Hong Kong Polytechnic University's (PolyU) School of Design has been rated by BusinessWeek as one of the top 60 design schools in the world. The October 9 issue of the magazine also puts the school among the 10 best design institutes in Asia. The others in the top 10 include Tama Art University in Tokyo and Tsinghua University's Academy of Arts and Design. The global top 60 list was based on the recommendations of an advisory board, comprising design consultants, representatives from big corporations such as Whirlpool, Siemens and BMW, as well as faculty members from renowned design schools and business schools. Comments from another 200-plus interviewees were also taken into account. Of the top 60, 34 are in the United States and Canada, while the others are from Europe and Asia. The report says that today's best and most forward-looking design schools and design programmes share three common characteristics: a multi-disciplinary nature, co-ordination with business and engineering schools for innovation, and the depth of knowledge of their graduates. PolyU's school has produced many well-known personalities, including fashion designer Vivienne Tam, Oscar-winning animator Raman Hui, jewellery designer Dennis Chan and design consultant Freeman Lau.