Fine Art College of Shanghai University

What Fine Art College of Shanghai University does

Fine Art College of Shanghai University (上海大学上海美术学院) is a public art education institution operating as a department within Shanghai University, a national university administered by the Shanghai Municipal Government. The college traces its lineage to the Shanghai Art School (上海美专) founded by Liu Haisu in 1912, inheriting the Haipai (海派) art tradition, and was re-established under its current name in December 2016. It serves domestic undergraduate and graduate students across 17 undergraduate majors in Chinese painting, oil painting, printmaking, sculpture, digital media, design, art history, and architecture, as well as international graduate students and partner high schools participating in its 美育培育基地 (Aesthetic Education Cultivation Base) network spanning at least 9 provinces.

The institution delivers its academic and cultural mission through specialized platforms and units, including the on-campus Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts Art Museum (上海美术学院美术馆), the 上美讲堂 lecture hall, the 摩登田野 (Modern Field) rural-community art initiative, the annual 云上一公里 online graduation works exhibition (launched 2022), the Shanghai Public Art Collaborative Innovation Center, and the Shanghai University Art Research Institute. It offers doctoral programs in four first-level disciplines (Art, Design, Fine Arts and Calligraphy, Design), one master's discipline (Architecture), two professional master's degrees, and two postdoctoral research stations in Art History and Art Theory. Faculty have secured multiple National Arts Fund projects (3 in 2024), National Social Science and Natural Science Fund approvals, and 6 faculty were named to the 2025 CNKI High-Citation Scholars list.

The college is not a commercial entity. Its operating revenue comes from government educational budget allocations from Shanghai University and the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, supplemented by social donations (such as the Chenggang Scholarship established by Dean Zeng Chenggang) and competitive research grants. Tuition and fees are administratively set rather than commercially priced. Its go-to-market channels are WeChat official accounts, the safa.shu.edu.cn portal, annual exhibitions and festivals, dedicated employer recruitment fairs, and a national high school partnership program. Leadership comprises Dean Zeng Chenggang (also Chairman of China Sculpture Society and Shanghai Artists Association), Party Secretary Chen Jing, and Executive Dean Jin Jiangbo.

Name

Fine Art College of Shanghai University

Legal name

Shanghai University Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts (上海大学上海美术学院)

Website

https://safa.shu.edu.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fine Art College of Shanghai University (上海大学上海美术学院) is a public art education department within Shanghai University, offering 17 undergraduate majors plus master's and doctoral programs across fine arts, design, and architecture, serving domestic and international students, partner high schools across nine provinces, and recruiting employers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education - Art and Design

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Fine Arts Schools (611610), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

akta.pro primary industry

Fine Arts Colleges (Painting, Sculpture, Printmaking) (EDAHAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Architecture Schools (within Arts & Design institutions) (EDAHAJAG), Animation, Game Art & Digital Arts Colleges (EDAHAJAI)

Keywords

• Fine arts education
• Art and design programs
• Undergraduate art degrees
• Graduate art programs
• Aesthetic education

Headquarters

HQ city

Shanghai

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Educational Funding: As a public university department, the college operates primarily on government budget allocations from Shanghai University and the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, covering teaching, research, and facilities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Shanghai University Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts is a public university art college providing comprehensive art and design education from undergraduate to doctoral levels. It delivers 17 undergraduate majors and multiple graduate programs across Chinese painting, oil painting, printmaking, sculpture, digital arts, design, architecture, and art history. The college operates specialized platforms including the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts Art Museum, Shangmei Lecture Hall academic forum, Modern Field community art initiative, and the annual Cloud One Kilometer graduation works exhibition.

Product overview

The Fine Art College of Shanghai University (上海美术学院) operates as a comprehensive art education institution offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. The college provides 17 undergraduate programs including traditional Chinese painting, oil painting, printmaking, sculpture, digital arts, visual communication design, environmental design, architecture, and art history. The institution supports its educational mission through specialized platforms including the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts Art Museum, the Shangmei Lecture Hall academic forum, the Modern Field community art initiative, and the annual One Kilometer on Cloud graduation works exhibition. Additional research and innovation centers include the Shanghai Public Art Collaborative Innovation Center and Shanghai University Art Research Institute, which enable interdisciplinary collaboration and public art projects. The college maintains international exchange programs and joint educational offerings across multiple countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 闳约书院 (Hongyue Academy): An honors college/institute within the academy for integrated talent development
• 无问西东 (Without Asking East or West)
• 成钢奖学金 (Chenggang Scholarship)

Products and services

• Undergraduate Art and Design Programs
• Graduate Master's and Doctoral Programs
• International Student Programs
• Cloud One Kilometer Graduation Works Exhibition (云上一公里)
• Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts Art Museum (上海美术学院美术馆)
• Shangmei Lecture Hall (上美讲堂)
• Modern Field (摩登田野) Academic brand platform for field-based art research and rural cultural practices.
• Annual Graduate Recruitment Fair
• Aesthetic Education Partnership Programs (美育培育基地) Partnership programs with dozens of high schools across China for art curriculum co-development, teacher training, student workshops, and art resource sharing.
• Without Asking East or West International Exhibition Series (无问西东) International academic exhibition brand launched in 2021 for cross-cultural contemporary art exchange, held at venues including Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Rome and China Art Museum in Shanghai.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3 projects selected for 2024 National Arts Fund
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.

• 清华附中志新学校minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 18 June 2026美育培育基地 partnership at Tsinghua University Affiliated High School Zhixin School. Appointed Sang Maolin as distinguished expert and Fan Mo, Dong Yayuan as advisory teachers for the partnership.
• 中央工艺美术学院附属中学 (Central Academy of Arts and Design Affiliated High School)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 17 June 2026美育培育基地 partnership in Beijing. Jointly develops art education curriculum and provides professional art instruction resources to secondary school students.
• 北京交通大学附属中学minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 17 June 2026美育培育基地 partnership at the East Campus of Beijing Jiaotong University Affiliated High School, designated as the only art specialty school in Haidian District.
• 沧州市第一中学minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 16 June 2026美育培育基地 partnership signed in Hebei province. Cooperation covers curriculum co-development, teacher training, student workshops, and art education resource sharing between the university fine arts college and the high school.
• 49 Industry Employers (Recruitment Fair)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 April 20262026 dedicated art graduate recruitment fair at Yanchang Campus with 49 employers offering 500+ positions across architecture, design, digital media, art education, and art management. Represents the college's primary employment channel for graduates.
• Shanghai Maritime University Xiongbei Hong Art College (上海海事大学徐悲鸿艺术学院)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 23 April 2026Art college leadership visited the recruitment fair for inter-college exchange on employment work, sharing experiences in art graduate career guidance.
• 西北大学艺术学院minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 March 2026Talent recruitment and academic exchange visit where Northwest University's art college recruited PhD graduates through their '紫藤学者' (Purple Vine Scholar) talent program, offering competitive compensation and career development packages.
• 昆明市第一中学minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 3 November 2025美育培育基地 partnership in Yunnan province. Includes curriculum co-development, art instruction, student exchange, and school visit programs for art education collaboration.
• 昆明市实验中学minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 3 November 2025美育培育基地 partnership. Includes teacher training, student workshops, and art education outreach programs. Ceramic art lecture delivered by Professor Chen Guanghui to students.
• 莎车县第五中学minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 30 October 2025美育培育基地 partnership in Shache County, Xinjiang. Cooperation on art curriculum development and teacher training to support art education in the region.
• 喀什第六中学 (Kashgar No.6 Middle School)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 29 October 2025美育培育基地 partnership under the Shanghai Aid-Xinjiang Education Group's '玉兰工程' program. Signifies the college's contribution to cultural润疆 efforts in Xinjiang.
• 中国二十冶集团有限公司工程设计研究院minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Third mutual visit. Research institute recruits graduates with architecture and design backgrounds. Established industry-academia-research cooperation platform for student internships and employment.
• 上海云韬工程设计有限公司 (Shanghai Yuntao Engineering Design Co.)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 December 2023Career development education and employment base partnership. 云韬 company (featured on 'Dream Home Designer' TV show) provides internship and graduate employment opportunities for students.
• 河北大学中央兰开夏传媒与创意学院minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 2 June 2023Talent recruitment visit where the partner college recruited PhD graduates from the college. Demonstrates the college's role as a talent supplier to partner institutions.
• 威猛龙 (VMLY&R中国)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2023Industry-academia-research cooperation base established for design talent development and collaborative projects between the college and the advertising/marketing agency.
• Shanghai Marin Art SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2021Co-hosted the '城市·山水' national art academy landscape painting teaching and creation symposium with over 40 art schools participating and 450 works exhibited.
• 上海鼎层文化传媒有限公司minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 2021Strategic cooperation and industry-academia-research base established at the jewelry studio exhibition opening. Jointly promotes contemporary jewelry designers and advances academic development of contemporary jewelry art through media outreach.
• 上海新华文化科技园majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2021Cooperation agreement covering innovation incubation, practical education, employment guidance, student internships and volunteer activities, and joint digital media innovation projects. Established to integrate industry, education and research for collaborative talent development.
• Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (罗马国家现当代美术馆)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Joint hosting of the '无问西东' international dialogue exhibition series, including the 2025 edition 'From Shanghai to Rome' held at the Rome museum. Represents the college's flagship international academic exhibition brand. Includes joint academic seminars, public education activities, and artist exchanges.
• 中华艺术宫 (China Art Museum / Shanghai Art Museum)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Long-standing strategic partner for major exhibitions including '无问西东', '城市·人物', '上海设计10×10', and '深实博约' collection exhibitions. Co-organized with Shanghai Artists Association for academic art exhibitions at the museum.
• Shanghai Oil Painting Sculpture Institute (上海油画雕塑院)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Deep cooperation in party building and business operations, including academic exchanges, joint research, and professional collaboration in fine arts creation and criticism.
• 平和教育集团 (Pinghe Education Group)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 April 2020Strategic cooperation agreement focused on developing intangible cultural heritage (非遗) crossover aesthetic education curricula. The 美育教学联合工作室 under the college collaborates with the group on curriculum development, academic guidance, extracurricular activities, club building, and social practice bases.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts: Northwest China-focused fine arts institution with traditional strengths in Chinese painting and design. Comparable in mission and program structure but smaller in scale and concentrated on a different regional talent pool.
• Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts: Guangdong-based fine arts institution with strong design and applied arts programs, serving southern China's creative industries. Comparable in scale and program breadth but operating in a different regional market with closer industry ties to manufacturing and export-oriented design.
• Hubei Institute of Fine Arts: Central China-based fine arts institution offering undergraduate and master's programs across painting, design, and animation. Comparable in scope but with a regional Wuhan focus and less doctoral-level depth than SAFA.
• Sichuan Fine Arts Institute: Chongqing-based fine arts university with strong oil painting, sculpture, and design programs. Comparable in program structure and mission but focused on southwestern China and a different regional employer base.

Direct peers

• Nanjing University of the Arts: Comprehensive arts university in Jiangsu offering undergraduate-to-doctoral programs in fine arts, design, music, and media arts. Closely comparable comprehensive multi-disciplinary arts institution competing for the same national student pool.
• Central Academy of Fine Arts: Beijing's flagship national fine arts academy offering the full undergraduate-to-doctoral pipeline across painting, sculpture, design, architecture, and art theory. It is the highest-prestige fine arts institution in China and the primary benchmark against which SAFA's national standing is measured.
• China Academy of Art: Hangzhou-based national fine arts university with comprehensive undergraduate-to-doctoral programs in fine arts, design, and architecture. It is the most prestigious direct competitor to SAFA in the Chinese fine arts higher education market and competes for top students, faculty, and national research funding.
• Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University: Fine arts and design school within Tsinghua University, combining elite university resources with art and design programs from undergraduate through doctoral levels. Direct competitor for top-tier students interested in design and architecture intersecting with engineering.

Emerging players

• Beijing Film Academy: Specialized Beijing institution with strong animation, digital media arts, and film design programs that overlap with SAFA's 数码系 (Digital Arts) and design offerings. Adjacent competitor for students interested in digital and screen-based creative disciplines.

Broad incumbents

• Tongji University College of Architecture and Urban Planning: Shanghai-based comprehensive university architecture program that competes directly with SAFA's 建筑系 (Architecture Department) for top Shanghai students interested in architecture, urban design, and public art. Stronger engineering orientation but overlapping applicant pool in Shanghai.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fine-art-college-of-shanghai-university

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fine Art College of Shanghai University