On the morning of March 9, 2026, Guizhou Education University and Pantheon Institute ofDesign and Technology held a grand signing ceremony for a Sino-foreign cooperative education agreement at the Shanshui Lecture Hallof Yinshan Academy. The ceremony was presided over by Zhang Bin, Director of the International Office of Guizhou Education University. Representatives from both institutions gathered to jointly witness the cooperation between the two universities entering a new phase.

The Italian representatives attending the ceremony included Giulio Guidi, Rector of Pantheon Institute of Design and Technology; Wang Yuntao, Assistant to the Rector; and Yang Ruiqing, Chinese consultant. The leaders from our university in attendance were Zhao Shouying, Member of the Standing Committee of the University Party Committee and Vice President (at the departmental level); Du Hongbo, Director of the Academic Affairs Office; Yan Xingcheng, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Foreign Languages; Luo Yong, Dean of the School of Foreign Languages; Nie Sen, Dean of the School of Art and Design; and other faculty representatives from relevant schools and departments.

First, Zhang Bin introduced the leaders and guests from both sides. The attendees jointly watched the international promotional video of Guizhou Education University, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the university's educational characteristics and development achievements.

Zhao Shouying delivered a welcome address. On behalf of the university, he extended a warm welcome to Rector Guidi and his delegation and expressed gratitude to both teams for their efforts in facilitating this cooperation. He noted that Guizhou Education University has always adhered to its institutional positioning as an "application-oriented, teacher-training, and open" university and actively promotes the internationalization of education. As the birthplace of the Renaissance, Italy possesses a profound heritage in art and design education. Pantheon Institute of Design and Technology has significant advantages in integrating design education with technological innovation, offering broad prospects for bilateral cooperation. This signing ceremony not only reflects the sharing of resources and complementary strengths between the two institutions but also represents an important achievement in the deep integration of Sino-Italian higher education philosophies.

In his address, Rector Giulio Guidi spoke highly of the development achievements of Guizhou Education University and expressed his anticipation that this cooperation would further promote in-depth exchanges and practical collaboration between the two institutions in fields such as art design, technological innovation, and language and culture, jointly cultivating high-quality talents with international perspectives and innovative capabilities.

During the discussion session, both sides engaged in in-depth conversations on topics including joint curriculum development, faculty and student exchanges, and academic research cooperation, reaching broad consensus. Subsequently, Vice President Zhao Shouying and Rector Giulio Guidi signed the Sino-foreign cooperative education agreement on behalf of their respective institutions, marking the official entry of the cooperation between the two universities into a substantive implementation phase.

Following the signing ceremony, accompanied by leaders and faculty including Nie Sen and Yan Xingcheng, Rector Guidi and his delegation visited our university's School of Art and Design. Rector Guidi toured the Art Workshop , Digital Art Labs, and Ethnic Folk Art Exhibition Hall, inspecting teaching facilities and the creative works of faculty and students.Nie Sen highlighted the innovative teaching practices of integrating Guizhou's intangible cultural heritage elements such as batik and embroidery into modern design education, which left a deep impression on the Italian guests. During the visit, both sides engaged in in-depth exchanges on topics including joint curriculum development and the integration of digital design with traditional crafts, reaching preliminary consensus on future initiatives such as joint workshops, curriculum alignment, and international exchanges of faculty and student works.

The signing of this cooperation agreement and the on-site exchanges mark the substantive advancement of the partnership between Guizhou Education University and Pantheon Institute ofDesign and Technology. With art and design education as a bond, both sides will continue to deepen practical cooperation in talent cultivation, academic research, and cultural heritage and innovation, jointly creating new highlights in Sino-Italian people-to-people exchanges and injecting new momentum into cultivating high-quality application-oriented talents with international perspectives.

Photo by Jiang Mingtao

Text by Luo Zhaiyang

Preliminary Review by Xiang Chenhui

Second Review by Xu Anti

Final Review by Zhang Bin

1.Welcome address byPresident Zhao Shouying

2.Address by Guidi Giulio

3.Signing the agreement

4.Visiting School of Art and Design

5.Group Photo