Overview and Objectives of the Program
Major Overview
The programme has been in operation since 2004 and has a philosophy of "art as body, technology as application and innovation as method", with an emphasis on theoretical research. At the same time, the programme focuses on the expansion of animation in new media, digital technology and industrial operation. After years of development and reform, the programme has accumulated rich teaching experience and industry resources, become an important academic talent training and research base for animation in China, and trained a number of leading talents in animation theory research and teaching.
Trainning Objective
This programme focuses on cutting-edge theoretical issues in animation art and industry practice, cultivating high-level, complex academic talents with good humanistic and artistic qualities. A systematic grasp of the basic theories and professional knowledge of the discipline, good scientific research and academic training. A sense of interdisciplinary innovation and the ability to innovate, and the ability to use relevant theories with professional knowledge to carry out theoretical innovation in animation art or academic research on topics related to the animation industry, and to engage in animation research.
Research Directions and Contents
On the one hand, it takes animated art presented in the media of film, television, Internet, games, installation art and virtual simulation as its object of research; it investigates the form and rules of creation of animated art in the context of contemporary digital technology; it focuses on the history and reality of animation as an independent art; and, through an interdisciplinary research path, it places animation under the multiple perspectives of aesthetics, culture, philosophy and technology.
On the other hand, in the context of media and industry integration, the programme conducts interdisciplinary and multifaceted research and practical exploration at the macro level of animation industry structure, industrial policy and development, as well as at the micro level of animation project planning, production management, media communication, brand licensing and derivative development.
Faculty
The programme has an interdisciplinary faculty with a high level of professionalism and a balanced mix of artistic, technical and humanistic backgrounds. The faculty members are highly influential in the academic research of animation and the cutting-edge field of film and animation creation, mainly in the fields of animation history, animation aesthetics, animation creation and animation industry theory. At the same time, more than 20 renowned animation scholars and industry experts from home and abroad are employed as part-time postgraduate tutors.
The teachers of this programme have undertaken a number of national and provincial projects, such as the Ministry of Propaganda's special project "Rescue Project of Modern Chinese Cartoons", the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television's social science project "Research on Digital Representation of Chinese Folk Tales", the Ministry of Science and Technology's National Key Research and Development Programme "Research and Development of Key Technologies for Modern Service Industry and Application Demonstration", and the Ministry of Education's Humanities and Social Science Base's major project "Strategic Research on China's Animation Industry".
Moreover, the faculty has also created many famous animation works such as the Beijing Olympic Games mascot animation "Fuwa", the Internet animation "Kung Fu Rabbit", the animation movie "Jiang Ziya", the TV animation "The Legend of Huainanzi" and "Mao Mao Town".
Talents Development
Main Courses
Animation art theory, Frontiers of animation art and technology, Animation research methodology, Animation creation research, Animation industry research, Film history theory, etc.
Research Platform
The programme holds a number of important research platforms, including the Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Animation Technology Research, the National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Centre of Animation and Digital Media Art, and the National Animation Teaching and Research Base. It also has a number of research institutions such as the Animation Research Institute, the Digital Technology and Art Research and Development Centre, the editorial department of the 《Chinese Animation Chronicle》, the Asian Animation Research Centre and the Chinese Animation Art Exhibition Hall, forming a platform that integrates research, teaching, creation and production. It is also the home of the Ministry of Education's Animation and Digital Media Arts Education Committee and the Ministry of Culture's Advanced Training Base for Digital Creativity；is the organiser of the China (Beijing) International Student Animation Festival；In responsible for the "Joint Training Experimental Class for High-end Animation Talents" organized by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture; the base of the "Training for Young Backbone Teachers of Animation" of the Ministry of Education；It is the location of the National Association of Computer Basic Education in Higher Education; it is the location of the Animation and Digital Media Art Committee of the National Association of Film and Television in Higher Education. The professional development unit was awarded the China Culture and Arts Government Award - Best Animation Education Institution in 2012.
Awards and Journal articles, Invention patents, etc.
In recent years, the work of teachers and students has won more than 50 awards and nominations at leading international festivals such as the Student Oscars, the New York Design Competition, the Siggraph, the Chicago International Film Festival, the Tokyo Animation Festival, the Angersy International Animation Festival, the Stuttgart Animation Festival, the Roanne International Animation Festival, the BAF Animation Awards, the Tehran International Animation Festival and the One Show. It has also received more than 50 awards and nominations from leading international festivals. These include the Huabiao Award, the Golden Eagle Award, the Golden Monkey Award of the China International Animation Festival, the Golden Dragon Award of the China International Cartoon Festival, the Monkey Award of the China Animation Society, the Golden Calf Award of the Taiwan Times and other leading festivals in China. It has won more than 200 awards at leading festivals and exhibitions in China, including the China Watch Award, the Golden Eagle Award, the Golden Monkey Award of the China International Animation Festival, the Golden Dragon Award of the China International Cartoon Festival, the Monkey Award of the China Animation Society and the Golden Calf Award of the Taiwan Times.</p><p id=""></p><p id="">The thesis released by the students won the Outstanding Award in the Postgraduate Category of the 7th National Student Film Criticism Competition, and the Bronze Award in the National Film Academy's Young Scholars Forum.
Academic Exchange Programme
This Digitial Art program was chosen as part of the "Asian Campus Programme" initiated by the Ministries of Education of China, Japan and South Korea, which aims to cultivate cross-cultural artistic talents in the fields of animation and new media. While also has the Collaborated program "China-Japan-Korea(CJK) Cowork International Student Animation Co-Creation Project". We have also established long-term educational partnerships with the Institut Gobran in France, Northeastern University in the USA, Sheridan College in Canada and Bournemouth University in the UK.
We also host Aniwow! China (Beijing) International Student Animation Festival yearly, including "China Animation Young Scholars' Forum" to encourage theoretical research and academic discussion on animation.
Career Path for Graduates
Graduates of this subject are mainly located in domestic higher education institutions, government cultural departments and other agencies. There are also many graduates working for first-tier film and television companies, animation companies, animation channels of central and provincial television stations, as well as Internet media, engaged in animation theory research, teaching, creation, production and other aspects of work.
