The Second China National Arts and Crafts Education Conference and the Second National College Arts and Crafts Major Outstanding Graduation Exhibition opened at the Pioneer Theatre on the Gulangyu Campus of Fuzhou University on the morning of October 19, 2024. The conference and exhibition were co-hosted by the China National Arts & Crafts Society, Fuzhou University, Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, Office of Xiamen Cultural Reform and Development Work Leading Group, and Xiamen Media Group, and co-organized by the Education Committee of the China National Arts & Crafts Society, Department of Art and Crafts at the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, Department of Arts and Crafts at Xiamen Academy of Arts and Design, Fuzhou University, and Red Dot Design (Xiamen) Brand Operations Co., Ltd. Building upon the mission set forth at the inaugural conference, this conference focused on academic exchanges in arts and crafts education under the framework of “An Exhibition, A Competition, A Discussion, and A Dialogue.” The exhibition was held from October 19 to November 3, 2024.
At the opening ceremony, Shangguan Jun, the Executive Deputy Director and Level 1 Bureau Rank Official of the Publicity Department of the CPC Xiamen Municipal Committee; Cai Daying, President of the China National Arts & Crafts Society; Wang Xinchen, Vice President of the Fuzhou University; and Ma Sai, President of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, delivered a speech, respectively. Wang Jianliang, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of the China National Arts & Crafts Society, introduced the evaluation and review of “The Third National College Students ‘Graduation Season’ Outstanding Graduation Works Competition in Arts and Crafts.” Li Lijian, Party Secretary of the Department of Arts and Crafts at Xiamen Academy of Arts and Design, Fuzhou University; Dai Zhiwang, Party Deputy Secretary and President of the Xiamen Media Group; and Qin Chuan, Party Secretary of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, successively announced the works that won the bronze, silver, and gold awards in the competition. Wu Zidong, a member of the Standing Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Xiamen Municipal Committee, inaugurated the event, along with other leaders. Wang Xiaoxin, Deputy Party Secretary of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University and Secretary-General of the Education Work Committee of the China National Arts & Crafts Society, presided over the opening ceremony.
Guest speaker at the opening ceremony
The leaders announcing the award-winning works and the host of the event
The “International Academic Exchange Conference for Presidents of Arts and Crafts Education Institutions” and the “Xiamen Academic Dialogue” were held at noon and in the afternoon on the opening day of the exhibition. Leaders, experts, and scholars from international and domestic universities of arts and crafts gathered to deliver academic reports on the theme “New Quality Productive Force, New Intelligence in Arts and Crafts.” Following the reports, academic discussions were held on two sub-themes: “From ‘Industry-Education Integration’ to ‘Education-Industry Integration’” and “From Inheritance-based Innovation to Innovation-based Inheritance.”
Opening ceremony of the conference
Conference site
One competition, one exhibition, upgraded scale, industry leadership
“The Third National College Students ‘Graduation Season’ Outstanding Graduation Works Competition in Arts and Crafts” drew on and improved the experience of previous competitions, establishing itself as the largest arts and crafts competition in recent years with the highest number of entries. Excellent works submitted from arts and crafts programs across universities nationwide competed under the themes of “Creative Arts and Crafts” and “Technological Arts and Crafts.” A selection of 133 award-winning pieces was showcased in the Second National College Arts and Crafts Major Outstanding Graduation Exhibition. The outstanding works selected for the exhibition varied widely in category and style, highlighting the high alignment between modern arts and crafts education and the needs of the time. They not only reflected young artists’ contemporary reflections on traditional aesthetic concepts and their in-depth exploration of new forms in arts and crafts, but also revealed the innovative transmission and ongoing development of the enduring spiritual and cultural essence of arts and crafts in the contemporary context.
Evaluation and review
The competition and exhibition brought together outstanding arts and crafts works from 80 universities nationwide, with more than 8,900 students participating. It served as a platform for positive interaction and communication among colleges and universities, young artists, and the industry. The achievements in arts and crafts education, which challenged traditional talent development models, not only highlighted the aesthetic attributes and spiritual essence of crafts, but also demonstrated cutting-edge technologies and innovative thinking, offering new approaches to developing practical and feasible strategies for the industry.
A group photo of some of the judges and relevant staff members
Academic Exchange Conference for Presidents of Education Institutions
New Intelligence in arts and crafts, global resonance
The “International Academic Exchange Conference for Presidents of Arts and Crafts Education Institutions” was held as part of the conference, gathering leaders and scholars from renowned universities both domestically and internationally. The event focused on implementing the development philosophy that “high-quality development is the key priority in building a modern socialist country in all respects” and featured a series of academic reports centered around the theme “New Quality Productive Forces, New Intelligence in Arts and Crafts.” Ma Sai, President of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, served as the academic host. Cai Daying, President of the China National Arts & Crafts Society, delivered a speech at the conference. Duan Shengfeng, Vice President of the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute; Naren Barbield, former Vice President of the Royal College of Art; Bogki Min, Vice President of the College of Fine Arts at Seoul National University;Fang Xiaofeng, Vice President of the Academy of Arts & Design,Tsinghua University; and Zhang Jian, Vice President of the Xiamen Academy of Arts and Design, Fuzhou University, delivered a keynote speech in succession.
Ma Sai, academic host at the Academic Exchange Conference for Presidents of Education Institutions
Starting from the three key perspectives of education, science and technology, and talent, the Academic Exchange Conference for Presidents of Education Institutions combined domestic perspectives with international insights, and focused on the process of arts and crafts education in the context of Chinese modernization, aiming to unite efforts and form consensus on developing new intelligence in arts and crafts through interdisciplinary collaboration in the context of “new quality productive forces,” while also fostering innovative talents in arts and crafts for the new era. It has far-reaching significance for exploring new pathways in “intelligent” arts and crafts education, promoting comprehensive industrial upgrading through the fusion of art and science, and cultivating high-level leadership talents for the new era.
Academic Exchange Conference for Presidents of Education Institutions
Guest speakers at the Academic Exchange Conference for Presidents of Education Institutions
Xiamen Academic Dialogue
Education-industry collaboration for innovation in inheritance
The “Xiamen Academic Dialogue” followed the theme of the Academic Exchange Conference for Presidents of Education Institutions and was divided into two sessions. The first session was chaired by Qi Zhe, President of the School of Arts and Crafts at Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. Wu Huayu, President of the Lancang-Mekong International Vocational College at Yunnan Minzu University; Chen Hongjun, Party Secretary of the Hunan Arts and Crafts Vocational College; Jin Hui, President of the Fine Arts & Design College of Minjiang University; Zhao Lantao, Vice President of the School of Fine Arts at Jingdezhen Ceramic University; and Wei Jie, President of the School of Design at Jiangnan University, each delivered a speech on the sub-theme “From ‘Industry-Education Integration’ to ‘Education-Industry Integration.’” The second session was chaired by Li Jing, Deputy Director of the Department of Art and Crafts at the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University. Ma Da, Deputy Director of the Expert Committee of the China National Arts & Crafts Society; Ma Lei, Deputy Secretary-General of the Education Work Committee of the China National Arts & Crafts Society; Huang Xiaoming, Vice Chairman of the China National Arts & Crafts Society; Huang Wei, Director of the Rattan and Iron Crafts Committee of the China National Arts & Crafts Society; and Zeng Hui, Deputy Director of the Beijing International Design Week Organizing Committee Office, each delivered a speech on the sub-theme “From Inheritance-based Innovation to Innovation-based Inheritance.”
Guest speakers in the first session of Xiamen Academic Dialogue
Guest speakers in the second session of Xiamen Academic Dialogue
This academic dialogue served not only as a platform for exchanging knowledge but also as a forum for the collision of ideas. It aimed to promote the transformation of knowledge and industry upgrades through education-industry collaboration, encourage contemporary innovations in the inheritance of traditional arts and crafts, and accelerate the advancement of new quality productive forces in arts and crafts for the new era. The insightful and thought-provoking speeches by experts and scholars in the field of arts and crafts have sparked ongoing reflection and discussion, which will continue to infuse new academic energy into the development of arts and crafts education in China.
Using the conference as a medium, integrating art and science for mutual development
The competition and exhibition focused on showcasing the outstanding teaching achievements in arts and crafts disciplines across universities that challenge the traditional talent cultivation model, highlighting the resonance between classical aesthetic experience and the pulse of the current era, and indicating the complementary relationship between traditional craftsmanship and modern cutting-edge technologies. The Academic Exchange Conference for Presidents of Education Institutions and the Xiamen Academic Dialogue focused on the era-defining theme of new quality productive forces, dedicated to providing effective practical strategies for accelerating the innovative integration of arts and crafts with modern technology, promoting the transformation and upgrading of the arts and crafts industry, and exploring pathways for cultivating high-quality talents. The conference has built a bridge between tradition and modernity, education and industry, as well as the development of arts and crafts and scientific innovation. It is an important platform for establishing regular communication, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, and deepening the integration of art and science, and builds momentum for advancing high-quality, coordinated development of the industry-university-research cooperation in arts and crafts in the new era.
Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, in its development, Chinese arts and crafts adhere to the cultural strategy of “Building cultural confidence and strength and securing new successes in developing socialist culture,” and actively explore ways of innovation-driven sustainable development while staying aligned with the needs of the times and upholding the people’s stance. This conference accelerates the deep integration of arts and crafts with modern technology, driving the transformation and upgrading of the industry and education, as well as talent cultivation. It is steadily embracing its pivotal role in flourishing the cultural and artistic landscape and further building cultural confidence and strength in the new era.
Exhibition site
Some of the exhibits
The guests attending this conference also included Yang Dongjiang, Vice President of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, and Executive Deputy Director of the Education Work Committee, China National Arts & Crafts Society; Huang Baoqing, Vice Chairman of the China National Arts & Crafts Society, President of the Fujian Arts & Crafts Society, and Chinese Arts and Crafts Master; Huang Jin, Director and Level 1 Bureau Rank Official of the Publicity Department of the CPC Xiamen Municipal Committee; Lin Zongning, Director of the Cultural Structural Reform and Development Division, Publicity Department of the CPC Xiamen Municipal Committee; Zhang Qi, Executive Director, and Director of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Working Committee, China National Arts & Crafts Society, and President of the College of Art, Beijing Union University; Yin Chuanyin, Director of the China National Arts & Crafts Society, and President of the School of Handicrafts, Hubei Institute of Fine Arts; Gao Lei, Director of the Department of Arts and Crafts, Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts; Ni Yuehong, Executive Director, and Director of the Fiber Arts and Design Committee, China National Arts & Crafts Society; Tang Tingqiang, Executive Director, and Executive Deputy Director of the Education Work Committee, China National Arts & Crafts Society, and President of the School of Handicrafts, Shanghai Art & Design Academy; Yu Chen, Deputy Secretary-General of the Education Work Committee, China National Arts & Crafts Society and General Party Branch Secretary of the School of Arts & Crafts, Suzhou Art & Design Technology Institute; and Liu Runfu, Deputy Secretary-General of the Education Work Committee, China National Arts & Crafts Society, and Associate Professor at the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University.
