A couple of weeks ago, the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture hosted a memorable International Architecture Education Summit in Madrid, bringing together esteemed and distinguished colleagues from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean.

 

The importance of international engagement has been a point of emphasis for the ACSA board of directors in recent years. In the last month, we met with representatives from UIA (International Union of Architects), EAAE (European Association of Architectural Education), and the Architectural Society of China to identify possible avenues of collaboration and delineate a feasible path that will generate further value to our member schools. We will continue to explore ways to expand ACSA’s international footprint and relevance, including at the upcoming Administrators Conference in Quebec City, October 25–27.

 

The next few years pose a plethora of significant challenges to the architecture discipline, including the rising cost of higher education, diminishing state budgets, an uneven international playing field for graduates, issues of diversity and mobility, and important discussions leading up to the 2019 NAAB Accreditation Review Forum. As an academic community, we must continue to stimulate and support a dynamic and prolific dialogue about the current state as well as the future possibilities of architectural pedagogy.

 

As I finish my term as president of ACSA, I would like to thank my fellow board members; Mike Monti, Eric Ellis, and the staff in Washington; our two journal editors and their boards; the co-chairs, volunteers, and all the participants in the many conferences and meetings we have held this year in Marfa, Albuquerque, Denver, and Madrid.

 

Finally, our work would not have been possible without the constant support of my predecessors, Bruce Lindsey and Marilys Nepomechie, as well as a group of past presidents who remain committed to the continued success of the association and its mission. I look forward to reciprocating as we welcome incoming president Branko Kolarevic in July.

 

Best regards,
Francisco Javier Rodríguez Suárez, AIA, DPACSA