As part of the BIFT Global exchange project, BIFT’s Office of International Cooperation and Exchange and School of Art and Design jointly held a seminar, themed “Digital Art and Higher Education” at the institute’s Yinghuayuan Campus on Nov 14, inviting René Alicia Smith, associate professor and head of School of Arts at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, as the major speaker.

This was Smith’s fourth visit to Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology. She has taught at a variety of institutions of higher education in South Africa, and has been a member of the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa since 2009. Smith is also the founder and creative director of DigiFest, which was incorporated into the legacy project of the ISEA Symposium in 2018.

Zhang Qian, deputy head of School of Art and Design, accompanied Smith to visit the school’s School of Art and Design’s Undergraduate Teaching Retrospective Document Exhibition (1988-2024). Smith said that the exhibition works not only show BIFT’s profound artistic heritage, but also reflects the unique charm and development of BIFT’s art and design education since 1988. She showed great interest in the publications and documents in the exhibition, and had an in-depth exchange with the school’s Professor Ding Zhaochen during the visit.

Smith (second from left) and some BIFT faculty members visit the “Undergraduate Teaching Retrospective Document Exhibition (1988-2024)” of the School of Art and Deign of BIFT.

Liu Bo, a teacher of School of Art and Design, shows Smith the school’s introductory brochure.

During the academic exchange session, Smith discussed in depth on the importance of animation and digital art in the field of education with BIFT teachers Zhang Qian, Chang Wei, Ding Zhaochen, and Lu Xuan.

Smith pointed out that community participation and cooperation with local enterprises can effectively enhance students’ practical abilities and promote close ties between academia and industry.

She especially introduced FAK’UGESI, which was jointly founded by Tshimologong Precinct and the Department of Digital Art of the School of Art of the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, has been committed to displaying and developing African technology, art and cultural skills since its establishment in 2014.

The art festival provides a platform for African artists, designers and technical experts to showcase their works and promote interdisciplinary exchanges and cooperation, which not only promotes innovation but also brings new development opportunities for African cultural and creative industries, she said.

She encouraged teachers and students of BIFT to actively participate in similar international exchange and cooperation projects to promote the internationalization and innovative development of art and design education. The academic exchange meeting was hosted by Xiao Luran, associate professor of the Department of New Media and head of the Curatorial Experimental Center of BIFT.

Smith (left) talks with BIFT faculty members on topics on digital art and higher education.

Participants of the seminar pose for a group photo with the activity’s poster after their communication.

This visit of Smith not only enhanced the mutual understanding between University of the Witwatersrand and the BIFT, but also laid a good foundation for future cooperation in the field of art and design education. The two sides are expected to continue to deepen cooperation and make greater contributions to the development of art and design education in project cooperation such as teacher academic exchanges and student exchanges.