Associate Professor Fanke Peng is a Professorial Lead and Deputy Director of the Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments at the University of South Australia. An award-winning educator, designer, and researcher, Fanke’s passion for design-led innovation drives her transformative work in health, aged care, mobility, and the circular economy. In recognition of her contributions to higher education, she was awarded Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2020.
Fanke champions transdisciplinary collaboration, integrating expertise from materials engineering to cognitive sciences. Her projects address critical challenges such as autism, youth mental health, dementia, and loneliness, with a recent... Read more
About me
Associate Professor Fanke Peng is a Professorial Lead and Deputy Director of the Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments at the University of South Australia. An award-winning educator, designer, and researcher, Fanke’s passion for design-led innovation drives her transformative work in health, aged care, mobility, and the circular economy. In recognition of her contributions to higher education, she was awarded Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2020.
Fanke champions transdisciplinary collaboration, integrating expertise from materials engineering to cognitive sciences. Her projects address critical challenges such as autism, youth mental health, dementia, and loneliness, with a recent focus on women’s health and intergenerational arts programs to foster community well-being.
About me
Doctor of Philosophy University of Dundee
Master of Design University of Dundee
Research
Excludes commercial-in-confidence projects.
Human-Centered Design for Athletes: Advancing 3D Football Boot Innovation, DOHGO 34 Pty Ltd, 02/03/2025 - 01/03/2026
Leveraging human centred design to develop a model of care for older people with Post COVID Condition, Southern Adelaide Local Health Network, 12/04/2024 - 11/04/2025
Skills SA: Building Capability Projects Skills Gaps in the Advertising and Design Sector, SA Minister for Education, Training and Skills, 28/07/2022 - 01/05/2023
2023 - 2024, Peng, F., Maher, C., Eckert, M., Du, T., Gu, N., Turnbull, D., Windsor, T. “Co-design an Intergenerational Arts Program for CALD South Australian Communities”, Arts and Health Alliance (AaHA) Grant, collaborative partners include: Flinders University, University of Adelaide, South Australia Multicultural Commission, Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre.
2022 - 2023, Dooley, K., Peng, F., Gao, J., Siemens, G. “Building Capacity: examine skills gaps for graduates entering the advertising and design sector”, Department of Innovation and Skills (DIS), Government of South Australia, collaborative partners include Adelaide Advertising and Design Club (AADC) and the Australian Screen Production, Education and Research Association (ASPERA), Australia
2022, Peng, F., Nichols, J., Walsh, J. “Digital Indigenous Craft and Culture: Exploring intergenerational transmission of collective knowledge through immersive pattern making”, Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments (IVE) Seed Grant, collaborative partners include South Australia Museum and MOD., Australia
2021 - 2022, Hope, C., Peng, F. “ACT Intergenerational Pen Pal Service”, ACT Government Seniors Grants Program, collaborative partners include Northside Community Service Limited and Ainslie Primary School, Australia
2021 - 2022, D'Cunha, N., Isbel, S., Cave, B., Peng, F., Greber, C., Flynn, A. & Castro De Jong, D. “Intergenerational programs in residential aged care in Australia: Who is using them, and what are the barriers to broader implementation?”, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Health Service (NSW), collaborative partners include IRT Kangara Waters and the University of Sydney, Australia
2020 - 2022, Hope, C., Peng, F., Denise, T. “Ginninderry Living Lab: open and play space”, Riverview Projects (ACT), collaborative partners include Ginninderry and ACT community, Australia
2020 - 2021, Denise, T., Peng, F., Herrington, J., Madeleine, A., Savage, D., Matthews, K., Reif, A., Harle, J. “Home Economix: A Lab for Decentralizing Public and Community Art Through Domestic Spaces”, Australian Council for the Arts, collaborative partners include Australian National University, Ainslie + Gorman Arts Centre and Tactical Space Lab, Australia
2020 - 2021, Peng, F., Craig, C. “The 100-year life: views of ageing from the inside”, Sheffield Hallam University & Research England, UK (This is a piece of research as part of a larger grant - The 100-year life and future home – awarded an 8 million research grant from Research England, UK. One strand was undertaken by Peng and there was a comparative study in the UK).
2019, Peng, F., Jani, R., Knight-Agarwal, C., “Chang by Design: Co-Design for Healthy Living”, Faculty Arts and Design Collaborative Project Grant, University of Canberra, Australia
2019 - 2020, Jani, R., Knight-Agarwal, C., Peng, F. “Association between PTC/PROP taste sensitivity, food preferences and weight status in Australian and Indian children aged 7-12 years in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) region”, Faculty of Health Seed Grant, University of Canberra, Australia
2019, Peng, F., Craig, C. “Creativity and Dementia”, Distinguished International Visitor Grant, Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), University of Canberra, collaborative partners include Lab4Living, Sheffield Hallam University, UK
2014 - 2016, Vecchi, A., Peng, F., Al-Sayegh, M. “E-Size: Intelligent integration of a sizing framework into online fashion retail”, Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), collaborative partners include University of the Arts London, UK and Australia
2014, Hinchcliffe, G., Hinton, E., Peng, F., Whitelaw, M., “The Power of One: tangible data representation for MOAD.”, Museum of Australian Democracy, Australia
Research
Research outputs for the last seven years are shown below. Some long-standing staff members may have older outputs included. To see earlier years visit ORCID or Scopus
Open access indicates that an output is open access.
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2024 |
50
|
| 2022 |
5
|
| 2022 |
Open access
5
3
|
| 2022 |
Open access
11
10
1
|
| 2020 |
Open access
10
9
6
|
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2020 |
|
| 2017 |
Peng, F & Scharoun, L 2017, Cross-cultural design, Publishing House of Electronics Industry, China. |
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2024 |
50
|
| 2024 |
Open access
|
| 2024 |
|
| 2024 |
Open access
|
| 2023 |
Open access
1
|
| 2022 |
5
|
| 2022 |
Open access
|
| 2020 |
|
| 2020 |
|
| 2019 |
Open access
|
| 2017 |
1
|
| 2017 |
1
|
| 2016 |
|
| 2016 |
|
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2024 |
Open access
1
|
| 2024 |
Open access
1
1
|
| 2024 |
Open access
1
|
| 2024 |
Open access
3
2
|
| 2023 |
Open access
2
|
| 2022 |
Open access
5
3
|
| 2022 |
Open access
11
10
1
|
| 2021 |
Open access
1
|
| 2020 |
Open access
10
9
6
|
| 2020 |
Open access
|
| 2018 |
Open access
|
| 2014 |
|
| 2014 |
Open access
|
| 2014 |
Open access
|
| 2012 |
|
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2022 |
Open access
|
| 2022 |
1
1
|
| 2020 |
|
| 2017 |
Open access
|
| 2016 |
Open access
|
| 2014 |
Open access
|
External engagement & recognition
| Organisation | Country |
|---|---|
| Curtin University | AUSTRALIA |
| Deakin University | AUSTRALIA |
| DSIL Global | UNITED STATES |
| Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation | UNITED ARAB EMIRATES |
| Edith Cowan University | AUSTRALIA |
| Federation University Australia | AUSTRALIA |
| Harokopio University | GREECE |
| International Medical University | MALAYSIA |
| London College of Fashion | UNITED KINGDOM |
| Monash University | AUSTRALIA |
| Queensland University of Technology | AUSTRALIA |
| South Australian Health and Medical and Research Institute (SAHMRI) | AUSTRALIA |
| South China Agricultural University | CHINA |
| Southwest University | CHINA |
| Uniting Communities | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Adelaide | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Canberra | AUSTRALIA |
| University of New South Wales | AUSTRALIA |
| University of South Australia | AUSTRALIA |
| University of the Arts London | UNITED KINGDOM |
| University of Wollongong | AUSTRALIA |
| West Visayas State University | PHILIPPINES |
External engagement & recognition
| Engagement/recognition | Year |
|---|---|
Senior FellowAdvanceHE |
2020 |
Honorary ProfessorThe College of Arts, South China Agricultural University, China |
2016 |
Teaching & student supervision
Teaching & student supervision
Supervisions from 2010 shown
| Thesis title | Student status |
|---|---|
| A Novel Approach to Codesign for Sustainable Youth Mental Health in Australia | Current |
| Co-creation: Optimizing and developing an interactive Virtual rality education tool for training residential aged care facilities staff in dementia care. | Current |
| Co-design an assistive tool to support effective communication between primary school teachers, classroom assistants, and students with autism spectrum disorder | Current |
| Improving visitors' immersive experience in the hybrid museum exhibition of contemporary crafts. | Current |
