History and brief introdution

Founded in 1973, Shandong University of Art & Design (SUAD) is located in the historical and cultural city, Jinan, the capital city of Shandong province.Now it has 4 campuses(two campuses in Jinan, one Innovation and Entrepreneurship College in Zibo and one Industry and Education Integration Base in Qingdao), 7678 students and 770 staff.As the only one specialized in design among the independent state-owned art and design universities, it has formed a multi-level education pattern, including graduate, undergraduate, vocational, continuing, community art and senior high school education. SUAD has 15 academic institutions: School of Visual Communication Design, School of Architecture and Landscape Design, School of Industrial Design, School of Fashion, School of Fine Arts, School of Modern Handicraft, School of Digital Art and Communication, School of Arts and Humanities, School of Applied Design, School of Continuing Education, Public Course Teaching Department, Ideological and Political Theory Teaching and Research Department, Art and Design Practice Teaching Center, Innovation and Entrepreneurship College (Zibo Ceramic Institute), and Affiliated Secondary School of Fine Arts. SUAD has museums, art galleries, and research institutions such as Chinese Folk Art Institute, Design Strategy Research Center, Anthropology Institute and Image Art Institute. SUAD edits a journal entitled ARTOF DESIGN and operates a specialized website DESIGN.CN.

SUAD is approved as an institution of the national program for the integration between industry and education for the 13th 5-Year Plan, one of the first batch of famous universities with characteristics aiming to cultivate application-oriented talents in Shandong Province, also a provincial construction unit of application-oriented talent training, a construction unit of 2017- 2023 doctor's degree conferring and project establishment in Shandong Province, and the construction unit of community with innovation and entrepreneurship for cultural creative industry as well as smart manufacturing and design.

Disciplines

SUAD now has 4 discipline categories: Art, Literature, Engineering and Management, 11 first-level disciplines, and develops into a structure that design as the leading, fine arts as the foundation, related disciplines as the support, and traditional arts & crafts as the characteristics. Design is one of the first-class disciplines in Shandong Province. According to Shanghai Ranking, design is at the top 6% in China (2019). Design Art Studies, Art, Drama & Film Studies are the key disciplines during 12th 5-Year Plan, out of which Art Design is among the provincial characteristic specialties, Design Art Studies and Art have been included in Taishan Scholar program. Art theory, Design, and Fine Arts are the Master's degree authorization center of first-level disciplines. Art Design and Art are authorized disciplines for the Master of Fine Arts (MFA).

SUAD is committed to the educational philosophy of Seeking development with characteristics. It has established the National Talent Training Model Innovation Experimental Zone, the National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center, the Shandong Provincial Higher Education Talent Training Model Innovation Experimental Zone, and the Shandong Provincial Experimental (Teaching) Demonstration Center. There are 3 national-level characteristic specialties: Art Design, Animation and Design Art Studies, 6 national first-class undergraduate professional construction sites: Industrial Design, Design Art Studies, Visual Communication Design, Clothing and Apparel Design, Arts and Crafts, as well as Art and Technology, 12 first-class undergraduate professional provincial construction sites such as Fashion Design and Engineering, 4 high-level application-oriented project construction specialized groups in Shandong Province. With the mission of “Design for the People”, SUAD has established and continuously optimized the innovation and practice teaching system of design education, and is striving to train innovative applied design talents with "scientific spirit, humane accomplishment, art innovation and technical capability".

Academic teams

SUAD boasts excellent academic teams, including the leading talents of national philosophy and social science, senior experts affiliated to the central government, famous experts of Chinese culture, four batches of talents of Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, experts enjoying special government allowance of the State Council, vice chairman of the Higher Education Direction Committee of the Ministry of Education, national outstanding teachers, national advanced education workers, top 10 outstanding young people in China design industry, distinguished professors of Taishan Scholar in Shandong Province, provincial outstanding young and middle-aged experts, specialized technical talents of Shandong Province, distinguished teachers of Shandong Province, the cultural genius of Qilu region (Shandong Province). SUAD appoints a team of honorary, visiting and part-time professors as well as Six Arts Scholars from home and abroad.

Research platforms

SUAD is equipped with many scientific research platforms such as National Animation Industry Development Base, Traditional Handicraft Research Base of China Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center, Intangible Cultural Heritage Research Center of Shandong Province, and Environmental Art Design Comprehensive Laboratory. In recent years, SUAD has undertaken and completed major national, provincial and ministerial research projects, including the major bidding projects and the key projects of the National Social Science Fund; participated in or presided over projects with the themes of Chinese Folk Cultural Heritage Rescue Project and Handicraft in Villages, etc. Teachers and students have won gold prizes in National Art Exhibitions and international design competitions, including the Red Dot, German IF and American Formula E Design Championship (FE), etc.

Design programs

As a design university, SUAD adheres to the motto of serving the society with design. Relying on its professional advantages, SUAD participated in many key national and provincial design programs and projects, such as official poster of the Beijing Olympic Games, the visual image system of the 11th National Games, Shandong Week of the World Expo in Yeosu of Korea. SUAD took leading role in the construction and operation of Shandong Exhibition Zone of China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF), Theme Exhibition of Shandong Regional Development Strategy, Shandong Week at Astana World Expo in Kazakhstan, etc. SUAD has also presided over a range of landmark design tasks: Shandong Pavilion for the Shanghai World Expo, the artistic and creative design of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Qingdao Summit, the design of the National Day Reception and the achievements exhibition for the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China etc.. SUAD was also one of the organizers of the 13th National Art Exhibition, which provided a communication platform for the art design career and education.

SUAD has signed cooperation agreements with over 10 municipal and prefecture-level governments in Shandong Province, well-known organizations such as the National Museum of China, top famous enterprises such as Inspur Group and Haier Group. Positive results have been achieved in cooperation on key projects of industrial design, urban planning, cultural and creative industries and think-tank services. SUAD has established theGolden Seedincubator for cultural and creative industry in Shandong Province, which continuously improves the integrated development mechanism featuring professional personnel training, creative design research and development, regional economy and cultural service integration.

International

SUAD is committed to an open strategy. It has established extensive educational cooperation and international academic exchange relations with universities (institutions) in more than 40 countries and regions, signed agreements or MoU with above 40 universities, and expanded a series of overseas education cooperation projects on the basis of abundant international resources. SUAD joined the International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media (CUMULUS) in 2005. It became a member of International Council of Design (Ico-D) and hosted alliance meetings and educational exchange activities in 2008. For the past few years, SUAD has organized a series of major exhibitions and academic seminars, such as China (Jinan) Contemporary International Photography Biennale, Jinan International Design Biennale for University and College Students,International Forum for Art & Design University Presidents (2013), The 2nd International Public Art Award Jinan Academic Seminar (co-hosted with University of Auckland, New Zealand, 2015), International Forum on New Urbanization and Traditional Craft Protection and Development (2016), which help to deepen academic and cultural exchanges with both domestic and international universities and organizations.

Adhering to the spirit of the school motto "Heavenly Creations and Human Creativity" and centering on the characteristics of design art education, Shandong University of Art & Design takes on the mission of talent training, scientific research, social service and cultural inheritance, so as to realize the philosophy of "serving the society with design, leading the life habits with design".