Created by the University of Bristol in partnership with Education UK and the British Council, Dynamic Designs challenged teams of South Korean students to design and build an earthquake-resistant building. The aim of the competition was to give prospective international students an interactive experience of a UK education. It also gave students the opportunity to work on a ‘real life’ scenario and develop skills that are sought after by employers. These skills include teamwork, creative thinking, problem solving, project management, delivering presentations, marketing, finance and utilising their English language skills.

The competition had two stages:

			On-line stage: The first stage was held on-line, where teams could submit their design proposals, which included the structural design, the cost, the architectural appearance and the social, environmental and economic benefits to the region. The on-line stage allowed teams to pose questions in English and obtain valuable feedback on their designs from the experts at the University of Bristol.
			Final stage: The second stage of the competition was held on 23 July 2009 in Pusan, Korea, which involved teams of students constructing their model building, pitching their design proposal to a panel of judges in English and testing their model on an earthquake simulator. A number of UK design and business studies students from Hertfordshire University and the University of Wales Institute Cardiff, funded by the PMI2 Connect international mobility of UK students scheme, also attended the live final and voted for the model they thought would survive an earthquake.

Prizes were given to the followings teams:

			Overall winner: Archineer from Yonsei University
			Best presentation: Fortress from Ajou University
			Most efficient model building: Sensation from Hanyang University

Media coverage for the campaign in Korea was significant, reaching over 50 million people via press and television coverage.

Teams expressed how the competition was fun, but also valuable in terms of documenting the experience within their curriculum vitae. Here’s what some student participants had to say:

			'It was amazing and fun to meet friends from different universities from various regions.'
			'This experience will allow me to provide evidence of my abilities after graduation for either postgraduate study or for a job.'

For more information, visit the Dynamic Designs website.