Danai Fuengshunut
I am an educator with over 20 years of experience in higher professional art and design education, specializing in educational development and tutor professionalization. I work at the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Training
I hold Bachelor’s degrees in Design (Illustration) and Visual Arts & Design Education, as well as a Master’s degree in Education. My experience includes developing bachelor-level curricula, designing tutor certification programs, and training students in various art and design disciplines. I have also contributed to assessments across multiple art and design bachelor programs. Over the past seven years, I have focused on training and supporting the professional growth of tutors in the art and design field. Since 2024, I’ve started offering training, workshops, and sessions outside art & design education.
More info: https://educationassessment.nl/en/
Education
Since 2018, I have been leading the Education Station at the Willem de Kooning Academy. Alongside a diverse team of dedicated educational professionals, we support our community by facilitating tutor training, organizing events, conducting research, and advancing digital development—all aimed at creating a more impactful and engaging learning experience at WdKA. Since 2024 I have started to develop the new educational tutor programme for the academy.
More info: https://educationstation.wdka.nl/
Research
Since July 2024 I have initiated a research project about how generative artificial intelligence for visual images is transforming creative practices in art & design. My goal is to explore the situatedness of this technology in the context of art & design education. This research employs a mixed-methods approach, integrating both qualitative and quantitative techniques.
More info: https://generativeai-research.
Stories
How to embed Equity Diversity and Inclusion
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting with Gabriela Acosta Camacho, a representative from the Inclusive Pathway Training (IPT) program in which our team recently participated as part of a symposium organized by the lectorate Social Justice and Diversity in the...
How We Can Learn to Listen
The value of listening is undeniable in education, leadership and communication. But what makes active listening so challenging? Bohm (2004) suggests that it's our tendency to continuously repeat our own thoughts and filter out any information that doesn't align with...
How to: Materialise Dreams: WdKA graduation review July 2023
The WdKA Graduation Show of 2023 showcased the aspirations of a new generation of artists, designers, and educators. With 183 students presenting their projects, I had the privilege to witness their creative endeavours and gain insight into their perspectives (see...
How to reach goals
I visited the presentation of Ray Klaassen 12th of June 2023. As a former special forces operator he challenged his comfort zone by organizing his first public show in which he collaborated with different artistic disciplines such as; dance, music and song. He...
How to deal with “ongezellig”
"Stick your ears out the door because something is about to happen" Earlier this month, I had the privilege of attending the Inclusivity Pathway Training (IPT) conference initiated by Aminata Cairo. Representatives from various Dutch art academies, including AHK,...
How to stay Resillient
Last week I visited a college-lecture by Dai Carter. Based on his book Mental Resilience (mentale veerkracht) he shared stories about his life lessons as a special forces operator and how to deal with adversity. From an educational perspective it was an interesting to...
How to implement programmatic assessments
Mini conference Programmatic Assessments Hogeschool Rotterdam Tuesday 28 March 2023 Supported by: Laura Lobert (facilitator), Peter Schouten & Dominique Sluismans The mini conference on programmatic assessments at Hogeschool Rotterdam (HR) was...
How to overcome crisis
There is a crisis at work. A situation I have not experienced before. Our dean, who is my direct supervisor, has decided to step aside in times of turmoil. Reason for this were different reports that indicated issues with staff. I am familiar with the challenges as...
It’s Showtime 2023
In 2020 I asked myself the question: "how long should I hold on to my paintings?". In 2023 I've set up my first instagram-account, created a new website of my paintings and I rented a place at the Art Eindhoven on the 4th and 5th of February 2023 to sell my paintings....
How to survive AI
How new tech will change higher art education in 2023 keywords: Online video’s, Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence Danai Fuengshunut and AI As the world continues to evolve and technology advances, art academies and tutors have had to adjust their teaching...
How I Spent Five Days With Covid
Day one. The firs symptoms I can remember were a light headache in combination with a cold lower back. I had eaten at a pizzeria the other day. I thought the food had been way too salty. That night I went to the bathroom for about six to seven times. I had taken an...
How to: bring different tutors together
Design by: Lisa Zakharova I'm excited about our upcoming Education Day on Wednesday the 9th of November 2022 at the Willem de Kooning Academy (WdKA). An Education Day is an internal event for all(230-250)teachers during our development week in which students have no...