Join us at Brunel on the 27 January 2026 to celebrate the 40 Years of Brunel Design School at a special event organised in partnership with the Brazil Design Centre (Centro Brazil Design).
Part of the UK/Brazil Season of Culture by the British Council and Instituto Guimarães Rosa, the event will present the contemporary Brazilian design scene and the connections between Brunel Design School and the professional and academic design communities in Brazil.
Highlights include a commemorative talk and alumni presentations marking Brunel Design’s 40-year legacy, followed by Brunel x Brazil: Design for a Changing World, featuring speakers from leading Brazilian design organisations and a panel on the UK-Brazil collaboration in design.
The evening will conclude with the Industrial Review Evening and Portfolio Review, two exhibitions of cutting-edge design projects by the final-year undergraduate students at Brunel Design School.
All are welcome - join us to experience design, creativity, innovation and cultural exchange at this Brunel Design School’s global celebration.
Agenda
Section 01: 40th Anniversary of Brunel Design (16:00 – 17:30) Celebration of Heritage & Alumni Achievement
The event opens with a tribute to four decades of design excellence, featuring prestigious alumni and industry leaders.
- Welcome Address: Professor Andrew Jones, Vice-Chancellor, on the 40th Anniversary of Brunel Design and the upcoming University 60th Anniversary.
- Guest Speaker: Sha Janally, Technical Manager at Bentley Motors, will deliver a keynote talk reflecting on engineering excellence and innovation in the luxury automotive sector.
- Award Presentation: A special Purple Plaque unveiling for alumna Bella Reid, recognising her success as a designer and award winner and her contributions to design innovation.
Section 02: Focus on Brazil (17:30 – 19:00) Design for a Changing World
Co-organised with the Brazil Design Centre, this session highlights the creative links between the UK and Brazil.
- Keynote (Online): Leticia Castro, Executive Director of Centro Brasil Design, presenting the Design for a Better World (DFBW) Award.
- Panel Discussion – “Design/Research: Brazil-UK”: Moderated by Professor Vanja Garaj.
- Panelists: Cesar Pieri (Automotive Designer), Patrick Speck (Industrial Designer), Dr. Paula Westenberger (Brunel Law School), and Dr. Fabrizio Ceschin (Brunel Design School).
Exhibitions & Drinks (19:00 – 20:00) The evening concludes with two exclusive showcases:
- Industrial Review (Eastern Gateway Atrium): Undergraduate work-in-progress + "São Paulo 2050" collaborative projects.
Portfolio Review (Beldam Gallery): Digital Design and VFX graduate projects.