With the rapid growth of the Chinese economy expected to continue, RISD officials say they hope to improve the school's relationships with three top design schools in China, partly in the hopes of bringing Chinese students to Providence.
For 10 days this summer, RISD President Roger Mandle visited the Central Academy of Fine Art in Beijing, the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou and the Shanghai University College of Art and Design. The purpose of his visits was to establish relations and collaborations between RISD and Chinese art faculty and students.
Mandle's visit was not the first such RISD delegation to travel to China. Relations between RISD and the three top Chinese design schools have been gradually improving over the last six years, said Eva Laporte, director of international programs. Last year, Jay Coogan, associate provost of academic affairs, and John Terry, dean of fine arts, also made a summer journey to China.
"We've been having visitors from China over the last six or seven years," Laporte said. "A number of delegations have been going to China."
While the Chinese design institutions initiated relations between the schools, Ming Ren, a part-time RISD faculty member who is an alum of CAA in Hangzhou, played a crucial role in establishing ties. "Ming Ren has been instrumental in developing these relationships and getting RISD connected to all sorts of people and schools in China," Coogan said.
One of the main objectives of improving ties with the Chinese design schools is to raise RISD's profile and attract more Chinese students to apply for both undergraduate and graduate programs. Coogan noted that RISD has turned its focus to China recently because it has the largest group of people from any one country who are college-age and are potentially interested in coming to America.
Traditionally, South Korea has provided RISD with its largest number of international students, but this balance could change if more Chinese students knew enough about RISD, Coogan said.
Terry said China is currently experiencing the type of economic development that has been underway for many years in Korea. "The Korean economy has been developed enough that a lot of students have been able to afford to come to America. Right now, that's happening with China. A lot of Chinese students are finding the means to come to America," he said.
Several commercial design projects are being developed between RISD and the three Chinese design schools. As the Chinese economy continues to grow, rapid architectural development provides countless opportunities for collaborative projects, Laporte said.
"There are a number of discussions of our being involved in the design of the infrastructure that's being built in China, possibly subway systems, or Olympic constructions. It's hard to say if anything will come of it," Coogan said.
RISD's Center for Design and Business could open an office in China to assist companies, especially start-ups, that seek design and business advice, Coogan added.
In addition, RISD and the Chinese institutions could establish faculty and student exchange programs. RISD students could apply to spend a semester abroad at one of the three Chinese design schools, while one or two Chinese students could study at RISD for a semester to increase their exposure to Western art and design, Laporte said.
"There has been some interest among RISD students who do architecture in the exchange program. It's a great opportunity for them to go to China and witness what is actually happening, a wonderful education for our students," she said.
RISD students were warm to the idea of studying abroad in China, but some cited potential problems.
"It sounds great," said Leah Wolff RISD '06, a printmaking major. "We already have an exhibition where we send work over to China and they send work over here. I really would be interested, if I could afford to take a semester off here."
Gu Ji RISD '06, a painting major, voiced similar sentiments. "It sounds like an interesting program, but one of the problems is definitely finance," he said. "There is a very high cost involved in exchange programs overseas, and I'm not sure I will be able to afford it."
