This October, President of the New York Film Academy Michael Young made a trip to China, visiting several of the nation’s educational institutions and attending several prestigious conferences and ceremonies.
The first stop of this trip was Xi’an Peihua University, a private institution over 100 years old with more than 25,000 current students. President Young delivered a captivating speech at the grand welcoming ceremony held by the school, where he met over 500 students and expressed his enthusiasm for Peihua’s internationalization efforts. He also encouraged students to focus on specializing their abilities to better achieve their ambitions.
After his speech, New York Film Academy and Peihua University officially signed the Cooperation Agreement, which includes cooperative programs such as the “1+3” Undergraduate and Graduate Program and the Study Abroad Program, among others. President Young was also inducted as an Honorable President of Peihua University, the first time since Peihua University’s founding that such a prestigious title has been conferred to a foreign educator.
President Young next visited Shanghai Theatre Academy Lianhua Campus, where students who benefit from the “1+3” program by New York Film Academy and Shanghai Theatre Academy currently study. He talked to the school’s top professors, asking detailed questions about the students’ current learning environment and also patiently answering any questions himself.
President Young encouraged the “1+3” students to take every advantage of the professional education that Shanghai Theatre Academy provides, and stressed the importance of mastering the English language to best prepare for their upcoming three-year study at New York Film Academy.
Traveling to Hangzhou, President Young visited the uniquely designed art building and facilities of Wankun Arts High School. The New York Film Academy signed a cooperation agreement with Wankun Arts High School to co-found the Student Resource base, which will help Wankun Arts graduates transition to NYFA’s undergraduate program. President Young also talked about potentially co-founding Arts School with the board from Wankun Arts High School.
Afterwards, President Young attended an event held by FlyCo Star Pictures Co. Ltd. By signing the Strategic Cooperation Agreement with FlyCo Star Pictures Co. Ltd., President Young and the New York Film Academy will help cultivate young and talented filmmakers to become leading figures in the film industry. With three NYFA graduates currently working at FlyCo Star Pictures Co. Ltd., President Young expressed his appreciation, while FlyCo Star praised the alumni’s contribution to the company.
Later that afternoon, President Young toured one of the leading media and communication institutions in China, Zhejiang University of Media and Communications (ZJUMC), where currently over 100,000 students are attending. He congratulated Huace Film Academy on its founding, and shared his enthusiastic confidence in the newfound cooperation between NYFA and ZJUMC.
President Young also elaborated on this future cooperation, which will include detailed programs such as the accelerated degree and short-term study abroad programs, as well as further involving the NYFA 4-week workshop programs with ZJUMC’s traditional courses.
In addition to New York Film Academy’s educational commitment within China’s borders, President Young also shared exciting news about upcoming events at the New York Film Academy’s renowned New York campus. During the visit to Shanghai, one of the most vital discussions concerned Shanghai Film Week. The conference between NYFA, Shanghai’s Municipal Government, and Shanghai Film Art Academy came to an agreement, and NYFA will proudly co-host Shanghai Film Week in January 2018.