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Study tour immerses students in China’s creativity and culture
Twenty-seven Creative Arts and Digital Design students have returned from the 2025 Great Wall of Creativity Faculty Study Tour - a 30-day immersion across China.
Delivered in partnership with University of Canberra and supported by the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan, the tour combined academic learning, industry engagement, and cultural exchange to give students practical skills, global networks, and deep intercultural competence.
Of the 27 participants, 24 were New Colombo Plan scholars - one of the most significant grants awarded nationally in 2025.
Led by TAFE Queensland’s Higher Education Fashion lecturer Jayee Ying, the tour featured industry visits, cultural workshops, and intensive collaborations with leading educational institutions.
Visiting Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Zhengzhou, and Xi’an, the students engaged in programs with Henan University of Engineering, Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts, Xijing University, and the Shenzhen Institute of Information Technology.Article content goes here.
A highlight was a two-week workshop at Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts, where Australian and Chinese students co-designed creative responses to global challenges such as sustainability, digitalisation, and ageing societies.
Students also gained cultural insights through hands-on experiences - practising calligraphy, learning traditional silk-dyeing, riding the Xi’an city walls, and visiting the Terracotta Warriors - while developing professional skills in digital design, fashion, and applied technologies.
Equity and inclusion were at the heart of the tour, with a diverse cohort including Indigenous students, regional and remote participants, first-time international travellers and students with disabilities.
Students were supported before, during and after the tour to ensure they could fully participate, strengthening resilience, adaptability, and cross-cultural awareness.
The tour also deepened institutional partnerships, opening new opportunities for exchange programs, co-hosted events, and future placements with universities and industry partners in China.
The Australian Embassy in Beijing signalled ongoing support for further collaboration.
By combining student-focused learning with international partnerships, the 2025 China Study Tour transformed student experiences and advanced Australia’s broader goals of regional engagement, innovation, and workforce mobility - building the next generation of globally connected creative leaders.