MCAST and Temasek Polytechnic have launched a joint project bringing together students from Malta and Singapore to explore the historical and cultural links between the two countries.

The initiative, Creative Collab Challenge 2026, will pair students from different creative disciplines to research shared experiences shaped by colonial history and cultural exchange. Their work will become design projects exhibited during Malta Design Week later this year.

The project follows a five-day visit to Singapore in March by MCAST lecturers Anna Ancilleri, Darren Duncan and Dominic Tringali from the Institute for the Creative Arts.The visit centred on creative education and design practice, with meetings held at Temasek Polytechnic’s design school.

Speaking after the visit, senior lecturer Darren Duncan said Singapore showed how design, technology and public spaces could work together.

“Singapore is a place where design feels intentional,” he said. “You see how culture, infrastructure and education connect in everyday life.”

The delegation visited cultural districts, museums, heritage centres, and attended Temasek Polytechnic’s annual student design exhibition. Talks between the two institutions also focused on creative education, new technologies, and collaborative working methods.

Students from both institutions will now work together in teams, supported by lecturers from Malta and Singapore. The Malta Consulate in Singapore is supporting the initiative, with selected projects expected to be exhibited in both countries. Six student teams will also be selected for reciprocal visits in September 2026.

This is an Erasmus+ KA171-funded initiative under the project name: Erasmus+ Project 2024-1-MT01-KA171-HED-000214083, co-ordinated by the MCAST Erasmus+ Projects and Mobility office.