Chinese and Italian officials and scholars celebrate the launch in Beijing of the Tsinghua Arts and Design Institute in Milan.[Photo by Zhang Yu/China Daily]

Cultural cooperation

According to Lu Xiaobo, the dean of Academy of Arts and Design at Tsinghua University, the institution will launch dual master's programs in areas including fashion design, intelligent manufacturing, environmental design for sustainable growth, as well as the restoration of cultural heritage.

"China has been facing numerous tasks in terms of cultural heritage preservation and restoration, but still lacks the experience in terms of nurturing relevant talented professionals," says Lu.

"Italy has abundant expertise we can tap into when it comes to restoring ancient sculptures, paintings and architecture."

Lu says through the Tsinghua Arts and Design Institute in Milan, faculty members can collaborate with enterprises in innovation projects and conduct the relevant research in Europe, while students will be given the opportunity to engage in academic endeavor and cultural exchange activities in a global setting.

The institution is also expected to collaborate with other schools and departments to develop cross-disciplinary cooperation.

"We try to educate future global leaders while tackling global challenges through design thinking and innovative solutions by crossing disciplinary, cultural, academic and industry boundaries," says Gao Hong, vice-provost and director of the Office of International Education at Tsinghua University.