Introduction of CUC Anima

Introduction to the School of Animation and Digital Arts

Established in 2001, the School of Animation and Digital Arts of Communication University of China (CUC) is one of the first institutions in China to engage in teaching and research of animation, digital media art, game design and new media design. Relying on the disciplinary advantages of Communication University of China in the field of media industry, through twenty years of development, the School has established a complete undergraduate, master's and doctoral talent training system, forming the characteristics of interdisciplinary, cross-media, art and science integration; Digital media art has entered the national "985 Advantageous Discipline Innovation Platform”. Animation Study was rated as key cross-disciplinary Subject of Beijing, with Digital Art has been established as Secondary Interdisciplinary Subject. In the ranking of National Undergraduate Majors in 2021, Animation, Cartoon, Digital Media Art and New Media Art are ranked first in China.

The School of Animation and Digital Art is also the Secretariat of the Teaching Steering Committee of Animation & Digital Media, for the Ministry of Education; the Secretariat of the Expert Committee of Animation Textbook Development for the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture; the National Animation Teaching and Research Base of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television; the Construction Point of Animation Specialty of the Ministry of Education; the construction point of animation, digital media art and digital media technology of the Ministry of Education, and Digital Media Technology, the first-class professional construction point; the Education Committee of China Animation Society, and Beijing Key Laboratory Digital Animation Technology Research Laboratory where the unit is located. It has established academic platforms such as China (Beijing) International University Animation Festival, China Animation Yearbook, and Digital Creative Talent High School of the Ministry of Culture, which have had a wide impact at home and abroad.

The Academy has twice won the "Best Animation Education Institution" award from the Ministry of Culture and Arts Government Award. The works of teachers and students have been highly fruitful, winning nearly 100 awards and nominations in international first-class festivals such as American Student Oscars, Moscow International Film Festival, Tokyo Animation Festival in Japan, Angersy International Animation Festival in France, Stuttgart Animation Festival in Germany, and more than 200 awards in domestic first-class festivals such as Huabiao Award, Golden Eagle Award, China International Animation Festival "Golden Monkey Award", China International Cartoon Festival "Golden Dragon Award", "Monkey Award" of the Chinese Animation Society and other first-class domestic festivals, and more than 200 awards.It has successively launched such domestic first-line cultural IPs as Three Kingdoms, Rabbitsky, Kung Fu Rabbit and Vegetable Bag Dog, and created many commercial animation works that have achieved good ratings and box office, such as The Legend of Huainanzi, I Am Wolf and Jiang Ziya, etc. The graduate masterpiece White Snake, White Snake 2: Green Snake and such works have also become the work of animated film word of mouth.

The school has established long-term partnerships with top domestic and foreign companies such as Disney, DreamWorks, Microsoft, Unity, Tencent, Alibaba, Innovation Works, Shanghai Fine Arts Film Studio and other top international institutions such as Sheridan College in Canada, Gobelins College in France, Potsdam Film and Television Institute in Germany, Canadian Digital Media Centre, Bournemouth University in the UK and National University of the Arts in Korea, and an international cooperation network has been established throughout the US, Europe and Asia.

History

Early Years

2000 The CUC became one of the first universities in China to offer undergraduate courses in animation (School of Television and School of Information Engineering).

2001 Founding of Department of Science and Arts in the School of Information Engineering.

2001 Founding of the School of Animation.

One of the first animation schools in China.

2003 Started offering course in Digital Media Arts approved by the Ministry of Education.

The first Digital Media course in China.

2004 The first group of national animation teaching and research bases of the National Radio and Television Administration.

2005 Merge of the Department of Science and Art and the School of Animation. Moved to Building 31.

2005 Founding of China (Beijing) International Student Animation Festival.

The first student animation film festival in China.

2005 Creation of PhD programmes in Animation and Digital Arts.

China's first complete system of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in animation and digital media art.

‍

Development

2008 Partnership with over 30 leading international animation schools, including Goblins, Sheridan and CalArts.

The first animation school in China to establish an extensive network of international cooperations.

2008 Student works such as “The Legend of Three Kingdoms” and “Tuzki” became nationwide cultural phenomena.

2009 Became home of the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Culture’s Expert Committee on the Construction of Teaching Materials for Animation in Higher Education.

2010 Establishment of the first digital game design programme in China approved by the Ministry of Education.

China’s first game design course.

2010 Li Changchun, then member of the Standing Committee of the Central Politburo, visited the School of Animation and highly affirmed its training model.

2011 The School changed its name to School of Animation and Digital Arts and entered the National “985 Project” Discipline Innovation Platform.

2011 Awarded the Best Animation Education Institution in the First China Culture and Arts Government Award for Animation.

The first Best Animation Education Institution at the China Culture and Arts Government Awards.

2012 At the "Exhibition on the Development Achievements of China's Animation Industry since the 17th National Congress" held by the leading group of ten ministries and commissions to support the animation industry, the School’s educational model was highly affirmed by Li Changchun and other national leaders.

‍

Achievements

2012 “Happy Anniversary", "Lion Dance" and other student productions won successive notable international awards

2013 Became home of the Secretariat of the Higher Education Steering Committee on Animation and Digital Media of the Ministry of Education

Ministry of Education's first animation and digital media teaching committee

2014 The School was once again awarded the Best Animation Education Institution Award at the China Culture and Arts Government Awards for Animation

2015 The Secretariat of the Steering Committee completed the the National Quality Standards for Undergraduate Majors in Animation and Digital Media Arts Teaching

The first national standards for teaching quality in animation and digital media

2016 Animated film ‘Monkey King: Hero is Back', produced by the School’s graduates, achieved wide social impact

2017 Founded Digital Entertainment (E-sports) pathway

China's first digital entertainment (E-sports) degree pathway for universities

2018 Short live action film 'Spring Flowers', directed by the School’s graduate, won Gold at the US Student Academy Award

‍

Since 2018 Each year, a large number of student and faculty productions, such as " White Snake", "Nezha: Birth of the Demon Child ", "The Legend of Deification", "The Island of Siliang", "Wool Wool Town" and others, gained great social influence and won a number of notable awards at home and abroad

Programmes

After nearly a decade of development, the School now has three secondary disciplines, including Animation, Digital media art and Game design, with a complete undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral educational and research system for animation and digital media art. Undergraduate courses in Animation and Digital Media Art include Animation Directing, Animation Design, Digital Animation, Game Design, Digital Screen Production, Media Design, etc.; Master's degree courses include Animation Creation and Research, Animation Art Theory, Animation Industry Research, Digital Media Art Theory Research, Digital Media Art and Technology Research, Internet Multimedia Design, etc. The PhD programme includes Animation Theory Research, Animation Industry Research, Digital Media Art Theory, Digital Content Research, and other areas.

Quick facts

1580

Students Population

85+

Teacher Population

7000+

Graduates Population

93%

Employment Rate

let's create the future of animation digital art together!

                  Chairman of the Teaching Steering Committee for Animation and
                  Digital Media, Ministry of Education
                
                  Four national first-class undergraduate programs (Animation
                  /Digital media art /Digital media technology /Arts and
                  technology)
                
                  China's first national animation teaching and research
                  base
                
                  Chinese Culture and Art Government Award the first group of
                  best animation education institutions
                
                  China digital media art professional education ingenious
                  institute
                
                  China digital entertainment [Electronic Sports] professional
                  education founding colleges
                
                  Animation , Digital media art , New media art ranked No. 1
                  nationally in three majors in 2022
                
                  The works of teachers and students have been shortlisted and
                  won nearly 2000 awards in professional festivals and
                  exhibitions at home and abroad
                
                  China's first national animation teThe cumulative box
                  office of the films created by teachers and students is nearly
                  10 billion yuan  Legend of Deification , White Snake , Ne Zha , Go Brother!
                    , Hidden Man aching and research base
                
                  Our graduates are employed in all over the world animation,
                  games, Internet, film and television, Electronic Sports and
                  new media head enterprises