The First International Architectural Education Exhibition and Conference (IAEEC) 2021 was a primary interdisciplinary platform for educators, researchers and practitioners to address and discuss the most recent transformations, innovations, directions, and concerns, as well as practical challenges confronted and solutions embraced to position the teaching, learning and practices of architectural education forward for a better society. With the overall theme of Envisioning New Horizons for Architectural Education, IAEEC 2021, organised by the Board of Architects Malaysia (LAM), was successfully held virtually from 26 to 31 October 2021 under a cloud of COVID-19 pandemic.

 

IAEEC 2021 was devised into three main activities: 1) Webinar Conference with eminent speakers from Malaysia, the United Kingdom, Australia and ASEAN region; 2) Virtual Exhibition of architecture students' works; and 3) Virtual Education Fair of institutions from Malaysia, the United Kingdom and Australia offering architecture programmes.

 

Prof. Ashraf Salama from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, was the Keynote Speaker for the Webinar Conference. He delivered a paper titled "Architectural Pedagogies for The Future: The Trilogy of Decoloniality, Cross-Disciplinarity and Inclusivity". Among other notable speakers were Prof. Dr. Syed Ahmad Iskandar (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia), Prof. Chris Tweed (Cardiff University), Dr. Lindy Osbourne Burton (Queensland University of Technology), Prof. Dr Purnama Salura (Catholic Parahyangan University), and Dr. Attayanan Jitrojanaruk (Phranakhon Rajabat University).

 

24 architectural institutions from Malaysia, the United Kingdom and Australia participated in the Education Fair, promoting their architectural programmes. 20 architecture schools displayed the best of their architecture students' works in a beautifully crafted virtual exhibition hall.