Sharing a passion for art and design
Fri, 02 Nov 2012 13:31:00 GMT
Fostering links with the University of “The City of Eternal Spring”
pictured above signing the memorandum is Emma Hunt, Dean of Art, Design and Architecture with Professor Chen Jinson from Yunnan Arts University
A SHARED passion for art and design has led to a special relationship between the University of Huddersfield and a counterpart in one of the most fascinating, culturally-diverse places in China.
Yunnan Arts University is located in Kunming, the capital of the province of Yunnan, in South-East China, with a climate so benign that it is known as “The City of Eternal Spring”.
For some years there have been ties between Yunnan and the University of Huddersfield’s School of Art, Design and Architecture. Now they have led to an official Memorandum of Understanding. It will result in new opportunities for student and staff exchanges and collaborations that could include joint conferences and summer schools.
“This is a very exciting development for us,” says Emma Hunt, who is Dean of Art, Design and Architecture at the University of Huddersfield. She signed the MoU with her counterpart at Yunnan Arts University, Professor Chen Jinsong, who led a delegation that came to Huddersfield.
The Chinese party inspected the University of Huddersfield’s facilities for art and design – including advanced technology – and paid a visit to the globally-renowned Yorkshire Sculpture Park, which also has a Memorandum of Understanding with the University.
Architecture lecturer Dr Yun Gao is a native of Yunnan Province and she played a key role in fostering links between the two universities. There have been student exchanges and during 2011 Emma Hunt was invited to Yunnan Arts University, where she gave lectures, presented a conference paper and was appointed a visiting professor.
She was impressed and fascinated by the province and the university.
“Yunnan not only has this fantastic climate, but it borders Laos, Vietnam and Pakistan and it has a really rich heritage, with about 25 different ethnic groups, all of which have their own customs and cultures. In fact, Yunnan Arts University is a running a UNESCO project, where they are looking at tracking and keeping hold of all those cultures in fields such as textiles and design.”
pictured below shaking hands with the University's Pro-Vice Chanchellor Professor Andrew Ball is Mr Bin Yuan, Chairman of University Council, Yunnan Arts University
