No reputable institution of higher education takes appointments of new Professors lightly. Brand Academy, however, put some extraordinary efforts into finding the ideal candidate for the new W-2 Chair for Visual Communication.
More specifically, Brand Academy decided to look for a candidate who lives and breathes design and possesses demonstrable intercultural competencies as well as international experience. Extensive knowledge of higher education in China was another important search criterion. That aside, the candidate needed to prove his pedagogical skills via several years of experience in teaching at university level. Strong familiarity with Chinese society and culture and at least a Master’s degree in the fields of communication or visual design were expected. Last but not least, the ideal candidate also had to bring excellent language skills in German, English and Mandarin to the table.
Such criteria would have made even the most experienced headhunter sweat, yet the search turned out to be successful: The appointments committee agreed on Mr Zhang Yiping.
Among Mr. Zhang Yiping’s outstanding qualifications are a Master’s in Design for Digital Media awarded by the University of Portsmouth, publications in journals such as CEIBS Business Review, as well experiences as Deputy Dean of the School of Design and as Director of the Sino-German Cooperation Programme for Brand Design, both at Beijing Normal University. The fact that he also spent 5 years as Director of DFI International College at Beijing Normal’s Zhuhai campus made the decision in Mr. Yiping’s favour even more straightforward.
Prof. Yiping was formally appointed and introduced at a celebration on June 6. Shan Fan, President of Brand Academy took the opportunity to hold a speech in which he made emphasized that the appointment of Prof. Yiping represents a good and logical step in Brand Academy’s ongoing efforts to build bridges between Germany and China. He also acknowledged Prof. Yiping as a designer whose heart is in his work and that students will benefit immensely as a result.
Brand Academy would like to take this opportunity to say welcome and congratulations again!
