In early November, a delegation led by Vice President Liu Li, together with Professor Zhu Lirong, Director of the Shu Embroidery Research Center of the School of Fashion, Party Secretary Taizam, and Program Head Huang Jingjing of the China–Italy Cooperative Program, visited Florence, Italy, to advance cooperation in international joint education, the establishment of an overseas intangible cultural heritage (ICH) workshop, and exchanges with textile and fashion enterprises.

During the visit, the delegation first went to Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze (Florence Free Academy of Fine Arts) and held a meeting with President Domenico Cafasso. Both sides introduced their respective institutional histories, future development plans, and arrangements for international students’ study and life in Italy. They also exchanged ideas on faculty development, student recruitment, and future cooperation directions, reaching multiple consensuses.

In the field of intangible cultural heritage inheritance and innovation, Vice President Liu Li introduced our school’s disciplinary strengths and achievements in the areas of Shu Brocade and Shu Embroidery, highlighting key platforms such as the Provincial Key Laboratory for the Digital Protection and Inheritance of Sichuan Weaving and Embroidery Techniques, the Ministry of Education’s Base for the Transmission of Outstanding Traditional Chinese Culture (Shu Embroidery), the Provincial Platform for the Inheritance and Innovation of Skills in Urgently Needed Fields, and the Shu Embroidery Research Center. Liu Li and President Cafasso jointly signed the Agreement on the Co-establishment of an Overseas Intangible Cultural Heritage Workshop, marking the substantial advancement of cooperation between the two institutions in the field of intangible cultural heritage.

Following the signing ceremony, the delegation held a Shu Embroidery Workshop at the new campus of the School of Fashion of the Florence Free Academy of Fine Arts. Professor Zhu Lirong delivered a systematic lecture on the historical origins, cultural connotations, and artistic characteristics of Shu Embroidery, and guided Italian teachers and students in hands-on embroidery practice. The event was met with enthusiastic response—Italian participants expressed deep admiration and keen interest in the exquisite artistry and craftsmanship of Shu Embroidery.

The delegation also visited Manteco Handwoven Textile Company, a renowned Italian artisanal textile enterprise, where they held discussions with Mr. Francesco Cerruti, the company’s executive. Both sides exchanged insights on advanced textile production processes, workflow design, and market operation models in Italy.

At the end of the trip, Liu Li and the delegation visited Florence Fashion Studio and met with Mr. Stefano Frassa, its director. They discussed topics including joint training of art and design talents, faculty exchange programs, and collaborative research and development in fashion product design, laying the groundwork for broader future cooperation.

This visit has further expanded our school’s international cooperation network in vocational education and laid a solid foundation for the establishment of a Sino-Italian platform for intangible cultural heritage education. Moving forward, both institutions will continue to promote faculty and student exchanges, curriculum co-development, and skill-sharing activities, advancing Chinese ICH culture—such as Shu Embroidery—onto the global stage. The school will also use this signing as an opportunity to build a more stable and in-depth intercollegiate cooperation mechanism, creating a new model of internationalized vocational education with demonstrative significance that integrates “Chinese craftsmanship” and “Italian design.”