In 1951, Musashino Art University launched Japan's first correspondence education program in art and design. Since then, numerous students, including working adults, have studied art and design through "Musabi Correspondence Course." We spoke with Professor Kohei Shimizu, head of the correspondence education program, about the significance of working adults studying at an art university, the unique learning environment of Musabi Correspondence Course, and the role that art education will play in the age of AI.
Professor Kohei Shimizu (Department of Design Information, Distance Learning Program, Faculty of Art and Design / Head of Distance Learning Program)
From business owners to housewives, Musabi Correspondence Courses are for working professionals from diverse backgrounds.
Musashino Art University's distance learning program, "Musabi Tsushin," boasts the longest history of any distance education program in the field of art in Japan. While distance learning used to be associated with an older student body, it is now seeing an increase in working adults in their 20s to 40s.
The students enrolled come from a wide range of backgrounds, including not only writers and designers, but also business owners, civil servants, teachers, engineers, and people working in advertising agencies and trading companies. There are also cases of housewives who enroll because they "want to learn again." The age range is also broad, with students from 18 to their 80s, and the majority are university graduates.
So, what motivates working adults who have already graduated from university to enroll in Musashino Art University's correspondence course? In recent years, there has been growing interest in working adults pursuing further education, with a wide range of objectives, from work-related reasons such as "wanting to improve skills" or "wanting to advance their careers" to more life-related reasons such as "wanting to satisfy their intellectual curiosity" or "wanting to enrich their lives."
A place to learn art theory and explore "one's own expression."
Musabi's correspondence course combines three forms of learning: "correspondence classes (home study)," "face-to-face classes (schooling)," and "media classes (online)." Correspondence classes involve students working on projects and studying at home, submitting assignments, and receiving feedback from instructors. Schooling is held year-round, mainly on weekends, and students can choose subjects to take according to their own schedules. Online classes using remote conferencing systems are also abundant, and it is not uncommon for students to form groups and create a single project together.
While the learning environment is well-established, Professor Kohei Shimizu, head of the distance learning program, states firmly, "It's dangerous to think that you can immediately acquire skills by studying through Musabi's distance learning program."
"Just as you won't become good at soccer by simply learning the rules, you won't improve at drawing by simply learning the theory and techniques of drawing. University is not a place to acquire immediately applicable theories and techniques, but rather a place to research the next level of expression and the next level of design thinking. That's where it differs from vocational schools and specialized colleges."
So, what do you learn at university? "What and how do you look at it? And what questions do you ask, and what answers do you come up with? That's the most important thing," says Professor Shimizu. Just as Jackson Pollock, an abstract expressionist painter who was active in the mid-20th century, created the expressive technique of "dripping," Professor Shimizu says that the essence of studying art in an academic setting is for students to learn existing theories and then find their own expression from them.
You will acquire the skills of "prototyping," which involves creating prototypes, testing them, and making improvements.
"Instead of acquiring theories and techniques that can be used immediately, we learn what to look at and how to look at it, and what kind of questions to ask and what kind of answers to come up with"—what becomes clear from these words of Professor Shimizu is the surprising fact that "you acquire skills that can be used in all aspects of society."
For example, "the resolution of observation." "When designing, the first thing you do is observe. What and how you observe varies from person to person, but with each observation, the resolution increases, and as a result, your ability to discover problems that you couldn't see before improves."
Professor Shimizu points out that as the resolution of observation increases, changes occur in the workplace and daily life, such as "noticing problems that were previously unnoticed" and "coming up with completely different solutions."
Furthermore, design students also experience the process of "creating prototypes, testing them, and improving them." This is known as "prototyping," and students gain this experience through various practical assignments. This is why they are able to translate their "insights" into "improvements" in the workplace.
Musashino Art University, Takanodai Campus
"We are the ones who choose and make the decisions"—the role of art education in the age of AI
The rise of AI is bringing about changes in design and art work. Some even make extreme predictions, such as "designers' jobs will be taken over by AI." Professor Shimizu views this change as an extension of the transformations that the world of design has experienced in the past.
"For example, if we look at print advertising media, the output methods have changed from letterpress printing to phototypesetting and then to digital. The changes brought about by AI today have an even greater impact than back then, but as long as we can protect what we have valued so far, there is nothing to be afraid of."
Even if AI can create hundreds of works, Professor Shimizu says, "It is up to us to choose and make the decisions." That's why he believes it is Musashino Art University's mission to cultivate individuals who possess "high-resolution observational skills" and can pioneer the next era.
"While it's important to pursue existing professions, we hope to produce graduates from Musashino Art University's correspondence course who can expand the possibilities of those professions, or even better, who can pioneer new professions, fields, and ways of thinking that don't currently exist."
Of course, design and art only exist within the context of society. Therefore, it is necessary to consider "what society demands from design now" and "where we stand in the current trends in art." Musashino Art University's correspondence course has flexibly changed its learning areas and curriculum to take these design and art trends into consideration. In April 2020, a large-scale reorganization of departments and courses was carried out to allow students to freely study diverse fields, and weekend schooling and media-based classes were expanded. This has created an environment where students can learn about "current design" and "current art" from design professionals who are active on the front lines.
"The most important thing is to get to the starting line"—a message I want to convey to everyone who is feeling lost.
At the annual admissions information sessions for Musashino Art University's correspondence program, many questions are asked, such as, "What kind of jobs can I get after graduation?" and "How many years does it take to graduate?" Professor Shimizu replies, "It's not like it will immediately lead to a job."
These are harsh words, but they reveal the "value" of working adults relearning through Musashino Art University's distance learning program.
"Graduates of universities, junior colleges, technical colleges, and vocational schools can transfer to the third year of Musashino Art University's correspondence course even without prior experience in art or design, but they are not required to graduate in the minimum two years. It's perfectly fine to attend for just one year, or to take only the classes that interest you. Some people take several years to graduate, and others have had to interrupt their studies due to work commitments, only to re-enroll and graduate. Everyone has their own learning style. We want students to explore, discover, and freely learn what they want to learn in the environment of Musashino Art University's correspondence course."
Finally, we received a message for working adults who are interested in "relearning through Musashino Art University's correspondence course" but haven't yet taken the first step.
"When things aren't going well, design involves thinking about the causes, listing them, and eliminating them one by one. If you think about why you can't take the first step and consider how to solve those causes, a path may open up for you."
Unlike the regular on-campus program, there is absolutely no preparation required to enroll in Musabi's distance learning program. You can prepare after you enroll. That's why Professor Shimizu hopes that you will take the plunge and knock on the door of Musabi's distance learning program.
Musashino Art University, Faculty of Art and Design, Distance Learning Program, Department of Design Information / Head of Distance Learning Program
Professor Kohei Shimizu
Born in Fukui Prefecture in 1976. Graduated from Musashino Art University, Faculty of Art and Design, Department of Basic Design. Specializes in interaction design. Representative Director of Office Nice Co., Ltd. Active in a wide range of fields, centering on programming and typography. Joined Musashino Art University in April 2012 and serves as the head of the distance learning program.
