On the morning of December 19, David Oswell, Principal of Goldsmiths, University of London, along with Ai-Ping Guo, UK Director of the Confucius Institute for Dance and Department of Drama, visited our university for academic exchange. Dean Rui Wang met with and held discussions with the delegation. Representatives from the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange, the Department of Drama, and the (provisional) Academy of Musical Theatre, as well as key faculty members, participated in the meeting.

During the discussion, Wang Rui provided a detailed introduction to the development philosophy and academic structure of Zhejiang Conservatory of Music. He stated that, as a vibrant young institution, Zhejiang Conservatory of Music aims for development based on the 'Four High' principle. While deeply cultivating traditional strong disciplines such as music, dance, drama, and music education, the institution always values interdisciplinary integration and cross-college collaborative development. By breaking down disciplinary barriers and integrating high-quality resources, it lays a solid foundation for the growth of emerging disciplines. In recent years, the conservatory has focused on establishing new characteristic disciplines such as musical theater and music engineering, continuously enriching the diverse ecosystem of arts education. At the same time, the college adheres to an open and inclusive cooperative approach, consistently striving to connect with high-quality educational resources worldwide. It hopes to work hand in hand with Goldsmiths College, further exploring more interdisciplinary and multi-field collaboration opportunities based on deepened exchanges in the musical theater program, achieving mutual complementarity and win-win development, and promoting the innovative development and international dissemination of arts education.

David Oswell highly recognized Zhejiang Conservatory of Music's educational philosophy and development achievements. He stated that Goldsmiths College has a long history of 120 years, and its open and innovative educational philosophy is highly compatible with Zhejiang Conservatory of Music. In addition to its traditional strengths in the field of musical theater, the college always focuses on interdisciplinary integration, deeply incorporating emerging disciplines such as artificial intelligence into art professional teaching, constructing a teaching ecosystem of coordinated development between art and technology, which coincides with Zhejiang Conservatory of Music's approach to disciplinary development.

Subsequently, both parties conducted further discussions on core topics such as the concept of talent cultivation for musical theater, interdisciplinary teaching innovation practices, and international art exchange and cooperation. Goldsmiths College shared its “comprehensive and versatile talent” cultivation model, as well as its unique experience in conducting practical teaching by leveraging frontline industry resources; Zhejiang Conservatory of Music introduced its explorations and achievements in building international exchange platforms. Both sides agreed that the two schools focus on the practicality, innovativeness, and internationalization of talent cultivation, aligning closely in the core demands and development directions of art education, and possess broad prospects for cooperation.

After the symposium, the delegation from the John Smith College also visited the Electronic Acoustic Music Research Center and the Key Laboratory of Digital Music Intelligent Processing Technology of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

This exchange visit has laid a solid foundation for in-depth cooperation centered on musical theater. Next, the two schools will deepen the mutual visits of teachers and students in the field of musical theater, share resources, and conduct innovative research, injecting new momentum into cultivating international musical theater talents and promoting artistic exchanges between China and foreign countries.