TNUA hosted the 2014 ALIA Symposium in Taipei in early October, with almost 200 representatives from 24 art institutions taking part in the three-day event. The ALIA members also signed a declaration promoting peace through art.
Represented in the symposium were ALIA members from Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Turkey, Israel and Britain, as well as members from the European League of Institutes of the Arts (ELIA).
ALIA (Asian League of Institutes of the Arts), founded in 2012, is dedicate to cultivating outstanding professional artists who will contribute to building a better future for Asian and non-Asian countries, as well as art education.
TNUA President Prof. Yang Chyi Wen noted that the 2014 symposium was to discuss s crucial issues of higher art education in terms of “Vision,” “Integration” and “Profession.”
He stressed the symposium had special guests from ELIA: its executive director, Carla Delfos, and vice presidents Thera Jonker and Paula Crabtree, as well as Prof. Andrzej Syska from the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznan, Poland.
The presence of the ELIA representatives was meant to enhance the European group's exchange with ALIA, furthering cross-cultural links and constructing global partnerships, Prof. Yang said.
During the three-day event, ALIA also elected TNUA as its new president, and the Korea National University of Arts and the Kyoto University of Art and Design as vice presidents. The Mongolian State University of Arts and Culture, the Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts and the Lasalle College of the Arts are the new supervisors.
Prof. Yang also signed a memorandum of understanding with Philippe Peycam, director of the International Institute for Asian Studies, for academic exchange between the two sides.