To further strengthen academic exchanges in design disciplines between the two institutions, Professor Niccolò Casiddu from the University of Genoa, Italy, together with his assistant professors, visited the Department of Art and Design at Beijing University of Chemical Technology (BUCT) on September 28, 2026, conducting in-depth academic exchanges and field visits. The meeting focused on discussing cooperation in master's education, laying a solid foundation for introducing high-quality overseas educational resources and promoting academic exchanges between Chinese and Italian universities.
In the morning, both sides held a cordial symposium. The responsible persons of the Department of Art and Design at BUCT extended a warm welcome to Professor Casiddu and his delegation, and introduced in detail the construction of existing programs in Product Design (covering industrial modeling and exhibition design) and Digital Media Art (covering film, games, animation, etc.), as well as the faculty strength and talent cultivation advantages. The two parties conducted pragmatic discussions on the cooperation model of introducing the master's program of the University of Genoa, teaching at BUCT, and awarding degrees, exchanging views on core issues such as curriculum alignment, credit mutual recognition, foreign professor teaching mechanisms, and degree certification, and reached preliminary consensus.
After the symposium, Professor Casiddu and his delegation, accompanied by teachers from the Department, visited the "Beauty of Art" calligraphy and painting exhibition being held at the Art Exhibition Hall of the University Student Activity Center. The exhibition curator, Mr. Zhuang Yibing, introduced to the Italian guests the aesthetic conception of Chinese calligraphy and ink painting, and presented his personal album to the foreign guests. Professor Casiddu expressed high appreciation for traditional Chinese art, and the two sides conducted cross-cultural exchanges on the aesthetic implications of Chinese calligraphy and painting in a friendly and harmonious atmosphere.
Subsequently, the delegation visited and inspected the professional laboratories and creative studios of the Department. During the visit, students presented innovative design projects in progress to the guests, including household products and visual design works with strong Chinese traditional cultural elements. Professor Casiddu and his assistant professors showed great interest in the students' ability to combine artistic creativity with engineering practice, interacted cordially with teachers and students present, and highly praised the innovative practical teaching conditions of the laboratories.
After the visit, both sides exchanged academic books and souvenirs and took a group photo. Professor Casiddu stated that this visit deepened his understanding of the Department of Art and Design at BUCT and that he is full of confidence in the future cooperation prospects between the two sides.
The visit of experts from the University of Genoa not only further consolidated the existing undergraduate cooperation foundation between the two universities but also took a crucial step forward in graduate education. In the future, both sides will continue to maintain close communication, steadily advance the implementation of the joint master's program, build a broader international academic exchange platform for teachers and students of both universities, and contribute to promoting in-depth cooperation between China and Italy in education, culture, and arts.
