By: Michael R. Thompson
The China-U.S. Education Forum at Columbia University Teachers College is an annual flagship educational exchange event organized by the Teachers College Chinese Students Association (TCCSA). Its mission is to promote deep collaboration and intellectual exchange in education between China, the United States, and the global academic community. Since its founding in 2017, the forum has been held successfully for seven sessions, gathering educational experts, scholars, and practitioners from around the world to discuss trends in education development, policy innovation, and cross-cultural dialogue. The 2025 forum concluded at the end of March and sparked widespread resonance and discussion within the industry. With regard to arts education, innovation and integration have become central topics. In this feature, we interview one of the forum directors Yiyang Shi to delve into these themes.
Q: Under the theme of innovation and integration in arts education, this year’s forum covered topics such as educational reform, the intersection of technology and the humanities, and sustainable development. You invited experts from various artistic disciplines. What new educational practices and research outcomes did they share?
A: Professor Qinyan Zheng from the Central Academy of Fine Arts shared her experience with foundational courses that integrate fine arts and science. By designing interdisciplinary curriculums combining art and science, she aims to stimulate students’ creativity and imagination. She benchmarked her curriculum against the latest U.S. science education standards and analyzed specific student works to examine key issues at each stage of science education and art learning, comparing perspectives from both Chinese and Western contexts.
Hong Zhao, Director of the Center for Arts Education at Tsinghua University, used Tsinghua’s programs as a case study to explore how Chinese universities promote art education for the general student body. Their curriculum includes art appreciation, art history and theory, aesthetics lectures, as well as performance-based classes like dance, music, and traditional Chinese opera. Particularly noteworthy are the creative practice courses where students actively participate in creation, balancing emotional and rational development. These programs not only enhance college students’ aesthetic literacy but also enrich their inner world and nurture their emotional well-being.
Associate Professor Hui Weng from Berklee College of Music drew upon her personal and professional background to share the power of diversity in music. By bridging gaps in teaching and learning through a wealth of musical resources and exchange opportunities, she emphasized how a deep understanding and practice of musical diversity cultivates an open and inclusive learning environment. This enhances students’ cultural awareness and sense of identity, inspires their creativity, and nurtures a new generation of music artists with global vision and cross-cultural communication skills.
Educator and interdisciplinary artist Baitong Yan, serving as both an educational curator and cross-domain artist, presented the ANOBO World Children’s Tech-Art Touring Exhibition as an example of exploring educational models and methods of interdisciplinary arts integration. She designs educational scenes and experiences that resonate with children’s hearts. In the process of exploring the world, children learn to understand and accept themselves, discover their passions, and use these passions to connect with the world and co-create a better future.
Q: Based on the global education perspective, how can Chinese and foreign arts education systems deeply learn from each other and effectively translate that learning into localized teaching practices?
A: There has already been considerable exchange and intersection between Chinese and foreign arts education. It is crucial to deeply understand the core values of different cultures and foster the ability in students and artists to express themselves across cultures while remaining rooted in their own cultural heritage. When cultural backgrounds are respected and understood, students are more likely to break out of conventional aesthetic frameworks and embrace innovation. I hope to see more dialogues like the ones we have at Columbia—forums that preserve cultural identity while also maintaining a global perspective. These exchanges offer more forward-looking and diverse learning environments for both students and the public.
Q: There is still a notable disparity in how art education resources are distributed between urban and rural areas in China. At this stage, what efforts are needed to bridge this gap?
A: At present, the Chinese government and related institutions have launched various rural teacher initiatives to support arts education in rural areas from multiple angles. Additionally, a large number of public welfare programs and charitable donations are being directed toward rural arts education projects. Personally, I have been involved in art tutoring for the children of migrant workers since middle school. In 2018, I received the Outstanding Volunteer Award and was named one of the Top Ten Volunteers in Haidian District, Beijing as part of the Fosun-Prudential Youth Community Volunteer Award. In 2022, I participated in Sina’s public welfare program “Sail Project,” where I served as a dance teacher and curriculum designer, working with many volunteers to provide remote arts education to students in underdeveloped areas. Through persistent efforts, I hope to narrow and improve the inequality in educational resources, and ensure that innovation and integration in arts education are truly implemented.
Published by Jeremy S.
