (Korean alphabet) is definitely learnable, but you need to do your own extra work on it on your free time, maybe with the help of Korean friends. Last week we have mid-terms, I will see how I have been developing. This is one more good reason to go out to streets, cafes and restaurants to practice my basis of Korean language. I have noticed that I learn the best way by doing or repeating what I want to learn. Independent studying and connections with Korean students have been vital to me to learn Hangul.

Spot Aino from the subway crowd

My learning goal towards Target Country was to get to know Korean culture and society has been developing very well beside my academical goals. I have been lucky to travel in many different cities of South Korea. I have also attended different events and festivals around the country for locals and foreigners. By meeting new people, I have been enlightened almost every day. It's been very awarding to spend my time here.

On top of a peak of Mt. Bukhansan. Behind tiny, tiny Seoul.

I'm living off-campus with two Korean women so I get to be part of the local culture during most of my stay here. I have been introduced to Korean cuisine and its traditions, tea culture and Korean spiritual traditions among many other things. I have learned a lot with my roommates. We have our differences but I feel grateful to learn new things every day. I live in an area where's lot of immigrants living called Itaewon district, but in my neighborhood of nearby blocks lives only Koreans – mainly elderly people. I guess I could ramble many pages about Korean grandmothers. I am forever fearing and respecting them, tough ladies. If they open their home and heart to you, you will learn and gain so much understanding towards their culture.

Attending Bike & Rhythm Festival in city of Gwangju

I have been blessed to have warm-hearted people around me, locals and exchange students. I experienced minor cultural shock when I arrived, which still rises its head sometimes, but I assume it is because I have never been in any Asian country before. To me it's weird that people really stare at you most of the time. They won't look away even though you would look back. Maybe only when you make funny faces.. Some people also have touched me without asking my permission or without approaching me beforehand. I also feel sometimes like a celebrity by having so many pictures taking with or without my knowledge. Having fair looks can be nice here, you definitely get the extra attention, but when you have a bad day or it's just getting old, you really should stop for a minute – breathe – and try to remember all the good things about your target country and try to put things into perspective. Humor also gets you through a lot of things. Life is not that bad after all, you know!

Autumn finally arriving to Konkuk University

I truly think every single person on Earth should go to live for awhile in completely opposite culture of their native culture. It will open your eyes, gain some gratitude and compassion to others and most importantly gain some understanding towards other people - what in my opinion we mostly need more in this world. Even though my journey to South Korea is mainly academic, I feel strongly that it's also very spiritual journey to me.

I highly recommend people go to exchange or have their internship abroad if they have the opportunity!

Best wishes,
x Aino
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The author is a student of our International Media Programme
Read more about student exchange

Read more stories by and about IMPs, the Media students
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Story and photos: Riikka Gröndahl and Mari Ljokkoi
Twenty-six art students gathered in Tallinn in Let’s Make Some Noise workshop. Workshop took place in the end of August. Participants came from five different countries in Europe and from South Korea, Turkey and Israel. During the week the participants presented their own artistic practice, gave each other feedback and mingled. One aim of the workshop was to create a collective performance to Polymer art festival.

Making the place for the performance smaller

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