The developments of Chinese characteristic education in this new epoch are rooted in China, which feature the integration of cultures from China and foreign countries while also embracing with the future. On 19th October, 2019, the (Sino-French) Institute of Arts and Design Management at China Central Academy of Fine Arts (abbr. CAFA) held its grand opening ceremony for all the freshmen at the Huajiadi campus of CAFA. It marks the establishment of the ninth branch of speciality at CAFA as well as the first cooperative education institution founded by CAFA between China and a foreign country.
Guests attended the opening ceremony included Fan Di’an, President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Jean François DOULET, Attaché de coopération universitaire d’action culturelle, Ambassade de France en Chine, Prof. Yu Ding, Head of the Preparatory Team of the (Sino-French) Institute, Jean-Francois VERGNAUD, Representative of the French Universities for the (Sino-French) Institute, leaders as well as heads of various relevant departments at CAFA. They jointly witnessed the opening ceremony for all the freshmen of the (Sino-French) Institute. The ceremony was presided over by Wang Ke who was a member of the preparatory team of the (Sino-French) Institute.
It took five years for the (Sino-French) Institute of Arts and Design Management to be officially opened, it has undergone negotiation, application and approval. In September 2019, the (Sino-French) Institute of Arts and Design Management was officially approved by the Ministry of Education (Approval for Foreign Education [2019] No. 63), cooperating with the Sorbonne University and KEDGE Business School to establish the institute in Shanghai and it started to recruit undergraduates since 2019.
At the opening ceremony, Professor Fan Di’an, President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, emphasized the significance of the establishment of the (Sino-French) Institute of Arts and Design Management: “The day of 19th October, 2019 is destined to become an important turn in the history of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. On the one hand, for the Central Academy of Fine Arts which just celebrated its centenary year, the institute will not only be an inevitable requirement for our further development in education, it will also be a new contribution by CAFA to the brand new relations among international cultures.”
Jean François DOULET, Attaché de coopération universitaire d’action culturelle, Ambassade de France en Chine, delivered his most sincere wishes for the establishment of the (Sino-French) Institute of Arts and Design Management, and he expressed that, “I believe that this major education project will soon prove its great value. The reputation of its French partners is based on the influence of this great and beautiful institution of the Central Academy of Fine Arts as its education background is almost perfect…Over the past century, China and France have jointly supported the cooperation projects at universities and the great importance has been attached to the dissemination of knowledge and we are dedicated to providing diversified education to the world. The (Sino-French) Institute of Arts and Design Management will confirm the continuous deepening cooperation between China and France in the specialized fields.”
Prof. Yu Ding, Head of the Preparatory Team of the (Sino-French) Institute introduced the event stated that, “through the trans-boundary cooperation in art, design, business, the (Sino-French) Institute of Arts and Design Management explores and establishes a mature talent training system in the fields of art management, administration of museums and cultural institutions, design management and cultural industry management, and it will provide innovations and stable intellectual support for Chinese economic and social development.”
Jean-Francois VERGNAUD, Representative of the French Universities for the (Sino-French) Institute, mentioned in his speech that, “The Sorbonne University, known as the ‘mother of European universities’, is an internationally acclaimed institution of higher learning with the widest range of subjects in all the schools of art, language and culture in France. It advocates the freedom, diversity, creativity, rigor and openness of human society. KEDGE Business School was founded by the long-established Marseille Business School and the Bordeaux Business School. It is known for its education and research in the management of art and cultural industries. It advocates ‘innovation to serve the community of human destiny’. The two French institutions are willing to cooperate with the Central Academy of Fine Arts in the principle of cooperation, pragmatism and mutual trust, and introduce high-quality French teachers and educational resources to CAFA. They will jointly build a high-level institution in the field of art design and management, to cultivate more interdisciplinary innovative talent, to serve the innovation of China’s higher art education, and to cultivate the international talent needed for the cultural and artistic industries in China and France. Carrying forward the inheritance of China and France in the fields of culture, it will carry on the mission of communication between China and France in the fields of culture, art and education.”
As the first cooperative educational institution established by the Central Academy of Fine Arts, the (Sino-French) Institute of Arts and Design Management will provide a new model for the future cooperation between CAFA and other international art colleges. The establishment of the (Sino-French) Institute of Arts and Design Management will also lead to the formation of “two schools and one institute” in the discipline of art management, and thus become the world’s largest training base and research center for professionals in art management.
Text and photo by the organizer, edited and translated by Sue/CAFA ART INFO
