Jaipur : Archana Surana, Founder and Director of ARCH College of Design & Business,
Jaipur, has been re-elected to the 11-member Executive Board of the prestigious
Cumulus Global Association of
Art & Design Education and Research for the 2025–2028 term. The
announcement came during the Cumulus Nantes 2025 conference held in France,
which brought together leading global voices in art, design, and media
education.
Cumulus
Association is an international network presently comprising nearly 400
institutions across 71 countries, and steadily increasing in number every year.
It promotes collaboration, research, and innovation in the field of art and
design. Established in 1990 by Aalto University in Finland and the Royal
College of Art in the UK, the association serves as a dynamic platform for
exploring how design can create meaningful change in the world.
This election
marks a significant milestone not only in Surana’s professional journey but
also for India’s growing voice in global design conversations. She served as
the Vice President in her previous tenure on the board of the Cumulus
Association from 2022 to 2025, where she led several notable initiatives. One
of the key contributions was the launch of the Cumulus Student Talent Camp
titled ‘Design Identity Direction (DID),’ hosted by ARCH College in Jaipur in
2023. She also played a vital role in facilitating a Memorandum of
Understanding between the Cumulus Association and the Export Promotion Council
for Handicrafts (EPCH), India, creating internship opportunities for students
with over 10,000 handicraft industry members across India.
In addition to
administrative leadership, Surana presented Indian perspectives on prominent world
stages. She delivered a keynote on ‘Responsible Fashion: Swipe Right’ at the
Fashion and Sustainability conference held at Universidade Lusófona in Lisbon,
Portugal, in 2024. She addressed the theme of ‘Wellbeing in Design’ in another
keynote, delivered in 2023, at Xiamen University, Beijing, China. She also
chaired the ‘Women in Design’ working group from 2022 to 2025, consistently
spotlighting gender equity, ethical leadership, and transformative design
practices.
Over the years, Archana
Surana has contributed to several international conferences, including sessions
at L’École de Design Nantes Atlantique in France, Tecnológico de Monterrey in
Mexico, Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design in Budapest, University of
Antwerp in Belgium, Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) in China, and the
College for Creative Studies in Detroit, USA. Her talks ranged from topics such
as ethics in design and future leadership to inclusivity, adaptation, and
design’s role in challenging times.
Speaking about her
re-election to the Cumulus Executive Board, Surana said, “Jaipur is where I
come from, and I carry its essence with me. To represent India and my city on a
global platform like Cumulus is both an honor and a responsibility. For me,
design is not just an element in art; it is a very important tool for social
transformation. My goal is to see young minds from India think globally, act
ethically, and shape a better future.”
Her continued
presence on the board reflects not only personal recognition but also the
rising profile of ARCH
College of Design & Business on the world stage. For over 25 years,
ARCH has been at the forefront of design education in India, offering a
progressive learning environment that connects academic knowledge with industry
practice.
Through its
strategic partnerships and future-focused curriculum, emphasizing real-world
projects, live challenges, professional internships and experiential learning,
ARCH nurtures a campus culture rooted in innovation, inclusion, and
collaboration. Drawing creative minds from all over India, the institution continues
to prepare students to succeed in the rapidly evolving design landscape of the
world.
Here’s to accepting
Archana Surana’s re-election to the Cumulus Executive Board as a powerful
acknowledgment of both her leadership and the value ARCH brings to
international design education. It strengthens India's voice in the global
creative economy and sets the stage for even deeper global engagement in the
years to come.