Co-Rean

1. Summary of Contribution
The Co-Rean Exhibition is a student-led, research-informed public exhibition developed at London College of Fashion (LCF), University of the Arts London (UAL), showcasing the creative and academic outputs of Korean students across design, media, fashion business, and cultural theory. The project exemplifies the university’s commitment to internationalisation, decolonial pedagogy, and industry-connected learning, while advancing LCF’s strategic goals around employability, global partnerships, and inclusive research culture.
Running annually, the exhibition integrates practice-based research, cultural exchange, and public engagement, and is firmly embedded within the institutional support for diverse student cohorts and early-career practitioners. Through showcasing research-driven work on sustainability, identity, and cross-cultural dialogue, Co-Rean provides a platform for students to translate academic enquiry into public-facing, socially engaged outputs.

2. Research Environment and Institutional Culture
The Co-Rean project operates within LCF’s research-rich, interdisciplinary environment, supported by an institutional strategy that prioritises inclusion, international engagement, and creative experimentation. As part of the broader university commitment to a healthy and inclusive research culture, Co-Rean reflects:
2.1. Cross-college collaboration (spanning Fashion Business, Design & Technology, Media and Communication)
2.2.Access to mentoring and academic development, including structured guidance from course leaders and external partners
2.3. Integration of lived experience and student-led inquiry as legitimate drivers of research impact
2.4.Support from LCF’s International Partnerships Team in building outward-facing networks with Korean academic, governmental, and industry bodies
The exhibition has fostered a peer-led, community-centred research culture, particularly among East Asian and international students. By providing routes for non-traditional research outputs—exhibitions, magazines, workshops, and performance—it reinforces LCF’s commitment to supporting pluralistic forms of knowledge production and dissemination.

3. Impact and Reach
The Co-Rean Exhibition has demonstrable impact in several key areas:
3.1. Industry and Public Engagement: The 2025 edition featured collaboration with Kolon Industries' Re;Code brand and Joguman Studio, enabling real-world application of sustainable fashion principles and industry-led workshops open to the public.
3.2. International Cultural Relations: It acts as a platform for UK–Korea cultural diplomacy, engaging stakeholders from both countries and strengthening institutional relationships with Korean partners.
3.3. Educational Experience: Students involved in Co-Rean report increased confidence in practice-led research, curatorial planning, and public communication—skills directly aligned with graduate employability.
3.4. Institutional Recognition: The exhibition is now a recurring, formally supported component of LCF’s internationalisation agenda, included in strategic development plans and faculty-facing international partnership frameworks.

4. Contribution to People, Culture and Environment (PCE)
The Co-Rean Exhibition embodies a holistic approach to People, Culture and Environment:
4.1.People: Provides emerging researchers—particularly from underrepresented backgrounds—access to professional development, peer leadership opportunities, and global industry engagement.
4.2. Culture: Fosters an inclusive and decolonial research culture by validating intercultural narratives, bilingual knowledge sharing, and global identity formation as core to institutional research output.
4.3. Environment: Demonstrates the university’s ability to host collaborative, interdisciplinary research programmes that exist beyond formal curricula, reinforcing LCF’s commitment to enabling student-led innovation within a supported and structured framework.

• https://fashionexhibitionmaking.arts.ac....
• https://www.ytn.co.kr/replay/view.php?id...
• https://londonkoreanlinks.net/2025/05/22...
• https://londonkoreanlinks.net/orgs-venue...
• https://www.arts.ac.uk/colleges/london-c...
• https://www.instagram.com/p/DNd9EqrtefC/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKzL-Ykn...
• https://vimeo.com/1093753610/84c4ef9fa5?...