2025 International Art and Design Education Conference by Tsinghua University in Milan: Exploring New Paradigms
The 2025 International Conference on Art & Design Education (ICADE 2025), organized by Tsinghua University, took place recently in Milan, Italy. The event was hosted in collaboration with the Academy of Arts & Design at Tsinghua University, the Tsinghua Arts and Design Institute in Milan, and the China-Italy Design Innovation Hub.
Conference Theme and Participants
The conference centered around the theme “Future Context: A New Paradigm for Art and Design Education” and drew more than 100 participants, including deans, professors, scholars, and industry representatives from various institutions within the art and design sectors. The agenda featured eight keynote speeches, two leaders’ roundtables, four thematic forums, and two parallel seminars, along with a series of international workshops focused on art and design. The discussions aimed to facilitate cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural dialogues on the evolution and transformation of art and design languages in relation to artificial intelligence.
Opening Ceremony
During the opening ceremony, key remarks were made by several prominent individuals, including Qin Chuan, Party Secretary of the Academy of Arts & Design at Tsinghua University; Anna Barbara, dean of POLI.design at Politecnico di Milano; Dalia Gallico, executive vice president of the World Olymp’Arts Council; Lorenzo Imbesi, president of CUMULUS; and Wu Jian, head of the Haier Innovation Design Center. Congratulatory messages were also provided by Wu Qiong, dean of the Academy of Arts & Design at Tsinghua University, with the ceremony facilitated by Shi Danqing, vice dean of the Academy.
Keynote Presentations
Keynote presentations were delivered by distinguished speakers such as Anna Barbara, Rebecca Wright from Central Saint Martins, Rachel Dickson from The Glasgow School of Art, and Qin Chuan. Additional insights were shared by Francesco Zurlo from Politecnico di Milano, Yang Dongjiang from Tsinghua University, Kun-Pyo Lee from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and John Ochsendorf from the MIT Morningside Academy for Design.
Roundtable Discussions
Discussions at the roundtable sessions addressed essential themes such as the role of design in addressing global challenges and the positioning of educational institutions within contemporary contexts.
Thematic Forums and Parallel Seminars
The second day of the conference included thematic forums and parallel seminars covering a variety of disciplines and industrial contexts. Participants engaged in conversations regarding topics such as cultural resonance in design, human-machine collaboration, design experiences related to the body, and the narrative complexities involved in multi-dimensional interactions.
RE-ACTOR International Art & Design Workshops
Concurrent RE-ACTOR International Art & Design Workshops also took place, focusing on the theme “AI Protocols for New Space: Embodied Experiences and Ritual Habitats,” featuring presentations that delved into specialized aspects of the subject.
Exploring New Educational Paradigms
The conference served as a relevant platform for exploring new educational paradigms in art and design amidst the challenges posed by rapidly evolving technologies.
(Source: Tsinghua University)
