On 1 November 2021, the President of Mae Fah Luang University, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chayaporn Wattanasiri; the Chiang Rai Governor, Mr. Pasakorn Boonyalak; the Chief Executive of the Chiang Rai Provincial Administrative Organisation, Mrs. Athitathon Wanchaitanawong; the Deputy Mayor of Chiang Rai Municipality, Dr. Preecha Anurak; and the Director of Northern Regional Office, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau, Mrs. Chuta Tharachai attended the press conference for “Chiang Rai Sustainable Design Week 2021” at Singhaklaihouse, Modchanaphai Foundation, Chiang Rai.
The Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Public Organization) jointly cooperated with Mae Fah Luang University (as the project advisor), public and private sectors to launch the Chiang Rai Sustainable Design Week 2021 from 22 – 28 November 2021 in accordance with the roadmap for becoming a membership of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). This design week is expected to be recognized internationally and to be scheduled in a calendar of the World Design Weeks within the next three years. And, this year marks the first time of holding the design week. It will be held under a concept of balance between nature and culture with an aim to encourage and support designers, artists, creators, creative businesses and public sector in Chiang Rai by providing an opportunity to showcase their works and products, exchange ideas and establish a network through a wide range of service design activities such as talks, exhibitions, workshops, performances.
The President of Mae Fah Luang University said that the main missions of Mae Fah Luang University are education, academic development and academic services. Chiang Rai province is full of amazing things especially arts and culture, beautiful environment and others. The university has determined to be a medium for coordinating various sectors in Chiang Rai especially local artists to transfer knowledge for adding value and increasing the income of the local community.
The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was created in 2004 to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development. The 246 cities which currently make up this network work together towards a common objective: placing creativity and cultural industries at the heart of their development plans at the local level and cooperating actively at the international level.
Altogether, this design week will indeed put forward ‘a creative economy’, show Chiang Rai’s potential, communicate a positive image as the City of Design and propel Chiang Rai forward the UNESCO Creative Cities Network linking to the provincial vision of “City of Trade and Investment, Agriculture and Tourism, Prosperity by Lanna Culture.”
