The China Education on Visual Art Forum, a special session in collaboration with the China Collegial Association for Visual Art at BJIFF 2022, was successfully held at the Beijing Yanqi Lake Convention & Exhibition Center (BYCC) on the morning of August 16. With the theme “The Decade of China Education on Visual Art ”, the forum was hosted by the BJIFF Organizing Committee and co-organized by the Secretariat of the Chinese Collegial Association for Visual Art, the Research Group of Major Project (21ZDA079) of the National Social Science Fund of China and the Film and Television Education Committee of the Chinese Collegial Association for Visual Art.

　　

With Professor Wang Haizhou, Vice President of the China Collegial Association for Visual Art and Dean of the Graduate School, Beijing Film Academy, as the moderator of the theme forum and its opening ceremony, the event was attended by guests including Mr. Bian Jian, member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Editor-in-chief of Beijing Radio & Television Station and Deputy Secretary General of the 12th BJIFF Organizing Committee; Professor Hu Zhifeng, the convener of the Review Team for the Discipline of Drama, Film and Television Studies of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Vice President of Beijing Film Academy; Zhou Xing, Director of the Professional Education Steering Committee of the Discipline of Drama, Film and Television of the Ministry of Education and professor at the School of Art & Communication, Beijing Normal University; Professor Cheng Qiang, Dean of the School of Audio Visual Arts & Communication of Beijing Film Academy; Zhang Gedong, professor at the Anima, Communication University of China; Zhang Yan, professor at the School of Arts & Communication, Beijing Normal University; Professor Zhou Wen, Dean of the Digital Media Department, the School of Arts & Communication, Beijing Normal University; Professor Yu Mei, Dean of the Broadcasting and Anchoring School, Communication University of China; and Zhang Guotao, a research fellow and Executive Director of Media Art and Culture Research Center, Communication University of China.

　　

　　Mr. Bian Jian, member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Editor-in-chief of Beijing Radio & Television Station and Deputy Secretary General of the 12th BJIFF Organizing Committee

In his speech, Mr. Bian Jian said that the BJIFF has evolved into an important cultural label of the capital city of Beijing after 12 years of development, with the principle of “Share the Screen, Shape the Future” to bring together outstanding achievements in world cinema. To expand the influence of the BJIFF among colleges and universities across the country and academically improve the BJIFF, the organizing committee of BJIFF 2022 has reached a comprehensive strategic partnership with the China Collegial Association for Visual Art through friendly consultation. The two sides decided to further cooperate in theme forums, screenings in colleges and universities, publicity and reporting, resource sharing, and other fields in the coming five years. Through these activities, they hope to promote equality and mutual benefit, complementary advantages, mutual support, long-term cooperation, and shared growth between the two parties.

　　

　　Mr. Zhang Guotao, Vice President and Secretary General of the China Collegial Association for Visual Art

Mr. Ding Yaping, a research fellow, President of the Chinese Collegial Association for Visual Art and head of the Arts Department, Communication University of China who could not attend the event for work reasons, specially entrusted research fellow Mr. Zhang Guotao to deliver a speech on his behalf. In his speech, Zhang said that the cooperation between the BJIFF 2022 Organizing Committee and the China Collegial Association for Visual Art in the organizing of theme forums, screenings in colleges and universities, publicity and reporting, resource sharing, and others is an attempt of the Association’s endeavor to continuously expand its social service capabilities and conduct social cooperation at a higher level. This highlights the characteristics of the Chinese Collegial Association for Visual Art which stem from colleges and universities, and fully take academic advantages of the association, while bringing the voice from colleges and universities and the power of academics to the BJIFF.

　　▍China Education on Visual Art Forum – Keynote Speech 

　　

　　Professor Hu Zhifeng, the convener of the Review Team for the Discipline of Drama, Film and Television Studies of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, Director of the Academic Committee of the Chinese Collegial Association for Visual Art, and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Vice President of Beijing Film Academy

At the Theme Forum session, Prof. Hu Zhifeng gave a keynote speech titled “The Decade: The Development of Chinese Drama, Film and Television Disciplines in the New Era”. He highlighted the progress and achievements of the development of Chinese drama, film and television disciplines in the new era, their current development status and problems, and their priorities and main directions in the coming decade. In his speech, Prof. Hu emphasized that Chinese drama, film and television studies should first develop Chinese characteristics and have their own autonomy and subjectivity. With such a profound cultural tradition and heritage, and a vast network of film and television business and industry, China is well positioned to build a Chinese subjective and autonomous knowledge system of drama, film and television disciplines based on film and television practice in China. This system should emphasize the basic tenets of Chinese-style Marxism, Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and a series of innovative theories of the Communist Party of China as guidance, following the excellent traditional Chinese culture as the basis for the construction of the knowledge system of domestic and foreign film and television disciplines. It should also uphold the standard of value of combining the interests of the people, discipline orientation, problem awareness, and practice as criterion of truth. The system must be generally rooted in Chinese land, grounded in Chinese practice, and reflect In general, it is rooted in Chinese land, based on Chinese practice, pursue Chinese style, and place a priority on the subjectivity and autonomy as we develop Chinese drama film and television disciplines.

　　

　　Mr. Zhou Xing, Director of the Professional Education Steering Committee of the Discipline of Drama, Film and Television of the Ministry of Education, Deputy Director of the Academic Committee of the Chinese Collegial Association for Visual Art, and professor at the School of Art & Communication, Beijing Normal University

Prof. Zhou Xing positioned his speech topic as “An Urgent Need of Aesthetic Education on Visual Art to Advance Film and Television Studies in Colleges and Universities”. In his speech, Prof. Zhou emphasized that since the 18th CPC National Congress, especially the 19th CPC National Congress, Chinese film and television industry has been gaining a vigorous momentum and reaching a climax. With the advances in technology, China’s film market has jumped to the second position in the world, achieving a high-level growth compared to the previous five or six years. However, the booming development of the industry also comes with the issue of fostering people’s cultural appreciation, media literacy, and aesthetic attainment. Film educators should pay increased attention to aesthetic characteristics and taste, so much so that education on visual art can take root and blossom. Although visual art needs to be verified by the market, education on it cannot follow the market, in turn. The top priority for influential art schools is to foster virtue through education. Only those with the ability to control over film and television communication who develop a good aesthetic quality can serve society on a broader basis. Education on visual art should not only adapt to the needs of the development of images in the high-tech era, but also focus on people orientation, human nature and the aesthetic expression of Chinese value behind the education driven by science and technology. In the process, we should ground ourselves in the demand of film and television adaptive to the psychology of young people in creation, while stressing the importance of Chinese cultural values and traditional aesthetic quality education.

　　▍China Education on Visual Art Forum – Round-table Discussion

China’s film and television industry has seen a rapid development over the past two decades, including such segments as film, radio, television, online audio-visual art, animation, and digital art. The round-table discussion session brought together deans, subject leaders, and persons in charge of disciplines in the sector of education on visual art in China, such as the industries of education on film, television, online audio-visual art, broadcasting and hosting, animation, and digital media to analyze and extensively explore talent cultivation, discipline construction, and specialty development. The round-table discussion session was moderated by Mr. Zhang Guotao.

　　

　　Scene of the China Education on Visual Art Forum—Round-table Discussion

Based on his teaching experience, Professor Wang Haizhou shared his views on education on visual art from four dimensions. First, education on visual art should build a solider people-oriented foundation, and develop students to have a deep mastery of the knowledge of Chinese tradition, Chinese philosophy, and human civilization at an excellent level in daily teaching. Second, it should widen social horizons, requiring students to experience and understand life, and enabling them to learn more about Chinese society through a variety of meaningful social practice activities for artistic expression. Third, it should keep pace with cutting-edge technology. Digital technology is changing the way films and images are produced, so it is difficult for students to accomplish their tasks if they do not follow the times and stand at the forefront of technological innovation, but remain to follow the traditional way. Finally, it should be innovative in artistic expression. Lastly, film and television education should be innovative in artistic expression. Innovation is a prerequisite for artistic vitality. Beijing Film Academy has launched a teaching program, “experimental class for top talents”, at the postgraduate level, which allows students to master the basic skills for filmmaking and give full play to their potential on their own, providing more fresh forces for the upgrading of Chinese cinema in terms of film language.

　　

　　Professor Wang Haizhou, Vice President of the China Collegial Association for Visual Art and Dean of the Graduate School, Beijing Film Academy

　　

　　Professor Cheng Qiang, Deputy Secretary General of the China Collegial Association for Visual Art and Dean of the School of Audio Visual Arts & Communication of Beijing Film Academy

　　

　　Mr. Zhang Gedong, council member of the China Collegial Association for Visual Art and professor at the Anima, Communication University of China

　　

　　Professor Zhou Wen, council member of the China Collegial Association for Visual Art and Dean of the Digital Media Department, the School of Arts & Communication, Beijing Normal University

Professor Zhou Wen shared two revelations from her teaching. First, top talents must have both professional competence and cultural literacy. Second, their education and cultivation are a long way. Prof. Zhou said that digital media is a fusion of art and technology, and hopes that more students can develop the ability of interdisciplinary learning, a more international vision and a more profound cultural appreciation in education.

　　

　　Professor Yu Mei, Dean of the Broadcasting and Anchoring School, Communication University of China

Professor Yu Mei shared her insights on talent cultivation in the process of education on broadcasting and hosting. For the major in broadcasting and hosting of the Communication University of China, she summarized four aspects: profound foundation, wide caliber, emphasis on practice, and diversity. Broadcast workers must be responsible and bear a mission with a strong political stance and a strong sense of social responsibility, and at the same time have the ability to disseminate information, language, and practice and innovate. So, students should be trained in a way that an indomitable spirit is promoted and the talk is walked. Only when they are brought to the real life for experience can they enrich their inner world and achieve sincere expression.

　　

　　Ms. Zhang Yan, Deputy Secretary General of the China Collegial Association for Visual Art and professor at the School of Arts & Communication, Beijing Normal University

　　

　　Group photo of panelists of the China Education on Visual Art Forum

Research fellow Prof. Zhang Guotao, the moderator of the roundtable discussion session, summed up the achievements made at the forum. Firstly, the forum had a long look at the achievements made over the past decade and boosted the confidence in education on visual art; secondly, we recognized the current situation and the challenges facing the future; finally, we clarified where China education on visual art is heading. To wrap up, he said that, in the future, China education on visual art will face many challenges like the Chinese film and television industry, but there will also be opportunities, such as the building of a cultural power, technology empowerment, and the metaverse industry. Looking into the future, the development of Chinese film and television industry needs more talents—which represents the biggest blue and red oceans of China education on visual art. All colleges and universities should capture the opportunity and rise to the challenge as time is not on our side, making their contributions.