Background

The Danish Centre for Design Research was established in 2003 based on an evaluation of the design degree programmes under the Ministry of Culture in 2000, which recommended an increased emphasis on design research at the schools of design and architecture. As the umbrella organisation for the schools' design research, the Danish Centre for Design Research is charged with forming networks that include the schools as well as other relevant organisations and the private sector.

University status

As university institutions, the schools of architecture offer research-based bachelor's and master's programmes in architecture and design. The Danish Centre for Design Research is to assist the schools in their efforts to strengthen design research as a basis for their research-based education.

The design schools aim to establish strong research environments with a view to achieving university status and thus the ability to train bachelors and masters, as the schools of architecture do. The Danish Centre for Design Research contributes to this process, among other things by coordinating the development of design research, disseminating research results and initiating new research projects.

Research evaluation

In 2010, the design research at the schools of architecture and design is up for evaluation. This evaluation will determine whether the research at the design schools displays the required quality, and whether the research environments have sufficient volume to qualify the schools for university status.