Siluo is a translator and innovation strategist from Lanzhou. She graduated from MA Innovation Management at Central Saint Martins in 2024.
Why did you choose to study MA Innovation Management at Central Saint Martins (CSM)?
Before applying to CSM, I had a deep passion for creativity and art, which made me feel that this course would be a good fit for me. Every industry needs to, and nowadays has to, innovate and move forward. “Innovation Management” for me tended to be a business-like course; however, true innovation requires creativity to identify hidden “pain points”. I was not very clear what it really meant at first, but CSM seemed interesting! And I wanted to stay in London for a longer time to explore myself and the city.
Pursuing this course also felt like an opportunity to expand my career beyond language, opening up a new direction and adding another valuable dimension to my professional journey.
What have you been working on since graduating?
I joined a cultural group that originally focused on animation production. Now, my main role revolves around the film and series copyright business, where I connect with buyers from around the world. At the same time, I am also actively involved in developing the company’s fashion business—a completely new venture for us. I’m still in the process of exploring this field and proposing ideas, though some of them are occasionally deemed “too detached” by my boss. Nonetheless, I remain committed to finding innovative approaches and contributing to this emerging business line.
What was the most interesting project you worked on during your time on the course?
One of the most interesting projects I worked on was during the final project of the first term in my second year (though I don’t remember the exact name). My research focused on the relationship between psychoanalysis, the photography of Nobuyoshi Araki, and public media. Unfortunately, I didn’t receive a high grade for it, as it was quite distant from the core principles of innovation management. However, it was still a meaningful project for me, as it marked the first time I applied psychoanalytic theories to sociological studies.
Another significant project was my dissertation, which explored how open innovation could be applied to neural machine translation (NMT) in museums within developing regions. This research was particularly important to me, as it felt like a milestone in my academic journey. In my dissertation, I highlighted the crucial role of NMT—and even AI—in the cultural industries of developing regions, while also acknowledging the challenges, such as the need for more time and financial investment to fully implement these technologies.
What important piece of advice would you give to students thinking of studying this course?
Just enjoy your journey in your study and grab everything you can!
What was the highlight of your Central Saint Martins experience?
Our graduation project, The Table, was an incredible experience, and it was exciting to see my idea incorporated into the project concept. The final outcome was astonishing—it truly felt like the highlight moment of my academic journey. Even during this last project, I was still learning how to curate an exhibition, secure sponsors, and market the entire event. These experiences were invaluable to me, shaping both my skills and my perspective on creative project management.
What is the most important thing you learnt on the course? Keep an open mind, stay curious, and learn from others all the time. It was kind of hard for me at first to transition into a creative student from traditional disciplines, but when I graduated, I found myself a totally different person. It was amazing.
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