Introduction
Jingdezhen Ceramic University is the only multidisciplinary university in China named after ceramics. As one of the first 31 independently established undergraduate art institutions in the country and one of the 94 universities authorized to enroll international students under the Chinese Government Scholarship, it has grown into a leading hub for ceramic talent cultivation, technological innovation, and cultural exchange—both nationally and internationally.
Located in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, the university spans two campuses—Xianghu and Xinchang—and is also home to the China Light Industry Ceramic Research Institute and the Ancient Ceramics Research Center. Covering an area of 131 hectares with a total building area of 758,000 square meters, the university comprises 11 academic schools as well as a Graduate School, School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, School of Continuing Education, and International School. It currently has over 23,000 full-time students, including more than 2,500 pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees.
History
Jingdezhen Ceramic University (JCU) traces its origins back to 1910, when the China Ceramic School was founded by renowned modern Chinese industrialist and educator Zhang Jian and others. In 1948, it was upgraded to Jiangxi Provincial Ceramic College, becoming the first higher education institution in China dedicated to ceramics. In 1958, with the approval of the Jiangxi Provincial People's Committee, it was restructured into an undergraduate institution and officially named Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute. In 1975, it became a university directly under the former Ministry of Light Industry with approval from the State Council. In 1998, it transitioned to a co-governance model between the central and local governments, with Jiangxi Province taking the lead in administration. In 1999, the China Light Industry Ceramic Research Institute was merged into the university.
The university was granted the right to confer master's degrees in 1984 and doctoral degrees in 2013. In 2016, it was officially renamed Jingdezhen Ceramic University.
Over its 115-year history, the university has remained deeply rooted in the ceramic industry, upholding the founding mission of “cultivating knowledgeable and skilled professionals to improve the ceramic industry.” It adheres to the talent training goal of “nurturing pioneers in ceramic development,” and embraces the educational philosophy of “combining intellect and craftsmanship, integrating science and art, and pursuing dedicated expertise.” The university has developed a distinctive culture embodied in its motto,Cheng Pu Shu Yi(sincerity, simplicity, sympathy, and steadfastness), its school spirit of Mian Zhi Li Xing(dedicated learning and diligent practice), and its enduring commitment to “carrying forward national essence and enriching the people and the nation.”
Academic Programs
JCU places equal emphasis on art and engineering, and actively promotes the integration of art, engineering, business, and industry. It highlights its strengths in design arts and ceramic engineering and has established three distinctive and advantageous disciplinary clusters:Art Design and Ceramic Culture;Ceramic Materials Engineering and Intelligent Manufacturing;Ceramic Economy and Management.
The university currently offers three first-level doctoral degree programs in Design,Materials Science and Engineering, and History of Science and Technology, as well as a professional doctoral program in Fine Arts and Calligraphy. It also offers13 first-level master's degree programsand11 professional master’s programs.
In recent years, the university has made significant progress in enhancing the quality and ranking of its disciplines.Design has entered the top national tier, while Fine Arts and Materials Science and Engineering are ranked among the leading disciplines. Notably, the Materials Science discipline ranks in the top 1% globally in the Essential Science Indicators (ESI).
The university currently offers53 undergraduate programs, covering nine major disciplinary categories: engineering, arts, education, management, economics, literature, science, law, and interdisciplinary studies. Among these, there are13 national-level first-class undergraduate programs,21 provincial-level first-class undergraduate programs, and3 programs accredited by the China Engineering Education Accreditation Association.
Faculty and Staff
JCU has built a high-quality, professional teaching team characterized by noble ethics, strong expertise, a well-balanced structure, and vibrant vitality. The university is home to a distinguished group of ceramic artists, sculptors, and ceramic engineering experts and scholars who enjoy wide recognition both in China and internationally.
The university currently has over 1,000 full-time faculty members, including more than 500with senior professional titles. Among them are: 5 recipients of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars;1National Outstanding Young and Middle-aged Expert; 3 national-level candidates of the New Century National Talents Project; 1 member of the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee of the State Council (Design Discipline); 1 youth scholar selected for a Major National Talent Program; 4 awardees of the Ministry of Education’s New Century Excellent Talents Support Program; 22 experts enjoying the State Council’s Special Government Allowance.
The university also boasts22 national masters, including China Arts and Crafts Masters,China Ceramic Art Masters, and China Ceramic Design Art Masters. In addition, it has 2 members of the Ministry of Education Teaching Steering Committee.
At the provincial level, more than 200 faculty members have been honored with titles such as: Talents from the Jiangxi “Ganpo Talents 555 Project”;Jiangxi5511 Science and Technology Innovation Talents;“Double Thousand Plan”specialists;Jinggang Scholars Distinguished Professors; Leaders of Jiangxi’s Key Scientific and Technological Innovation Teams; Jiangxi Outstanding Contribution Talents; Provincial candidates of the Hundred-Thousand-Ten Thousand Talents Project;Cultural Masters, and talents from the“Four Batches” Program in ideological and cultural work; Awardees of the Ganpo Talents Support Program.
This robust and dynamic faculty team forms a solid foundation for the university’s academic development and talent cultivation.
Education and Teaching
JCU has continuously optimized its academic structure and actively promoted educational and teaching reforms, establishing a comprehensive talent cultivation system that spans bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs. The university was highly praised by the Ministry of Education’s undergraduate teaching evaluation expert panel, which noted that “the university has a profound historical legacy, distinctive characteristics, and stands as a high-level ceramic institution with strong international influence.”
The university currently hosts two postdoctoral research stations and one postdoctoral research workstation. It has been approved for several national-level platforms, including:National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center;National Talent Training Model Innovation Experimental Zone;National Engineering Practice Education Center;National Continuing Education Base for Professional and Technical Personnel;National Entrepreneurship Incubation Demonstration Base;National College Student Practice Education Base;Training Base for the Inheritors of China’s Intangible Cultural Heritage.
In recent years, the university was selected as one of the third batch of national “Huang Danian-style Teaching Teams”and has received four second prizes for national teaching achievement(including one as a contributing participant) and five first prizes for provincial teaching achievement. These honors fully reflect the university’s educational accomplishments and its distinctive strengths in talent cultivation.
Talent Cultivation
In recent years, JCU has continuously strengthened its student-centered, outcome-oriented, and continuously improving educational philosophy. The university is committed to building a distinctive and high-level talent cultivation system, and has developed the “JCU Model” of all-round education for all students through all staff. Its integrated development of ideological and political education across primary, secondary, and higher education levels is gaining increasing national recognition. The “Art-based Ideological Education” initiative has produced notable results, and the university established Jiangxi Province’s first Red Culture Art Exhibition Hall for students—the Runxin Gallery.
Students have achieved outstanding results in various extracurricular scientific and technological innovation competitions, winning over 600 national and provincial awards. The university continues to deepen reform of its talent training model, establishing a system that integrates creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship(“three-in-one”), and aligns academic development, professional training, employment, career development, and entrepreneurship(“five-in-one”).
The university’s graduate self-employment rate has ranked among the highest in Jiangxi Province for several consecutive years, and one of its employment and entrepreneurship programs was selected by the Ministry of Education as one of theTop 100 Typical Cases of Graduate Employment and Entrepreneurship Work among all universities in China—the only case selected from Jiangxi Province.
Scientific Research
JCU has long been committed to innovation in ceramic materials, production processes, and equipment technologies. It hosts33 national and provincial-level science and technology innovation platforms, including the National Engineering Research Center for Domestic and Building Ceramics—the first of its kind in Jiangxi Province—and the National-Local Joint Engineering Research Center for New Ceramic Materials.
The university is also home to several national professional associations and institutions, such as the Ceramic Branch of the Chinese Ceramic Society and the National Technical Committee for Daily-use Ceramic Standardization, establishing a comprehensive scientific and technological support system that both serves and leads the development of the ceramic industry.
In recent years, the university has focused on tackling key and common technologies in the fields of traditional ceramics and high-tech ceramics, resulting in a number of independently developed innovations and achievements with proprietary intellectual property rights. These accomplishments have been recognized with several prestigious awards, including the First Prize of Jiangxi Science and Technology Progress Award, the Second Prize of Jiangxi Natural Science Award, and the Second Prize of Jiangxi Technical Invention Award.
JCU also publishes several influential academic journals, including China Ceramics,Journal of Ceramics, and China Ceramic Industry, all of which are core Chinese journals and highly regarded within the domestic and international ceramic communities.
Community Engagement and Social Services
Rooted in its mission to support regional economic and social development as well as technological advancement in the ceramics industry, JCU has established long-term strategic partnerships with major ceramic-producing regions, local governments, enterprises, and research institutions across the country. The university has co-founded industry research institutes in locations such as Longquan, Shangyu, and Dehua,actively engaging in scientific research, technology transfer, and strategic consulting to provide comprehensive social services.
To date,over 300 research outcomes have been successfully translated into productive applications, generating significant economic and social benefits.The university has also spearheaded numerous environmental art and landscape sculpture design projects,making meaningful contributions to the promotion of ceramic culture and rural revitalization.
In recent years, the university has received multiple honors, including the First China Industry-University-Research Collaboration Innovation Award, and has been approved as a pilot unit for the science and technology service industry by the Ministry of Science and Technology.It also holds movable cultural relics restoration qualifications—the first institution in Jiangxi Province to do so.
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC)was established at the university and is the first in Jiangxi Province to enter a second operational cycle. Additionally, the China Ceramic Development Research Institute, hosted by the university, has been recognized as anew-type think tank in Jiangxi Province.
Culture and the Arts
JCU has pioneered and developed new artistic forms such as“Modern Folk Blue and White,”“Comprehensive Ceramic Decoration,” “Modern Ceramic Painting,”and“Impressionistic Sculpture,”promoting the individualization, diversification, and internationalization of contemporary Chinese ceramic art.
The university has designed and produced ceramic gifts for foreign dignitaries, including Queen Elizabeth II, and has undertaken national-level commissions such as the“7501” porcelain for Chairman Mao and porcelain for the Great Hall of the People. Professor Lyu Pinchang led the creation of the monumental sculpture Faith for the “Centenary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China” thematic sculpture project.
Faculty members have received gold, silver, and bronze medals at China’s National Art Exhibitions, as well as the Special Award of the China Art Awards. More than500 artworks by the university’s artists have been collected by prestigious museums and art institutions both at home and abroad.
In recent years, several leading organizations have established branches at the university, including the Ceramic Branch of the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Association, the Ceramic Branch of the China Cultural and Art Promotion Association, the Ceramic Art Authentication Committee of the China Quality Certification Center, and the Education Center of the China Ancient Ceramics Society. The university has also successfully hosted high-level academic events such as the Forum on the Development of Jingdezhen’s National Ceramic Culture Inheritance and Innovation Experimental Zone and the“china·中国”Ceramic Art and Design Competition.
International Exchange
JCU has represented China by holding high-level exhibitions of faculty and student ceramic artworks at prestigious international venues such as the Louvre Museum in France, Museum of Asian Art of Corfu in Greece, the Grand Palais in France, and the United Nations Headquarters in New York, spreading the profound and rich Chinese ceramic culture and art across the world.
In recent years, the university has deepened mutual learning, integration, and exchange in ceramic education with institutions worldwide. As the leading organizer, it initiated the establishment of the“Ceramic Road” International Ceramic Education Alliance and successfully launched the academic brand“Jingdezhen International Ceramic Art Biennale.”Together with the Jingdezhen Municipal Government, it jointly won the hosting rights of the52nd International Ceramic Congress in 2026.The university also promotes the“Tang Ying Ceramic Workshop” Overseas Ceramic Culture Center.
The university regularly hosts international academic conferences and forums on ceramic engineering, ceramic art, ceramic culture, and ceramic education. For three consecutive years, it has organized the Ministry of Education’s International Industry-University-Research Cooperation Conference and was approved for a special program for joint cultivation of graduate students with international mentors. It was selected as one of the first universities in Jiangxi Province to be a Sino-foreign People-to-People Exchange Base.
JCU has established friendly cooperative relationships with over50 overseas universities and has cultivated more than3,000 international students from nearly 60 countries across all continents.
School Reputation
Over the years, Jingdezhen Ceramic University has cultivated more than100,000 highly skilled professionals for society. In China’s ceramics industry, it is widely recognized as the foremost training ground for elite ceramic professionals and industry pioneers who have created a host of famous Chinese ceramic brands such as Keda, Arrow, KITO, Jianyi, Oceano, and Dowstone, providing strong support for the innovative development of China’s ceramic industry.
Within China’s art community, JCU holds a distinguished and influential position.Since the 1980s, the university has produced a remarkable number of outstanding art graduates, many of whom have become leaders in China’s art field and heads of key art institutions and research centers, making significant contributions to the flourishing of contemporary Chinese culture and arts.
The university’s educational achievements and experiences have received continuous attention from major national media including People’s Daily, Xinhua News Agency, Guangming Daily, Economic Daily, CCTV,and China Education Daily, resulting in a series of influential reports that have created multiple positive publicity highlights nationwide and generated broad and favorable social impact.
Guided by Xi Jinping’s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the university adheres to the principle of“a ceramic university serving ceramics.”It actively integrates into the national“Belt and Road” Initiative, Jiangxi’s Inland Open Economy Pilot Zone, and Jingdezhen’s National Ceramic Culture Inheritance and Innovation Experimental Zone. The university is committed to advancing high-quality development across talent cultivation, scientific research, social services, cultural inheritance and innovation, and international exchange and cooperation, steadily moving toward becoming a high-level ceramic university of significant international influence.
(Data as of the end of March 2025)
