Alumni panel event with the Royal College of Art in Tokyo

Studying at the Royal College of Art places you in London: a city internationally renowned for its creativity, culture and diversity - the perfect place to develop your creative career in. What do prospective students need to know about living and studying in the UK? How do cultural ecosystems differ between London and Tokyo?

You’re invited to meet senior RCA staff and alumni, and representatives of the British Council to discuss both cities, as well as how to make the most of postgraduate study, and future trends.

What to expect

Thursday 23 October 2025, 6.30-8.30pm

6.30pm - Guest arrivals and refreshments

7pm - Introduction to the panel by Prof. Christoph Linder (President and Vice-Chancellor of the Royal College of Art)

7.15pm - Panel discussion featuring Prof. Rut Blees Luxemburg (Reader in Urban Aesthetics, Senior Research Fellow, Photography MA), RCA alumni and the British Council.

8pm - Your chance to ask questions of the RCA staff and alumni

8.30pm - End

We'd love you to join for all parts of the event but if you can only join for part of it, that's fine too.

Who is this event for

• Those interested in postgraduate study at the Royal College of Art
• Current RCA applicants and offer-holders
• Friends and family are also welcome to join, though please ensure they have a ticket to the talk and Q&A event.

You don't have to specialise in any discipline to attend this event: we welcome guests planning to apply to all subject areas.

Due to the postgraduate nature of RCA study, all attendees must be over 18.

How to join

The event is free to attend, but please note that places are limited. Pre-booking is essential to guarantee your spot.

I'm thinking of applying to the RCA - can I have an informal portfolio chat?

Yes! We're delighted you're thinking of starting your RCA journey. Please book an appointment at our portfolio event.

About the hosts

Prof. Christoph Lindner (President and Vice-Chancellor of the Royal College of Art)

Professor Christoph Lindner is President and Vice-Chancellor of the Royal College of Art, the internationally renowned art and design postgraduate university, where he also holds the title of Professor of Visual Culture. He is a fellow of both the Royal Society of Arts and the Royal Geographical Society.

An interdisciplinary scholar of cities and visual culture, he has over 20 years of experience at public research universities in the United States, Europe, and the UK. His leadership work has focused on advancing educational access and equity, intercultural understanding, and environmental sustainability.

Professor Lindner joined the RCA in 2024 from his role as Dean of the Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment at University College London. While at The Bartlett, which achieved the number 1 global ranking in Architecture & Built Environment under his leadership, he advanced two transformative priorities: increasing access and inclusion across the global built environment field and taking action on the climate crisis by developing new research and degree programmes in sustainability. Before joining UCL, he served as Dean of the College of Design at the University of Oregon and, prior to that, Professor of Media and Culture at the University of Amsterdam. During his time at Amsterdam, he created and led the Netherlands Institute for Cultural Analysis, co-founded the Amsterdam Centre for Globalization Studies, and directed the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis.

He has been a visiting professor at New York University, The New School, University of California-Berkeley, University of Edinburgh, University of Freiburg, Queen Mary University of London, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, and the University of London Institute in Paris.

He is a trustee of the Victoria and Albert Museum, general editor of the Cities and Cultures book series at Amsterdam University Press, editorial board member of Places Journal, and co-director of the Helix Centre for Design and Health at Imperial College London.

Professor Lindner grew up in France and Switzerland and completed his PhD at the University of Edinburgh. He is the author or editor of 15 books in the fields of art, architecture, media and cultural studies, and urban geography.

Prof. Rut Blees Luxemburg (Reader in Urban Aesthetics, Senior Research Fellow, Photography MA)

Rut's work as an artist and photographer concerns the representation of the city and the phenomenon of the urban, combining formats from large-scale photographic work.

Rut studied Political Science in Duisburg, Germany, before attending the London College of Printing to complete her BA in Photography in 1993. She graduated with an MA in Photography from the University of Westminster in 1996.

Her first monograph, London – A Modern Project, appeared in 1997 and included an essay by Michael Bracewell; it was followed by Liebeslied/My Suicides, with text by Alexander Garcia Düttmann in 2000. In 2004, the photobook, ffolly, with texts by Cerith Wyn Evans, Patrick Lynch, Douglas Park, was published by ffotoworks. The most comprehensive monograph on her work, Commonsensual, was published by Black Dog in 2009 and includes a critical essay by Regis Durand. In 2012, the Museum Simeonstift in Trier, Germany held a survey show of her work, Lustgarten.

Recent projects include: Silver Forest (2016) an architectural installation on the western façade of Westminster City Hall; and London Dust (2011–13) a series of photographs and a film that trace the rapid architectural transformation of the City of London in relation to the development of CGI photographic representation. She created the iconic cover for the The Streets’ Original Pirate Material.

Other events at the RCA

We are continually adding to our diverse programme of events: conversations on key topics such as funding advice and portfolio development, symposia, exhibitions, open days and more. Many are free and open to the public.