The new leadership of the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute (SFAI) in Chongqing wishes to increase their number of international academic partnerships and faculty and student exchanges. They have allocated funding to support departments and colleges to seek international partners.

As a result, the Design Art School of SFAI is looking for UK partners to work together in the following areas:

  1. Overseas studies/training for staff

The Design Art School is planning to send groups of teachers abroad on a regular basis, for short, medium or long-term institutional visits, as visiting scholars or for joint academic research. During the 2016-2017 academic year, the school wishes to send 10-15 teachers to the UK to learn about the curriculum design in arts academies. They hope that a long-term partnership can be developed through the staff exchanges, and to establish an overseas training base for the staff of the school in the UK.

  1. Summer camps and exchanges for students

If a successful partnership is developed concerning the overseas studies/training for staff, there will also be the opportunity for student exchanges between the Design Art School and the UK partners. The Design Art School will encourage its students to take four to six weeks of summer courses at the partnering UK institutions, which ideally should be tailor-made with themes related to design art. The SFAI also encourages its students to pursue further long-term studies overseas at partnering UK institutions.

UK partner institutions are also welcome to develop overseas schemes for their own students with the SFAI, who can offer scholarships to support the application of international students who are interested in Chinese culture, Chinese language and Chinese arts.

Benefits

The partnering UK institutions will:

  • have the opportunity to build partnerships with one of the top arts universities in China, with the opportunity for expansion in future
  • build their brand among Chinese institutions, which may support their future business development and student recruitment in China
  • receive financial reimbursement for their support, to be further negotiated with SFAI.  

Brief introduction of the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute

Located in the city of Chongqing and with a history of over 75 years, the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute is one of the nine most prominent art academies in China and the only one in southwest China. The institute enjoys great prestige, both domestically and internationally. Some of the artworks created by the artists of the institute have become milestones in contemporary Chinese art. SFAI has 11 departments and schools, focusing on Chinese Painting, Oil Painting, Blocking Printing, Sculpture, Art Design, Architecture, Film, TV & Cartoon, Arts Education, Arts, and New Media Arts.

The Design Art School offers many majors, such as Designing Art, Industrial Design, Design of Living Surroundings, Design of Practical Products and Commercial Design. There are now more than 2,000 students (both foreign and domestic undergraduates and postgraduates) in the school.

Timeline

20 May 2016: Proposal submission deadline

10 June 2016: Selected UK partner confirmed

UK institutions interested in this opportunity should contact siem.china@britishcouncil.org.cn by 20 May 2016, 12 noon GMT. Please provide a one-page introduction of your organisation and your proposal for the institutional partnership, and suggestions for the institutional visits of the teachers and students from the Design Arts School of SFAI.