New design school described as "laboratory for our global future" opens to postgraduate students

Promotion: the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) has launched the Aral School, a new ecological education programme open to applications until 5 October.

ACDF's chairperson and Aral School founder Gayane Umerova described the school's goal as "tackling crucial global topics that require visionary responses from the next generation of creative and transdisciplinary talent".

Announced by bioregional designer and Aral School programme director Jan Boelen during the World Design Congress event in London, the six-month course will take place in Nukus, Uzbekistan.

The course is open to postgraduate students in architecture, design and additional disciplines such as craft, biotechnology and computer science.

The initial cohort will take part from January to June 2026 in what Boelen described as a "laboratory for our global future" to urgently develop ecological, cultural and economic solutions within the Aral Sea region.

The Aral Sea, an inland saltwater lake once the size of Switzerland, has been reduced to approximately 10 per cent of its original size since the 1960s.

By the 1980s, it had shrunk to less than half of its original size, and by 2007, the northeastern portion of the sea had dried up, causing catastrophic loss of biodiversity and fish life.

The Aral School will see international and regional students collaborate with design and engineering experts from Uzbekistan and Karakalpakstan to develop innovative solutions to ecologically, socially and economically develop the area.

Two teams of 10 guided by expert mentors will develop proposals that focus on two issues – food and water. Each topic will be addressed using a four-step method to identify local resources and rethink them through design.

Once prototypes have been developed, they'll implement their solutions by engaging with local communities with the aim of regenerating broken ecosystems.

Work-in-progress proposals will be presented at the Salone del Mobile in April 2026, followed by an exhibition and publication at the 2026 Aral Culture Summit.

"The world is evolving, but the design field is sometimes stuck in old paradigms," said Boelen. "In a sense, the Aral Sea is a place where all the most urgent concerns of today come together."

"Soil, water, energy, food, textiles and air quality – these are the issues we need to address if we are going to survive on Earth," he added.

The multidisciplinary programme is open for applications until 5 October 2025. A webinar for prospective applicants will take place on 1 October.

To learn more about the initiative and to apply, visit The Aral School's website.

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This article was written by Dezeen for The Aral School as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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