School Overview
Founded in 2004 as the Department of Architectural Art and later becoming the independent Department of Art, the School of Art and Design is one of the earliest-established schools at Qingdao City University. It was elevated to the status of an independent school in 2021. Aligning with contemporary design trends and industry needs, the school collaborates closely with industry partners to cultivate designers who excel in both technical skills and humanistic values. Its curriculum integrates technology, craft, and computer science, adopting a project-based interdisciplinary approach that fosters innovation, teamwork, and communication in design projects. The School of Art and Design has established multiple professional studios, workshops, and laboratories to support competency-based education, combining project-based learning with process assessment.
The School of Art and Design adheres to a student-centred teaching philosophy, focusing on cultivating students' international perspective, professional practical skills, communication and collaboration abilities, critical thinking, and innovative capabilities. In recent years, faculty and students from the School of Art and Design have actively participated in various competitions and exhibitions, achieving outstanding results. Faculty and students have collectively garnered over 260 national awards and more than 100 provincial awards each in recent years. Among them, a student won the national first prize in the 10th National College Students Advertising Art Competition; multiple teachers have won national awards and outstanding instructor awards in national Tier-A competitions such as the National College Students Advertising Art Competition, Future Designer-National College Digital Art Design Competition, and Milan Design Week-Chinese universities Design Discipline Faculty and Student Excellent Works Exhibition.
The School of Art and Design attaches great importance to international exchanges and cooperation, having established in-depth partnerships with Birmingham City University, University of East Anglia, University of Central Lancashire, University of the Creative Arts, Sehan University, and Sejong University in South Korea. It has also signed a mutual credit recognition agreement with Birmingham City University.
Majors
Faculty
Through years of development, the School of Art and Design has cultivated a faculty team distinguished by specialised expertise and innovative spirit. Among its members, 43% hold overseas education backgrounds, fostering a collaborative environment that promotes mutual growth. They all graduated from prestigious art institutions worldwide, including the Royal College of Art, University of the Arts London, Academy of Art University, Berklee College of Music, Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales, Central Academy of Fine Arts, China Academy of Art, and Luxun Academy of Fine Arts. A teaching and research team has been formed that combines an international perspective with domestic practical experience. Notably, 45% of the faculty have both teaching and industry experience. While strengthening academic capacity, the school actively collaborates with the industry, inviting industry experts and practitioners to participate in a 'dual-teacher' instructional model.
In addition, the School of Art and Design actively participates in various competitions and exhibitions, having won over 260 national-level awards and more than 100 provincial-level awards in recent years. The faculty team has guided student works to be shortlisted for multiple domestic and international Tier-A competitions. The school has also received numerous national and provincial awards in high-level events such as the National College Student Advertising Art Competition, the China College Student Advertising Art Festival College Award, the China University Art Annual Exhibition, the Future Designer National College Digital Art Design Competition, and the Milan Design Week China University Design Discipline Faculty and Student Excellent Works Exhibition.
Sean Jiang
Deputy Dean of the School of Arts and Design
Master of Visual Communication from the Royal Academy of Arts, Sweden； Rich industry experience: Employed at European 4A advertising, serving IKEA, H&M-Graphic Artist (Europe); Transcontinental Media Group (US & Canada) -Design Director; Quebecor Media Inc. (Canada) -Creative Director; Sun Media Corporation & Globe and Mail (Canada) -Design & Art Director; Sun Media Group & Globe and Mail Canada-Art & Design Director; Fortune 500 company Kohler Group-Marketing/Design/Creative Director (US & China); Hong Kong-listed Minsheng Holdings (China & Hong Kong) -Greater China Region Marketing & Creative Director; China-listed Goujia Home Group-Senior Brand Marketing Expert (China); Asias largest digital media company Crystal Stone Digital (China) -Executive Creative Director; ECD Hong Kong Yalan Group-General Manager of Brand Marketing Center (China & Hong Kong).
Gabriel Teo
Head of the Department of Digital Media and Design, and the Department of Animation
His extensive academic career includes positions as Professor of Digital Media Production at Pacific University, California; Associate Professor at the New York Institute of Technology; and professorships at the Communication University of China and Savannah College of Art and Design. His industry experience encompasses roles such as Senior Visual Effects Supervisor at WetaFX, Visual Effects Director at HuHu Studio in New Zealand, and work for the Disney Global Channel.
Liujun Li
Head of the Digital Media Art Department at the School of Art and Design
Master's and Bachelor's graduates from the China Academy of Art, he has held teaching positions at Xiamen University Tan Kah Kee College, Wenzhou Business College, Shanghai Normal University Tianhua College, and the Department of Electronic Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. As a full member of the Metaverse Industry Committee under China Mobile Communications Federation, he served as the chief director of the nation's first metaverse XR film" Farewell to Walnuts" and the executive director of Multimedia images and interactive exhibits for the Urban Life Pavilion at Shanghai World Expo. He has led 3 provincial-level research projects and authored 1 SSCI Q2 paper (as the first author) and 1 SSCI paper (as the second author).
Christopher J. Florio
Professor at the School of Art and Design
He holds a Bachelor's degree from Berklee College of Music and has served as a full-time professor at Northeastern University, the Communication University of China (Beijing), and the New York Institute of Technology, amassing extensive teaching and professional experience.
Linyu Huang
Teacher from the School of Art and Design
PhD in Art Management from Sejong University, Master's and Bachelor's in Art Design from Shandong Jianzhu University. She is the lead instructor for the Shandong Provincial Excellent Course Cluster "Decorative Materials and Construction," has participated in 2 research projects funded by the Ministry of Education, and has led 3 key research projects of the Shandong Province's Art and Science Research, 1 project of the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism. She has published 6 papers, holds 2 patents, and has won awards for multiple works from the China Building Decoration Association and the Shandong Provincial Department of Construction, with ten years of experience in university teaching and industry practice.
Mingyi Zhao
PhD in Design from Macau University of Science and Technology; Master's in Design Art from Qingdao University; Dual Bachelors in Fine Arts & Applied Psychology from Harbin Normal University. External mentor at multiple prestigious universities in Shandong Province. Specialised design consultant for Shandong Provincial Life-Saving Association's emergency rescue equipment. Honorary advisor to Qingdao Youth Photographers Association. Member and Councillor of Anhui Ceramic Association. Researcher at Anhui Provincial Archives Society and Archives Culture Research Committee.
Fan Yang
Teacher from the School of Art and Design
PhD in Philosophy and Management from SEGi University, Master's in Design Art from Dalian Polytechnic University, Bachelor's in Environmental Art Design from Dalian Polytechnic University. Member of the Interior Design Branch of the China Institute of Architects, and member of the Design Education Committee of the China Interior Decoration Association. Led in 2 industry-academia collaborative talent cultivation projects funded by the Ministry of Education, led and participated in 4 provincial-level research projects in Heilongjiang, and 2 municipal/county-level horizontal research projects. Published 8 papers, contributed to 5 monographs, and applied for 4 patents. Won over 10 national awards, including the Gold Award of "China Creative Design Yearbook·2018/2019". Possesses 10 years of teaching and industry practice experience in higher education.
Xixi Huang
Teacher from the School of Art and Design
Master of Arts in Design from the University of Southern California; Master of Computer Science from the University of Southern California, Bachelor of Information Systems from The State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Xueling Ren
Guest Professor of Qingdao City University
A professor and master's supervisor at the School of Fine Arts, Qingdao University, specialising in digital technology applications in art design, fashion textile design, and intangible cultural heritage studies. She holds a PhD in Engineering from Donghua University. Her Academic part-time position includes serving on multiple provincial education and art professional committees as a member and expert. With distinguished achievements in teaching and research, she has published over 50 academic papers, completed more than 50 design projects, and obtained over 60 national patents. She has also won multiple provincial-level research awards.
Dongfeng Wei
Guest Professor of Qingdao City University
Professor at the School of Design, Nanjing University of the Arts, master's supervisor, member of the China Artists Association, member of the Jiangsu Province Artists Association, member of the China Mural Society, and council member of the Interior Design Branch of the China Architectural Society. Born in 1960, he studied under Liu Juqing and Yu Jigao. In 1990, he stayed at the university to teach and has won multiple teaching and design awards, including the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education's Outstanding Master's Supervisor Award, the Nanjing University of the Arts Liu Haisu Outstanding Teaching Award, and the 2009 China Outstanding Interior Designer Award. His works have been selected for and won awards at national art exhibitions and are collected by multiple institutions.
Liqun Chen
Guest Professor of Qingdao City University
Professor and master's supervisor at the School of Design, Nanjing University of the Arts, specialises in multimedia art design. She teaches courses including Multimedia Image Art Design. Her 2007 monograph "Introduction to Computer Multimedia Art" was recognised as an exemplary textbook in higher education, and the same work was designated as a "National Eleventh Five-Year Plan Textbook". With extensive research in multimedia art design, Professor Chen has published numerous professional papers and contributed to projects such as the Nanjing Metro Station design, making significant contributions to art design education and practice.
Jianning Cao
Guest Professor of Qingdao City University
Members of the China Artists Association, China National Arts and Crafts Society, and Jiangsu Flower and Bird Painting Association. Professor, master's supervisor, discipline leader, and teaching supervisor at the School of Art, Sanjiang University. Influenced by his teacher Liu Haisu's artistic achievements and ideological concepts, he is dedicated to pursuing grand artistic conceptions and creating modern ink-and-colour paintings that blend scenes and emotions, with vibrant and magnificent works. He has participated in the 9th and 11th National Art Exhibitions and held solo exhibitions in France, with his works being favoured by the high-end European art collection market.
Ke Li
Guest Professor of Qingdao City University
Professor at Nanjing University of Industry Technology. His works pursue the art of Eastern painting while maintaining a distinctive style. He emphasises immersive learning experiences, advocating for continuous study and reflection throughout one's journey. His works blend Eastern and Western cultures, showcasing admiration for the Eastern blank space and linear aesthetics while incorporating Western techniques of light and shadow. Viewing painting as a lifestyle, he seeks authentic joy and serene contemplation. His works record regional culture and express personal emotions. Maintaining a learning mindset, creating with heart, and being dedicated to heartfelt creation, he believes that persistent effort paves the way for future achievements.
Teaching Features
The School employs a project-based, interdisciplinary teaching model, where all departments collaborate to complete design work within the framework of a shared project. Each department appoints experienced faculty as academic tutors who work in tandem with student counselors, creating a comprehensive support system that integrates academic development with daily student life.
The School emphasises expanding creative boundaries through cutting-edge media technologies grounded in artistic exploration, while fostering interdisciplinary experiments and practices. By implementing small-class and tiered teaching models alongside studio-based project-based learning, we provide personalised guidance to students, progressively enhancing their professional competencies and project quality. Achieving a deep alignment between artistic value and industry demands.
The School of Art and Design has established teaching and internship bases with enterprises such as Silk Road Visual, Qingdao Yimu Furniture, Qingdao News Network, Qingdao Arts and Crafts Association, and Blue Innovation World. These platforms provide students with practical training to quickly adapt to the workplace environment in the future. Additionally, through collaborative education with top-tier industry enterprises, the school offers students valuable opportunities for future employment.
The school emphasises the integration of teaching and research, actively promoting the development of majors and the growth of teachers' research capabilities. Among them, the Digital Media Arts department has been ranked first in Qingdao and fourth in Shandong province for three consecutive years in “ShanghaiRanking's Chinese University Discipline Ranking”, earning high praise from the industry for its major development level. It has successively been approved for 1 industry-university cooperation and collaborative education project by the Ministry of Education, as well as over 30 provincial, municipal, and university-level research and teaching projects. In recent years, faculty members have published over 60 high-level papers and obtained more than 20 patents.
Hardware facilities
The School of Art and Design houses specialised studios for interior design, landscape design, furniture design, brand design, media, imaging, and animation. Professional laboratories include woodworking, ceramics, digital film production, painting, modelling, and printing. These spaces are supported by high-quality equipment and tools, enabling the complete production process from design to finished product. This provides excellent conditions for teaching and research.
Graduates Development
China has been progressively strengthening its policy support for creative and cultural industries, fostering innovation and in-depth exploration of cultural resources. As a key driver for enhancing product value and popularising aesthetic appreciation, Art and Design are now experiencing unprecedented growth opportunities. The growing demand for design professionals across industries offers graduates promising career prospects. Graduates from the School of Art and Design can pursue careers as designers or in related fields at design agencies, advertising firms, internet companies, or well-known enterprises. They may also enter the education sector, join public institutions, or take the civil service examination. Additionally, many choose to pursue advanced studies and enrol in domestic or international higher professional art institutions to obtain a master's degree.
Sydney University, Taylor's University, Sichuan University, Shenzhen University, Macau University of Science and Technology, Yunnan Arts University, Qingdao University, Shandong University of Art and Design, and others.
Graduates entering the enterprises (partial list):NetEase, Beijing Kuaishou Technology Co., Ltd., OPPEIN Home, Beijing Yezhifeng Decoration Co., Ltd., DeCai Decoration Co., Ltd., goldmantis Suzhou Branch, Qingdao Dongyi Risheng Decoration Company, Qingdao News Network, and others.