China Academy of Art(also translated China National Academy of Fine Arts) is a fine arts college under the direct charge of the Ministry of Culture of PRC. It was founded in Hangzhou in 1928 by the government of the Republic of China and the renowned educator Mr. Cai Yuanpei. It was the first art university and first graduate school in Chinese history. At the time, China Academy of Art's goal was to promote fine arts education as a replacement for religion in the then war-torn China. The fine arts has been been held as equal to a religion at the institution for almost eight decades. The academy has many renowned artists in its alumni and is considered one of the most prestigious art institutions in the country. It is colloquially called Guomei (國美). It has tens of thousands applicants every year, with an attrition rate is well over 95%.
China Academy of Art is the most influential academy of fine arts with the most complete range of degree offerings and programs of study in China. It houses a diverse pool of artistic talent, has a distinctive structure integrating theory and practice, focuses on human care and social needs, and combines modern technical and cultural disciplines with traditional artistic ones. The academy features the study of theories and offering Ph.D., Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees of fine arts, design,architecture, film and new media, which constitute the humanities and reflect the Chinese national spirit and creative theories of the era.
There are 7,000 undergraduate and graduate students in three campuses with a faculty and staff of 800. The administration of the Academy is headquartered in the Nanshan Campus, which is located on the West Lake in Hangzhou. Students in the Master's program live on the alternate campus 40 minutes away, on the outskirts of Hangzhou. A free bus is offered to transport students to and from the campus from the dorms at designated times.
Undergraduate students typically spend one year in general education courses in the Department of Foundation and then three years in the core courses of their particular majors. Graduate courses are typically three years long and include experience in the studio and research with mentoring faculty.
Campuses
Nanshan Campus, 218 Nanshan Road, Shangcheng District, Hangzhou
Zhangjiang Campus, in Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Pudong New District, Shanghai
Xiangshan Central Campus, in Zhuantang Sub-district, Xihu (West Lake) District, Hangzhou. Its south part was moved to current location in 2007 from Xihuan Road, Binjiang District
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