Brunel Design will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a major “Focus on Brazil” event.
Brunel x Brazil: Talks and Exhibitions, co-organised with the Brazil Design Centre (Centro Brasil Design), will take place on Tuesday, 27th January 2026 at Brunel’s Eastern Gateway and Beldam Gallery and include a showcase of the contemporary design scene in Brazil and the connections between Brunel Design School and the Brazilian professional and academic design communities, the presentation of an Innovate UK award to a Brunel Design alumna and two exhibitions of the next-generation student design talent.
The event will highlight the Brunel Design School’s international outlook by forming part of the UK/Brazil Season of Culture. The cultural season, a collaboration between the British Council and Instituto Guimarães Rosa (IGR), under the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, commemorates the 200th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between the UK and Brazil through a wide range of cultural exchange activities from August 2025 to June 2026.
The afternoon and evening will comprise three sessions: a celebration of Brunel University’s rich design heritage, a deep dive into the Brazilian design and its creative links with Brunel Design School and a two-exhibition display of student design work.
Part 01: 40 Years of Brunel Design (16:00-17:00)
The celebration will be opened by Professor Andrew Jones, Vice-Chancellor of Brunel University of London, with a welcome talk about the 40th Anniversary of Brunel Design in 2025 and an introduction to the University’s 60th Anniversary in 2026. This session will also feature a Purple Plaque presentation to Bella Reid from Innovate UK, as well as two insightful talks by distinguished Brunel Design School alumni.
Part 02: Brunel x Brazil: Design for a Changing World (17:00-18:30)
This session will focus on the Brazilian design and the Brunel Design School’s collaborative work with Brazil. The session will be introduced by Dr Busayawan Lam, Head of Brunel Design School.
The speakers online will be Leticia Castro, the Superintendent Director of Centro Brasil Design, who will present the centre’s prestigious international Design for a Better World (DFBW) Award and a series of winning entries over the past few years, Dr Gisele Raulik Murphy, a Partner in the Brazilian design agency DUCO Design and an alumna of Brunel Design, who will reflect on her journey from being a design student at Brunel to managing a creative business in Brazil and Dr Bruna Petreca, Reader in Human Experience and Materials, Centre for Materials Science & Culture, Royal College of Art who will talk about the sustainable fashion in Brazil.
The session will conclude with a panel discussion titled: “Design/Research: Brazil-UK,” exploring the current state of design and design research in Brazil and the links with Brunel Design School and the UK. The panel will be moderated by Professor Vanja Garaj and feature the Brazilian design leaders Cesar Pieri (Automotive Designer) and Patrick Speck (Industrial Designer), alongside the academic research experts Dr Ricardo O’Nascimento (Royal College of Art), Dr Paula Westenberger (Brunel Law School) and Dr Fabrizio Ceschin (Brunel Design School).
Drawing the parallels with the design landscape in the UK, the discussion will explore the latest design trends in Brazil, ranging from the country’s globally leading approaches to the design for sustainability to the design for tech, professional design practice and design education and research in the Brazilian context.
Part 03: Exhibitions (18:30-20:00)
The evening will culminate in two exhibitions:
01) Industrial Review Evening (Eastern Gateway Atrium): The annual exhibition of the graduate work in progress by the final-year undergraduate students on the Brunel Design School’s BA Industrial Design, BSc Design and BSc Product Design Engineering programmes.
02) Portfolio Review (Beldam Gallery): A dynamic exhibition of the developing graduate projects by the final-year students on the BSc Digital Design and BSc Visual Effects and Motion Graphics programmes.
The event will be attended by a representative of the Brazilian Embassy in London.
“For 40 years, Brunel Design has been a pioneer in design education and research and this event is a fitting celebration of that legacy,” said Dr Busayawan Lam, Head of Brunel Design School. “Our ‘Focus on Brazil’ event weaves together our past, present and future, highlighting how international collaboration is the essential approach for designing in a complex, changing world. We are incredibly honoured to host such distinguished guests from Brazil and to showcase the brilliant, forward-thinking work of our students and alumni.”
Professor Vanja Garaj, Professor of Design and Director of Research for Brunel Design School, said: “Brazil has an incredible design legacy and a booming contemporary design scene. Brunel Design has been collaborating with Brazilian designers and design academia on a variety of projects for a long time and we are delighted to be able to present to the UK the best-of-the-best of the Brazilian design and some of these collaborative activities on the special occasion of our school's 40th birthday.”
About Brunel Design School
Since 1985, Brunel Design School at Brunel University of London has been one of the world’s leading centres for design education and research. Renowned for its strong industry links, practice-based approach and focus on human-centred design, the school produces graduates who go on to lead and transform the global design industry.
About Brazil Design Centre (Centro Brasil Design)
Centro Brasil Design (CBD) is one of the main drivers of the design and innovation ecosystem in Brazil. Founded in 1999, CBD was created with the mission of connecting people, government sectors, businesses and creatives, promoting competitiveness and sustainable development in the Brazilian society.
About the UK/Brazil Season of Culture 2025/2026
The UK/Brazil Season of Culture 2025-26 is a year-long cultural exchange between the two countries that showcases the diverse and vibrant arts sectors of both nations. The season marks 200 years of diplomatic relations and is designed to strengthen and build cultural connections between the UK and Brazil. It is a joint initiative between the British Council and Brazil’s Instituto Guimarães Rosa (IGR). The artistic programme across both countries encompasses theatre, film, dance, music, literature, visual arts and design and features a series of talks and academic conferences.
For more information on the UK/Brazil Season of Culture, please visit the British Council Brazil’s official events page.