Inner Mongolia Arts University(内蒙古艺术学院)

History and Development

Inner Mongolia Arts University, located in the beautiful city of Hohhot, is the only independent, comprehensive higher education institution of arts in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Its predecessor was the Inner Mongolia Arts School, founded in 1957. In 1987, the university was established as the College of Arts under Inner Mongolia University. In 2001, it merged substantively with Inner Mongolia University. In 2015, with approval from the Ministry of Education and the People's Government of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, it was officially established as Inner Mongolia Arts University. The university began admitting undergraduate students in 1994, and began offering master’s degree programs in 2004. In 2021, it was approved as a key institution for doctoral degree programs during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, and in 2023, it was included among the universities for building first-class disciplines in the region.

Achievements in Education

In recent years, the university’s faculty and students have achieved excellent results in various artistic exhibitions and performances. Notably, the original dance drama "Grassland Hero Sisters" has won multiple prestigious awards, including the 11th National "Lotus Award" for Dance Drama, the 12th China Art Festival, the 16th Wenhua Award, and the highest award—the "Best Performance Award" and "Best Director Award"—at the 6th National Ethnic Minority Art Performance. It was also selected for the "China Art Research Institute’s Recommended List of 100 Art Works under the Guidance of ‘Speech’." Professor Xie Yuanfang's watercolor painting "Faraway" won the Gold Award at the 13th National Art Exhibition, filling a gap in the region’s achievements in this field. Faculty and students have won 72 national-level awards in major exhibitions such as the National Minority Art Performance, National Art Exhibition, National University Students’ Art Performance, China University Students Advertising Art Festival, Milan Design Week, and the China Good Idea Competition, among others. Additionally, they have won 180 awards in competitions such as the China Music "Golden Bell Award" (Inner Mongolia Region), the North China Five Provinces Dance Competition, and the "Times Golden Calf Award."

Since its establishment, the university has nurtured many outstanding artists, including composers Ala Ten Oler, vocalists Lasu Rong, Dedema, Tengger, folk musicians Li Zhen, conductors Yaleng’erle, composer and music producer Sanbao, dancers and dance educators Aodemule, Aodeng’erle, Kang Shaohui, Zhao Linping, Zhang Yongsheng, Jiang Tiehong, performers Saren Gaowa, Ding Yongdai, and famous directors like Kang Honglei, as well as painters Li Decai, Li Xuefeng, and CCTV anchorperson Nason.

Academic Units and Disciplines

The university has two campuses, Xinhua and Yungu, covering an area of 504,232 square meters with a total building area of 191,807.78 square meters. The university has the following academic units: the College of Music, the College of Dance, the College of Film and Drama, the College of Fine Arts, the College of Design, the College of New Media, the College of Cultural Arts Management, the College of Marxism, and the Public Teaching Department, along with an affiliated secondary art school. The university primarily focuses on art disciplines and offers master's degrees in three primary disciplines: Music and Dance, Fine Arts, and Art Theory, along with professional master’s degrees in art. The university offers 25 undergraduate majors, including Music Performance, Musicology, Composition, Dance Performance, Dance Theory, Drama, Television Directing, Animation, Fine Arts, Painting, Sculpture, Calligraphy, Chinese Painting, Art Design, Visual Communication, Environmental Design, Product Design, Fashion Design, Public Art, Digital Media Art, and Cultural Industry Management.

Currently, the university has one key discipline for regional development, seven national-level first-class undergraduate programs, one national-level featured major, and six regional-level first-class undergraduate programs. It has been approved for four national-level first-class undergraduate courses, one national-level excellent course, 17 regional-level first-class undergraduate courses, six regional-level excellent courses, and eight high-quality online courses. The university has also received two second-place awards in national-level teaching achievements and five first-place awards, along with four second-place awards at the regional level. It has been granted two national-level new liberal arts research and reform projects by the Ministry of Education.

Research and Innovation

The university hosts one regional-level key discipline (Art Theory), two key research bases for humanities and social sciences in regional universities (the Art Education Research Center for Arts Universities in Inner Mongolia and the Ethnic Art Research Base for Universities in Inner Mongolia), and one regional philosophical and social sciences research base (the Grassland Silk Road Music Culture Research and Communication Base). It has been granted national research and creative platforms, including the National Traditional Chinese Culture Inheritance Base for Universities and the "Mongolian Traditional Music" Project. The university has also been awarded funding for numerous national and regional innovation projects and has been involved in projects such as the Mongolian Youth Choir Art Talent Training Base and the National Industrial Design Center.

International Collaboration

The university actively serves local economic, social, and cultural development and has signed strategic cooperation agreements with various institutions, including Xilinhot City, Hinggan League, and Hohhot city, as well as with multiple enterprises to create practical teaching bases for students and faculty. It participates in joint research and the commercialization of artistic achievements. In recent years, the university has hosted major academic and artistic events such as the First China Inner Mongolia Morin Khuur Art Festival, National Art Master's Painting Exhibition, and other international exchange events with a focus on Chinese culture and the arts.

The university has engaged in active international academic exchange, establishing partnerships with institutions in the United States, Denmark, Mongolia, Thailand, South Korea, and other countries. It has organized events such as the "Chinese-American Horse Culture Week" and "Cultural Arts Activities Week" and has been involved in various cultural exchange programs under initiatives such as the "Belt and Road" Music Education Alliance.

Future Development

Guided by Xi Jinping's Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the university will continue to implement the Party’s educational policies, emphasizing moral development and talent cultivation. It aims to be a cradle for the growth of artists, a key player in the development of cultural industries in Inner Mongolia, and a significant contributor to the promotion of traditional Chinese culture globally. The university is focused on becoming a high-level, distinctive arts university with a significant international presence, striving to enhance its role in cultural education, innovation, and international collaboration.