From July 12th to 22nd, the 2024 Sino-US Urban Stories photography workshop and themed exhibition, co-hosted by the School of International Culture and Communication, the School of Performing Arts of BCU, and the New York Film Academy, was successfully held in New York.
On July 19th, Pro.Gong Yu, Party Secretary of BCU, and Michael Young, President of the New York Film Academy, attended the exhibition opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Pro.Gong Yu expressed gratitude to the New York Film Academy for their strong support of the exhibition. He emphasized that young students should seize opportunities to communicate and learn with international peers, hone their professional skills with patience and perseverance, and strive to appreciate the beauty of others, as well as our own, and create beauty together. In an increasingly globalized world, they should tell compelling urban stories and Chinese stories. Michael Young congratulated the successful launch of the event and expressed hope that it would serve as a catalyst for deeper collaboration between the two universities. After the ceremony, the leaders of both universities engaged in friendly exchanges and exchanged gifts.
Led by Pro.Zhang Xinyuan, Deputy Director of the School of International Culture and Communication, and Zhang Yin, Director of the Photography Major in the School of Performing Arts, a group of 15 undergraduate and graduate students from BCU, majoring in photography, communication, radio and television directing, and foreign languages, embarked on a project to explore urban stories and cultures. Starting in May, they captured and created works focused on Chinese urban stories. In July, they traveled to the US for a week-long exploration and creation of New York City stories. During the workshop, our students and faculty engaged in in-depth exchanges with NYFA leadership and photography professors on urban cultural imagery creation.
On the afternoon of July 19th, the delegation from BCU held a collective exhibition of 2024 Sino-US Urban Stories photography works at the New York Film Academy. Pro.Zhang Xinyuan delivered the opening speech and presided over the event. Participating students presented their urban photography works from both China and the US, providing explanations in English. Professor David Mager, Chair of the Photography Department at NYFA, and Associate Professor Zhang Yin provided professional critiques for each student's work. Professors from both institutions highly praised the creativity and vitality displayed in the students' works.
Using photography as a medium, this workshop established a new platform for young students from China and the US to exchange urban cultures and explore urban imagery. This year marks the 40th anniversary of our university. The School of International Culture and Communication and the School of Performing Arts will jointly host the 2024 International Urban Stories photography exhibition on campus, showcasing the achievements of BCU’s educational endeavors.
