The 4th Industrial Revolution—The Future of Design Research and Doctoral Programs

The main goal of this work is to demonstrate, that it is important to reflect on what the future of design research and doctoral programs in design will be, to know if universities are prepared for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) reality. This research work begins by identifying the changes in society, technology and education, which resulted in the increase of many curricular innovations and the creation of new educational institutions. The impacts of the emerging 4IR will require a rethinking of the curriculum in higher education, to prepare students for a technological, economical, personal and social response from a holistic point of view. The main findings are, among others, the recognition of the expansion of the artificial world, and that design plays a relevant role in the management of complex systems. Thus, it was important to survey the doctoral programs in design, recognizing that they have to be restructured and redesigned, focusing mainly on practical solution and on the transferring of knowledge to society, companies and industry.