From October 17 to 18, the Tsinghua International Conference on Art & Design Education 2026 (ICADE 2026), themed “Paradigm Shift, New Research,” was held at the Academy of Arts & Design. Peng Gang, vice president of Tsinghua University, attended the conference and delivered opening remarks.
Venue of the conference
In his address, Peng noted that as artificial intelligence continues to advance rapidly, art and design journals must strengthen disciplinary problem awareness, rethink research methods and evaluation standards, and help shape new paradigms for disciplinary development and education. He reaffirmed Tsinghua’s commitment to high-level international academic exchange and collaboration, working with global partners to address new challenges and foster a more open, diverse, and dynamic international academic ecosystem.
Wu Qiong, dean of the Academy of Arts & Design, said that design research today goes beyond summarizing and translating experience; it has become a means of exploring the future and generating solutions. The Academy will join peers worldwide to examine new questions, methods, and possibilities for the discipline, deepening understanding through dialogue and driving innovation through collaboration.
Themed exhibition - Tu’an: Form and Creativity in Modern Chinese Design
During the keynote session, editors-in-chief, editorial board members, and leaders from major international design journals discussed the evolving role of academic journals in knowledge innovation and paradigm development in art and design. Two roundtable forums followed: “From Scholarship to Discipline: The Roles and Responsibilities of Journals” and “Global Perspectives and Cultural Positions: Journal’s Research Agendas.” Sessions were moderated by Wang Xiaomo and Shi Danqing, vice deans of the Academy, and Chen Luoqi, academic director of the Office of Academic Affairs.
Two parallel exhibitions were also on view: “Tu’an: Form and Creativity in Modern Chinese Design” and “Paradigm: Analysis of International Design Research Papers.”
The event was hosted by Tsinghua University and organized by the Academy of Arts & Design and ZHUANGSHI magazine. More than 200 scholars from over 100 art and design institutions in China and abroad, along with leaders, editors-in-chief, and editorial board members from 12 international design journals, participated.
Since its launch in 2021, the Tsinghua International Conference on Art & Design Education (ICADE) has been held for five consecutive editions, evolving into a high-level academic platform that brings together educators, practitioners, and theoretical researchers from art, design, and interdisciplinary fields worldwide.
Editors: Li Han, John Paul Grima
