From 28 June to 1 July, under the guidance of Xi Jinping's cultural thought, the Research Conference on the Development of Theatre and Film Majors and Disciplines - the 22nd Meeting of the Teaching Steering Committee for Theatre and Film Majors of the Ministry of Education- was held in Shanghai. The meeting was hosted by the Teaching Steering Committee for Theatre and Film Majors of the Ministry of Education and the Shanghai Theatre Academy, and organized by the Academic Affairs Office and the Film School of the Shanghai Theatre Academy.
Professor Zhou Xing, Director of the Teaching Steering Committee for Theatre and Film Majors of the Ministry of Education (hereinafter referred to as “Teaching Steering Committee”) and Director of the Art Education Research Centre at Beijing Normal University; Professor Ran Changjian, Deputy Director of the Teaching Steering Committee and Vice President of the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts; Professor Zhang Yan, Secretary-General of the Teaching Steering Committee, Executive Director of the Asian and Chinese Film Research Centre at Beijing Normal University, and a title owner of Young Yangtze River Scholar of the Ministry of Education; and members of the Teaching Steering Committee from various universities gathered by the Huangpu River. The opening ceremony was attended by Professor Huang Changyong, Deputy Party Secretary and President of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, and Deputy Director of the Teaching Steering Committee for Art Theory Majors of the Ministry of Education; Professor Liu Qing, Vice President of the Shanghai Theatre Academy and a member of the Graduate Teaching Steering Committee for Art Degrees in Chinese Opera and Quyi of the Ministry of Education. The opening ceremony was presided over by Professor Li Zhenlin, Deputy Director of the Teaching Steering Committee and Dean of the Film School of the Shanghai Theatre Academy. Also in attendance from the Film School were Han Yongsheng, Secretary of the Party General Branch; Professor Dong Jian, Vice Dean; Professor Huang Wangli, Head of the Film Production Department; Associate Professor Sha Yang; Lin Xiaohui, Office Manager; and relevant teachers and students.
In his opening speech, President Huang Changyong stated that while the Shanghai Theatre Academy has achieved success in the field of theatre and film majors, it also faces challenges and pressures, emphasizing the need for integration and mutual enhancement between teaching, creation and theoretical research, and for keeping pace with the times.
In his opening remarks, Professor Zhou Xing expressed heartfelt gratitude for the support of the Shanghai Theatre Academy and the active participation of colleagues from the Teaching Steering Committee, pointing out that this meeting provides not only a review and summary of the past seven years of work by the Teaching Steering Committee but also a prospect and plan for the development of theatre and film majors and disciplines.
During the thematic forum and expert forum sessions, the attending committee members engaged in in-depth discussions on the application and practice of Xi Jinping's cultural thought in theatre and film majors and disciplines. They elaborated on topics such as "Experiences in the Construction of Theatre and Film Disciplines and Majors under the Background of Chinese-Style Modernization", "The Spirit of Chinese Art and the Development Prospects of Theatre and Film Disciplines in China" and "How Theatre and Film Majors Should Face and Build in the Era of Digital Intelligence." Starting from the new forms of theatre and film and the new developments in artificial intelligence, they summarized the experiences and shortcomings in teaching and creative practice, and deeply explored how to develop the major construction and talent cultivation of the theatre and film disciplines with Chinese characteristics based on excellent traditional culture.
The conference featured a special session titled "Theatre and Film Teaching Steering Committee: Our Seven Years of Academic Achievements," where the attending committee members actively spoke, fondly recalling the process of fulfilling their duties over the past seven years. They deeply exchanged their academic achievements and the latest thoughts on major construction. The members unanimously expressed that, under the leadership of the Higher Education Department of the Ministry of Education, they would continue to consolidate and strengthen the mechanism construction and work effectiveness of the Theatre and Film Teaching Steering Committee. They advocated for universities to advance together, open up their perspectives, and always adhere to a positive and proactive approach to meet disciplinary changes, enhance disciplinary positioning, and create new situations in discipline and major construction.
During the conference, the attending members of the Teaching Steering Committee also visited the No. 2 Standard Screening Hall at the Changlin Road Campus of the Shanghai Theatre Academy to watch the opening film of the 2024 Shanghai International Film Festival, the dance drama film "Red Radio Over Shanghai" for which Shanghai Theatre Academy alumni Zheng Dasheng is the chief director, and Cui Yi is the director and producer. After the screening, director Cui Yi, performance director Liu Yang, and the attending members of the Teaching Steering Committee had a lively interactive exchange. The artistic quality of the film and the spiritual core that it conveys received high praise from the attending members of the Teaching Steering Committee.
