23 November 2017
From 14 to 20 November 2017, led by Professor Li Zhenlin, Dean of STA Graduate School, a study group comprising over a dozen postgraduate students of the Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA) visited the Graduate Centre of the City University of New York for a week of study and exchange.
On the morning of 15 November, the study group arrived at the Graduate Centre of the City University of New York and was warmly received by Professor Marvin, who provided a detailed introduction of the history of New York City, the founding of the City University of New York and the characteristics of Broadway theatre in New York. In the afternoon, Professor Peter met with the study group and provided an introduction about the general situation of the Graduate Centre, the composition of majors, the current situation of running the Graduate Centre, as well as the management and cultivation of PhD students. Professor Li Zhenlin expressed the appreciation for the introduction and made a brief comparison with STA’s situation of running the postgraduate programs. He hoped that the two universities will continue to carry out exchange and learn from each other and wished a long-lasting friendship between the two universities.
On 16 November, Professor Frank who is responsible for managing the Segal Theatre of the Graduate Centre introduced the history of the theatre since its inception, the plays that have staged at the theatre and the projects in cooperation with artists of other countries. In the meantime, he also invited the visiting scholars from other countries to have a roundtable meeting with the students from STA who raised questions and engaged closed in discussions with regard to their respective areas of studies. The meeting was carried out in a warm atmosphere and was greatly beneficial to the students from STA.
On 17 November, Professor David specialized in film theory held an open academic discussion with the STA study group. Our students asked many questions to Professor David about the current situation of American movies, American film theorists and development of Hollywood movies etc and carried out in-depth discussions on these questions, which enabled them to have a deeper understanding of the contemporary American movies and the similarities and difference between Chinese and American movies. Professor Li Zhenli and Professor David carried out academic exchange on the questions of the relationship between today’s movies and high-technologies, film theory and actor training etc. On the evening of 17 November, the study group made the self-arrangement to watch the performance of “M. Butterfly” at the CORT Theatre in Broadway. After the performance, Professor David Henry Hwang, the playwright, held a discussion with the students from STA. Professor Li Zhenlin congratulated Professor Hwang for a very successful performance.
This one week of exchange and study not only promoted the exchange and interaction between STA and the City University of New York, but also widened the vision of our students in their own research. Through the exchange with high-level foreign professors, the students acquired a more direct understanding of foreign theatre, which will lay a good foundation for the relevant research in the future. The advanced mode adopted by the City University of New York in the cultivation of PhD students can be drawn as a reference in STA’s own reform in PhD education.
