Recently, the opening and award ceremony for the winning works exhibition of the Meta Connection: 2023 Jiangsu Provincial Postgraduates’ Art and Science Innovative Design Competition was held at Nanjing University of the Arts. The event was hosted by  Jiangsu Provincial Art Postgraduate Education Guiding Committee and Nanjing University of the Arts, co-organized by the Art and Science Research Center of the University of Science and Technology of China, the Engineering Education and Domestic Cooperation Department of Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute, and Jiangsu Art and Science Center, with the Graduate School and the School of Design of Nanjing University of the Arts as the executing departments.

Liu Jiangtao, deputy director of the Postgraduate Education Sector of Jiangsu Provincial Education Department, and deputy director of the Office of Jiangsu Provincial Degree Committee; Gao Jun, a member of the Management Committee of the Yangtze River Delta National Technology Innovation Center and vice president of Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute; Wei Jie, the vice chairman of  Jiangsu Provincial Art Postgraduate Education Guiding Committee and the dean of the School of Design of Jiangnan University; Xue Junwei, director of Jiangsu Art and Science Center; Ma Zisong, associate researcher of the Art and Science Research Center at the University of Science and Technology of China; Zhang Linghao, the chairman of  Jiangsu Provincial Art Postgraduate Education Guiding Committee and President of Nanjing University of the Arts; Lyu Shaoqing, vice president of Nanjing University of the Arts; Zhang Jian, Party secretary of the School of Design, Jiang Jie, dean of the School of Design, Zhang Ming, dean of the School of Industrial Design, Fan Wenpeng, deputy director of the Graduate School as well as other leaders and experts from the School of Fine Arts and Design of Changzhou University, the School of Arts of Suzhou University of Science and Technology, the School of Fine Arts and Design of  Yangzhou University, the School of Arts of Jiangsu University, the School of Art and Design at Nanjing University of Technology, the School of Arts of Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, and award-winning teachers and students, attended the event, which was hosted by Lyu Shaoqing.

Zhang Linghao, Director of Jiangsu Provincial Art Postgraduate Education Guiding Committee and President of Nanjing University of the Arts, delivered an address.

In his speech, Professor Zhang Linghao pointed out that the integration of Art and Science is a new field, new track, and new arena for artistic innovation and development. Xi Jinping pointed out that the key to Chinese-style modernization lies in the modernization of science and technology, which provides strong support for enhancing national development, leadership, and viability, and is an important content, dynamic engine, and strategic support of Chinese-style modernization. The education of art design in Chinese-style modernization is also creating new opportunities and opening new prospects. Serving science popularization and communication, dedicating to technological innovation and practice, and committing to imagining the future of human society are the starting points and destinations of Art and Science integration. Integrating Chinese beauty and the great path to reach afar, the bidirectional communication between science and art under this connotation is not only an exchange of gifts between interdisciplinary fields but also a wonderful scenery of the future visible under the context of the Meta.

Liu Jiangtao, Deputy Director of Graduate Education Sector of Jiangsu Provincial Education Department and Vice Director of  Office of Jiangsu Provincial Degree Committee, gave a speech.

In her speech, Liu Jiangtao affirmed the fruitful achievements of Jiangsu postgraduates’ research and innovation practices and activities carried out over the past five years, which has become a beautiful name card of Jiangsu graduate education. In the past, we  witnessed the rapid development of graduate education in the era of change. Today, the development of art and science integration and art digitalization provides us with a new research perspective and a broad space for innovation. This competition not only explores the innovative model of interdisciplinary graduate talent training but also leads and sets an example in the integration development of related disciplines in art and science.

Zhou Congzhao, Vice President of the University of Science and Technology of China, made a speech.

Zhou Congzhao, Vice President of the University of Science and Technology of China, congratulated the competition through a video speech. Zhou Congzhao introduced the innovative exploration of the University of Science and Technology of China to realize Qian Xuesen's concept of combining science and art in science and engineering universities, and the achievements of  University of Science and Technology of China and Nanjing University of the Arts in the field of Art and Science integration in recent years. Zhou Congzhao pointed out that this competition, themed Meta Connection, explored the original appearance, modern state, and future value of art and science from the perspectives of science popularization and communication, technological innovation and practice, and future imagination and exploration. It presented the past, present, and future of science in an artistic way, marking an innovative attempt and providing new ideas for the integrated development of art and science.

Gao Jun, Member of the Management Committee of the Yangtze River Delta National Technology Innovation Center and Vice President of the Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute, gave an address.

Gao Jun congratulated the successful holding of the competition. He believes that art and technology, the two driving forces of human civilization's progress, are integrating in an unprecedented way in today's era, leading the new trend of industrial and technological innovation. Art, with its unique aesthetic value, nourishes people's spiritual world, while technology, with its powerful force of innovation, drives the rapid development of society. Industrial and technological innovation, a product of the integration of the two, not only brings about new industrial forms but also opens the door to the future for us. He looks forward to promoting the deep integration of art and technology through the competition, advancing the transformation and application of technological achievements, and contributing more wisdom and strength to the industrial and technological innovation of Jiangsu Province.

Xue Junwei, Director of the Jiangsu Provincial Art and Science Center, delivered a speech.

Xue Junwei discussed the historical basis and contemporary context of the theme of this competition in his address. He noted that the dialogue between art and science has a long history that continues to evolve. The new technological revolution, characterized by digital information, presents unprecedented challenges to design and art. The introduction of new liberal arts, new engineering, and interdisciplinary concepts, along with the emergence of new specialties such as art and technology, cross-media, and digital art, all indicate that the integration of art and science, and technology in art education has become an urgent social need. The Meta Connection embodies a restructuring methodology that uses a comprehensive variety of methods to link art and science, exploring creative design practices through contemporary technological mediums.

Vice President Lyu Shaoqing of Nanjing University of the Arts presided over the event.

Lyu Shaoqing introduced Nanjing University of the Arts' innovative graduate education model of promoting teaching and reform through competition and provided an overview of this competition. The competition received a total of 690 entries from 56 universities across the country. After rigorous preliminary and final reviews by the jury, the organizing committee selected 1 gold, 3 silver, 6 bronze, and 20 excellent award-winning works based on the scores, totaling 90 awarded works. Ten universities received the Excellent Organizational Contribution Award, and 37 instructors were honored with the Excellent Instructor Award. The exhibition will continue until March 22.

Special guests awarded the gold, silver, and bronze prize winners of the competition. Zhao Zengyue, a student representative from the School of Design at Nanjing University of the Arts, delivered an acceptance speech. After the award ceremony, guests and representatives of teachers and students visited the exhibition of the award-winning works of the competition.

Liu Jiangtao, Deputy Director of the Graduate Education Sector of  Jiangsu Provincial Education Department and Vice Director of the Office of the Jiangsu Provincial Degree Committee, and Zhang Linghao, Chairman of the Jiangsu Provincial Art Graduate Education Guiding Committee and President of Nanjing University of the Arts, awarded the gold prize winners.

Gao Jun, member of the Management Committee of the Yangtze River Delta National Technology Innovation Center and Vice President of the Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute, and Wei Jie, Vice Chairman of the Jiangsu Provincial Art Graduate Education Guiding Committee and Dean of the School of Design at Jiangnan University, presented awards to the representatives of the silver prize winners.

Xue Junwei, Director of the Jiangsu Art and Science Center, and Huang Haibo, Dean of the School of Arts at Changzhou University, presented awards to the representatives of the bronze prize winners.

The present guests and the representatives of the award-winning students took a group photo.

The guests viewed the exhibition of award-winning works.

Scene at the award-winning works exhibition.

The Meta Connection: 2023 Jiangsu Postgraduates’ Art and Science Innovative Design Competition serves as a project for graduate students’ research and innovation practice in Jiangsu province, aiming for the integration of art and science. It starts from science popularization and communication, technology application and innovation, and future imagination and exploration. Leveraging the strength of elites in the scientific and artistic communities both within Jiangsu and nationwide, within a comprehensive perspective of interdisciplinary integration, the competition fosters an innovative culture, promotes the spirit of science, nurtures an excellent academic atmosphere, creates an innovative environment, and advances the development and perfection of the science and technology innovation system.