The Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University will mark its 70th anniversary on November 1, 2026, with a development conference, an academic forum and an invitational exhibition.
The Academy traces its origins to the Central Academy of Arts & Design, founded in 1956. It became part of Tsinghua University in 1999 and was renamed the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University. Over seven decades, the Academy has upheld the principle of “art for everyday life and design in service of people’s livelihoods,” contributing to and witnessing the development of modern art and design education in China.
The Academy warmly invites scholars, professionals, faculty, students and alumni to gather on the Tsinghua campus to renew ties and discuss the future.
70th Anniversary Conference on the Development of the Academy
The conference will review the Academy’s 70-year history and take stock of its achievements and experience in discipline development, talent cultivation, artistic creation and research, and public service. Participants will discuss the opportunities and challenges facing art and design education in the new era, as well as its mission and responsibilities.
The conference aims to build consensus, bring together support from across the community, clarify the Academy’s development priorities and inspire faculty and students to advance its work.
Date and time: Sunday, November 1, 2026, 9:30–11:30 a.m.
Venue: Tsinghua University Auditorium
Academic Forum
Five parallel sessions will be held on the afternoon of November 1.
Session One
Coexistence: Integrating Across Disciplinary Boundaries
Moderator: Shi Danqing, Vice Dean, Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University
Date and time: Sunday, November 1, 2026, 2:30–5 p.m.
Venue: C103 Platform, Department of Sculpture, Academy of Arts & Design
Session Two
Nurturing New Talent: Shaping the Leaders of the Future
Moderator: Li Yingjun, Vice Dean, Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University
Date and time: Sunday, November 1, 2026, 2:30–5 p.m.
Venue: Room C417, Academy of Arts & Design
Session Three
Intelligence-Driven Transformation: Reconfiguring Knowledge Creation
Moderator: Wang Xiaomo, Vice Dean, Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University
Date and time: Sunday, November 1, 2026, 2:30–5 p.m.
Venue: C528 Lecture Hall, Academy of Arts & Design
Session Four
Revitalization: Bringing Aesthetics to Life
Moderator: Fan Yinliang, Vice Dean, Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University
Date and time: Sunday, November 1, 2026, 2:30–5 p.m.
Venue: A318 Conference Room, Academy of Arts & Design
Session Five
Plurality: Bringing Creative Voices Together to Foster Innovation
Moderator: Gu Liming, Director, Tsinghua University Art Museum
Date and time: Sunday, November 1, 2026, 2:30–5:30 p.m.
Venue: Hall 1, Tsinghua University Art Museum
Invitational Exhibition
One Lineage, Myriad Forms: An Invitational Exhibition Marking the 70th Anniversary of the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University will be organized around four themes: “Lineages of Form,” “The Way of Making,” “The Public Dimension” and “Opening New Horizons.”
The exhibition will present representative works and archival materials from 79 current faculty members and alumni, examined through individual case studies. Together, they will trace the modern disciplinary landscape shaped by the integration of art and science across the Academy’s 70-year history, including its contributions to design and the fine arts.
Exhibition dates: November 1, 2026–January 6, 2027
Opening ceremony: Sunday, November 1, 2026, 1:30–2:30 p.m.
Venue: Visual Art Center of Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University
Gatherings for Retired Faculty and Alumni
Retired faculty gathering
Date and time: Sunday, November 1, 2026, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Venue: Individual departments or Conference Room A327
Alumni gathering
Date and time: Sunday, November 1, 2026, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Venue: Individual departments or Room C527
As the Academy looks back on seven decades of achievement and toward a new chapter, it will continue to uphold the values of integrity and innovation, using art to inspire thought and design to serve society. Alumni from China and around the world, along with friends and colleagues from all sectors, are invited to join the celebration on the Tsinghua campus.
