Connecting RISD with partner organizations across the broader worlds of art, design and scholarship, in Academic and Creative Partnerships we help bring to life mutually beneficial, collaborative research activities that address big questions about creativity, sustainability, social equity and innovation. Through these collaborations, our partners tap into creative processes and a deep understanding of advanced methods and materials that are integral to RISD, but often difficult to replicate in many corporate or institutional settings.

The collaborative projects we foster connect curiosity about the world with creative approaches and frameworks for problem solving. Our team challenges our partners to explore questions and processes alongside RISD students and faculty, toward generating new systems, knowledge and ways of working.

In partnering with us, organizations spanning a spectrum of industries discover the transformative value of RISD’s approach to hands-on learning and conceptual thinking. Through studios and a curriculum that emphasizes open-ended, iterative inquiry, ideas develop via engagement with peers and faculty, and work is refined through productive critique and feedback. In this manner, our partnership projects center on shared learning experiences that help build a culture of collaboration.

Learn more about Academic and Creative Partnerships