On 6 June, the opening ceremony of the 2026 Graduation Exhibition of the HBU-UCLan School of Media, Communication and Creative Industries was grandly held in the C5 Teaching Building on Qiyi Road Campus. Song Fengxuan, Standing Committee Member of the Hebei University Party Committee and Vice President, attended the event. Heads of relevant university functional departments, members of the School's leadership team, heads of some faculties, all Chinese and international faculty members of the School, and over 150 graduating undergraduates participated in the event.
Song Fengxuan extended sincere greetings to the attending guests, Chinese and international faculty, and the Class of 2026 graduates on behalf of the university. He stated that HBU-UCLan School of Media, Communication and Creative Industries has consistently strived to explore a talent development model for Sino-foreign cooperative education led by China's independent knowledge system, achieving remarkable results in talent development, social services, educational and teaching reform, and international exchanges and cooperation. This has fully demonstrated the influence and reputation of the School's media and creative programmes within the national landscape of Sino-foreign cooperative education. Song Fengxuan put forward several hopes for the School's development: first, to strengthen value guidance, uphold Chinese leadership, and firmly grasp the socialist direction in education; second, to enhance cross-disciplinary integration and actively develop versatile talents with interdisciplinary abilities, international communication skills, and innovative capabilities; and third, to reinforce the guiding role of the independent knowledge system, place equal emphasis on "introduction" and "integration", continuously strengthen international communication capabilities, and tell China's stories well and spread China's voice to the world.
Vice Dean Fu Hongyan stated that this Graduation Exhibition reflect the graduates' unique understanding of media and creativity, embody the School's educational philosophy of being rooted locally, integrating Chinese and international approaches, and pursuing excellence and innovation, and are also the result of the collaborative efforts of the School's Chinese and international faculty team. Fu Hongyan offered the following advice to the graduates: first, maintain optimism – face changes with a positive attitude, embrace them, and seize new trends and opportunities; second, think independently – do not let others' judgments replace your own choices, learn to look beyond appearances to question the essence, and find a development path that suits you; third, stay curious – those who remain curious about the world can discover new possibilities through exploration; and enhance aesthetic sensibility – aesthetics are not just about art and appearance, but also about perceiving life, understanding the world, and demonstrating taste in conduct.
Sion Hughes, the School's Vice Dean and Academic Head, stated that this exhibition is not only a concentrated display of the students' four years of learning outcomes but also a vivid manifestation of the School's talent development philosophy of "internationalisation, interdisciplinarity, and practice-oriented approach". Through the "dual-campus" and "dual-supervisor" models, the School has built a bridge for cross-cultural exchange for students, and this exhibition serves as a living example of the integration of Chinese and British education.
Bo Liwei, a faculty representative, introduced that this year's graduation works focus on the integration of art and technology, cross-disciplinary innovation, and closely follow contemporary hot topics. He encouraged all graduates to always carry creative passion, develop an international perspective, and move forward calmly and steadily to meet future opportunities and challenges.
Jiang Yi, a graduating representative from the Creative Advertising programme, spoke on behalf of all graduates. He expressed gratitude to both universities for their development and to the Chinese and international faculty for their meticulous guidance. He noted that students have grown through cultural collision and integration, staying rooted in Chinese stories while embracing a global perspective, shouldering the mission of the times, creating new prospects amidst change, and conveying China's positive voice to the world.
After the opening ceremony, guests, faculty, and students toured the graduation exhibition together. Over 100 works were displayed, covering various forms such as interactive installations, branding design, animation, and cultural creative products. The works explored intangible cultural heritage, rural revitalisation, and cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, reflecting the students' sense of responsibility and innovative thinking.
This graduation exhibition marks both a successful conclusion to the students' university studies and a new starting point as they enter the creative industries. In the future, HBU-UCLan School of Media, Communication and Creative Industries will continue to deepen the connotation of Sino-foreign cooperative education, optimise the interdisciplinary innovative talent development system, and continuously nurture high-quality, international, and innovative young talents for the media and creative industries, supporting the new generation in empowering the era with creativity and crafting brilliant chapters with craftsmanship.
