CGU and Chinese Arts Academy to Exchange Scholars, Students
Claremont Graduate University and Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts have agreed on a cultural exchange that enables faculty visits and allows Tianjin graduates to enroll as students in CGU’s MFA program.
The agreement was signed by the university’s Interim President Jacob Adams and Tianjin Academy President Deng Guoyuan during a signing ceremony held at the CGU President’s House.
“Over the course of my term, what has been most satisfying to me are the relationships that move our university forward,” Adams told President Deng and guests once the documents were signed. “This agreement fulfills both of our respective missions as well as moving us forward.”
The agreement provides two separate features: an academic exchange of scholars between the two institutions and the recommendation of Tianjin Academy graduates for CGU’s MFA program.
Also attending the ceremony were Art Department Chair Rachel Lachowicz and her colleagues professors David Amico and David Pagel; School of Arts & Humanities Dean Patrick Mason; Provost Patricia Easton; and translator Yi Kai, who has assisted CGU since 2013 in facilitating cultural exchanges.
Tianjin Academy is located in the northern coastal region of mainland China and ranks among one of the country’s top 10 art institutions. Every year some 50,000 students vie for just 1,000 spots at the academy, which offers undergraduate training in a range of fine arts disciplines from painting and sculpture to digital media and fashion.
The 112-year-old academy has forged relationships with some 40 schools and universities around the world; in Southern California, that includes California Institute of the Arts and California State University, Long Beach.
In addition to recommending students for CGU’s acclaimed MFA program, Tianjin Academy has agreed to host six scholars for a 21-day visit this year, which includes providing them with art studio access, interpretation and translation services, and lodging and travel during their stay in Tianjin. In 2019, CGU agrees to receive a visit from six Tianjin scholars under similar terms.
President Deng said he was particularly thrilled to establish this new partnership with CGU.
“I have spent time touring CGU, speaking to faculty and seeing student works, and I believe that CGU’s art education offers something very special,” President Deng said in an interview before the ceremony. “I strongly believe that Tianjin students who come here to study will reach another very high level in their art.”