On May 7, Professor Liu Xiwei, a renowned expert in visual communication design education and professor at Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication's School of Design Art, visited the Department of Visual Communication at Jiangsu University's School of Arts. The academic exchange focused on key topics including disciplinary development, faculty optimization, and teaching quality enhancement. Building on the achievements of teaching competitions, both institutions explored innovative approaches for visual communication design education in the new era, injecting fresh momentum into cross-regional collaboration in art education.

At the academic symposium, Zhu Zhe, Vice Dean of the School of Arts, presented Professor Liu Xiwei with detailed reports on the department's recent achievements in faculty development and pedagogical innovation. As a national first-class undergraduate program, the Department of Visual Communication at Jiangsu University has pioneered a distinctive "competition-driven pedagogy" model. By leveraging academic competitions as a catalyst, the department encourages faculty to integrate cutting-edge industry practices with curriculum innovation, creating a dynamic synergy between competition and teaching.

Professor Li Yubo from the Department of Visual Communication highlighted the landmark achievements of students under their guidance in the past five years. In national Class A competitions such as the "National Internet Computer Design Competition", "Milan Design Week", "NCDA Future Designer", "China Good Idea", and "National College Student Advertising Art Competition", the faculty and students of the Department of Visual Communication Design have achieved remarkable results, accumulating over 30 national-level awards and more than 100 provincial-level awards.

"Teaching competitions serve not only as a litmus test for educators 'capabilities but also as a catalyst for pedagogical innovation," Professor Liu Xiwei affirmed after reviewing the entries. Regarding the enhancement of professional teachers' instructional competencies and the development of first-class disciplines, Professor Liu proposed three recommendations: First, strengthen systematic design processes by establishing a complete workflow from research and proposal to testing; Second, emphasize cultivating cross-media storytelling skills to extend graphic design into dynamic and interactive formats; Third, implement long-term development strategies to achieve synergy between teaching, research, and academic innovation.

Finally, Professor Liu Xiwei emphasized: "In the age of artificial intelligence, visual communication education must shift from 'technological transmission' to 'cognitive shaping', enabling students to develop acute awareness of societal needs while mastering tools." This exchange holds significant driving force and positive implications for advancing and refining talent cultivation in the Visual Communication Design program at the School of Arts.