On the morning of July 5, the opening ceremony of the 2024 China Ceramic Art International Summer School & “Ceramic Road” International Ceramic Education Alliance Ceramic Creation Camp was held at Jingdezhen Ceramic University. Over 100 faculty and students from more than 10 universities in 9 countries participated in the event, including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Russia, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Kyrgyzstan.
Attendees included Lei Jiehua, second-level inspector of the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Education; Lyu Pinchang, Acting President of JCU; Zhang Long, Standing Committee Member and Head of the Publicity Department of the Jingdezhen Municipal Party Committee; Cui Suxiang, Standing Committee Member and Vice Mayor of Jingdezhen; Hu Yinjiao, Party Committee member and Vice President of Jingdezhen Ceramic University; Yan Pei, Secretary of the Party Group and Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Jingdezhen; Yu Hongsheng, Party Group member of the Jingdezhen Cultural and Tourism Bureau and Director of the Jingdezhen Ceramic Culture Inheritance and Innovation Center; Yu Xiaobing, Deputy Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Jingdezhen High-Tech Zone and Chairman of Guokong Group; Yang Zhimin, Party Committee member and Minister of the Organization Department of JCU; and Zeng Desheng, Party Committee member and Minister of the Publicity Department of JCU. The ceremony was presided over by Hu Yinjiao, and Lei Jiehua announced the official opening. Zhang Long pressed the ceremonial imprint on a commemorative porcelain plaque.
Lei Jiehua announcing the opening of the summer camp
Lyu Pinchang giving a speech
In his speech, Professor Lyu warmly welcomed the participants and guests from afar. He emphasized that Jingdezhen Ceramic University, as China’s only comprehensive and research-oriented ceramic university, bears the responsibility of preserving and promoting ceramic culture and advancing China’s ceramic education and industry. He shared the history of the Ceramic Summer School, which was first launched in 1996 in collaboration with Alfred University and West Virginia University in the United States. Since then, 17 summer sessions and 8 autumn sessions have been held, attracting more than 1,000 students from various U.S. universities, establishing the academy as an influential international platform for ceramic exchange. The program was praised in the U.S. State Department’s publication200 Years of Sino-US Relationsas a new pinnacle of people-to-people exchanges in the 21st century. In line with President Xi Jinping’s initiative during his visit to the U.S. to invite 50,000 young Americans to China for exchange programs over the next five years, the school resumed in 2023 with support from the Provincial Department of Education and other authorities. Lyu expressed confidence that the China Ceramic ArtInternational Summer School would attract even more faculty and students from around the world, offering opportunities to exchange ideas, enhance skills, and foster international friendships through the shared medium of ceramics.
Zhang Long presses the ceremonial handprint on the commemorative porcelain plaque for the launch of theChina Ceramic ArtInternational Summer School
Cui Suxiang giving a speech
Ms. Cui emphasized that historically, Jingdezhen ceramics, as a shining example of Chinese civilization, traveled across the seas along the “Belt and Road,” writing a brilliant chapter in the exchange of human civilizations. Entering a new era, Jingdezhen, following President Xi's instruction to “polish the beautiful calling card of the ‘Millennium Porcelain Capital’,” is advancing the construction of the National Ceramic Culture Inheritance and Innovation Pilot Zone with an open, inclusive, and confident posture. The opening of the Ceramic Creation Camp marks both a grand celebration of international cultural and artistic exchange and the revival of the International Summer School. Cui encouraged ceramic artists and participants to appreciate the rich ceramic heritage of Jingdezhen and to create outstanding ceramic works, fostering artistic exchanges that transcend borders and connect hearts. She hoped that the camp would become a platform for broader, more diverse, and deeper international ceramic cultural exchanges, building bridges of friendship and cooperation for ceramic enthusiasts worldwide.
Hu Yinjiao (Host)
As the host, Ms. Hu emphasized the significance of telling China’s story through ceramic culture. JCU established the International School and founded an International Ceramic Studio to build a diverse and open platform for global ceramic education and cultural exchange. After nearly 30 years of development, and now in a post-pandemic era, the revival of the International Summer School project signifies a renewed commitment to broadening international ceramic exchanges, especially between China and the U.S. She highlighted the profound importance of using ceramics to connect the world and convey China’s cultural heritage.
Professor Wang Qingli
Professor Wang Qingli of Jingdezhen Ceramic University, a representative of the camp’s teaching staff, shared her insights on the diversity, openness, and humanistic care required in ceramic art creation. She emphasized the importance of innovation and personal expression in ceramic art, noting that an open mindset and a willingness to experiment are essential for artistic growth.
Professor Wu Jiangzhong
Wu Jiangzhong, a national-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor, discussed the significance of shared artistic pursuits, respect for craftsmanship, and responsibility for cultural inheritance. He welcomed the international participants to experience the world of ceramics in Jingdezhen and to take back the ceramic knowledge and skills learned here to their own countries.
Student representativeJames Lee Asava
James Lee Asava, a participant from Northern Michigan University, expressed his deep appreciation for the unique ceramic culture of Jingdezhen and the warm hospitality he received in China. He noted that ceramics serve as a universal language, with clay being one of the most accessible artistic materials. The experience, he said, would greatly benefit his future career in ceramics and his studies.
The 2024 China CeramicArt International Summer School and the Creation Camp
will run for a month. The teaching team includes professors from JCU and intangible cultural heritage inheritors. The diverse curriculum covers practical courses such as pottery throwing, trimming, shaping, blue-and-white porcelain, famille-rose, enamel decoration, and kiln firing, as well as theoretical courses on Chinese ceramic culture and contemporary China. Cultural tours are also included.
Also present at the opening ceremony were leaders from Jingdezhen Ceramic Culture Tourism Group, Jingdezhen Taoyi Cultural Development Co., Ltd., Jingdezhen Taobo City Cultural Tourism Industry Operation Management Co., Ltd., Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics International Cultural Exchange Center, as well as representatives from various departments and schools of JCU.
