ningbo-2026 - C-IDEA

C-IDEA Conference 2026 in Ningbo, China

Ningbo, October 23, 2026 — The 2026 Ningbo International Conference on AI-Empowered Design Education & C-IDEA Annual Conference opened today at Ningbo University of Finance & Economics (NBUFE). The conference brings together design education experts from Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, and other countries, alongside scholars from Chinese universities and industry representatives, to explore innovative pathways for design discipline development, industry-education integration, and talent cultivation reform under the wave of artificial intelligence, building a transnational and cross-disciplinary platform for academic exchange in design education.

The conference is jointly hosted by Ningbo University of Finance & Economics and the C-IDEA Association, organized by the College of Art and Design of NBUFE, guided by the Ningbo Federation of Social Sciences, and co-organized by the Research Center for Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Member Countries.

Professor Rayan Abdullah of the Academy of Visual Arts Leipzig, Germany, and council member of the C-IDEA Association, delivered remarks on behalf of international experts, expressing expectations for deepening international design education exchange and expanding multilateral cooperation.

During the opening ceremony, several international cooperation initiatives were launched. Guests jointly unveiled the “Council Member Unit for Southeast China of the International Alliance of Art and Design Educators (C-IDEA)” and the “International Research Center for Art and Science Futures” at the College of Art and Design, NBUFE. The College of Art and Design of NBUFE and the C-IDEA Association signed a strategic cooperation agreement to pursue in-depth collaboration in academic seminars, joint talent cultivation, and industry-driven innovation.

The conference featured nine high-level keynote reports and one roundtable forum, with an academic lineup spanning renowned universities, research institutions, and industry from China and abroad. Speakers included Professor Rayan Abdullah of the Academy of Visual Arts Leipzig, Germany; Professor Hu Jie of Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Professor Lisa Winstanley of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Joe Minnione of the Adelaide University, Australia; Professor Jacob Castaldi of Canterbury Christ Church University, UK; Xu Li, Secretary-General of the C-IDEA Association; Alex Pritchard of the Pritchard Studio, Australia; Professor Markus Weisbeck of Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Germany; and Professor Li Zhongyang of Capital Normal University. Topics covered trends in visual design in the AI era, design-driven industrial innovation, creative ethics and authorship of AI-generated content, contemporary reconstruction of the Bauhaus educational tradition, and reform practices in local design education, combining international theoretical perspectives with practical industry value.

In the roundtable forum, Chinese and international guests engaged in speculative dialogue on “What Changes and What Remains in Design Education under the AI Wave,” directly addressing the opportunities and challenges that artificial intelligence brings to design teaching, talent competencies, and disciplinary positioning, and generating diverse perspectives for design education reform.

Four themed exhibitions were held concurrently: the C-IDEA Outstanding Works Exhibition, the Contemporary International Ink Design Exhibition, the Industrial Design and Product Design Project Exchange Exhibition, and the “Design · Symbiosis · Future” Industry-Education-Research-Application Achievement Exhibition, showcasing practical outcomes of the deep integration of digital technology and art design and achieving two-way linkage between academic discussion and achievement display.

“This international academic conference is an important measure for Ningbo University of Finance & Economics to advance the internationalization of its design discipline and deepen industry-education integration. The conference builds a high-level platform for communication and collaboration among domestic and international design education communities, injecting new momentum into the optimization of art and design disciplines at local universities and the improvement of talent cultivation quality,” said Li Guoping, Vice President of Ningbo University of Finance & Economics. He expressed the hope that the conference would serve as a bridge to strengthen mutual learning with institutions at home and abroad and to jointly explore innovative pathways for design education in the AI era. Going forward, the College of Art and Design of NBUFE will build on the outcomes of this conference to deepen practical cooperation with the C-IDEA Association and institutions worldwide, continue exploring new concepts and models of design education in the AI context, support the high-quality development of the regional cultural and creative industries, and produce more high-quality applied design talent.

City Tour

Following the conference, participating guests visited cultural landmarks including the Ningbo Maitreya Altar and the Ningbo Family Tradition Museum, where they experienced Ningbo’s rich historical and cultural heritage and the city’s humanistic charm, and took part in cultural activities featuring Chinese characteristics. The cultural visit further promoted exchange and mutual learning among Chinese and international guests, adding a strong dimension of people-to-people and cultural exchange to the international academic conference.