From Culture to Creativity: The Meaning of NYSID’s Study Abroad Scholarships to China

Study abroad group at the Prince Gong Mansion in Beijing

Eleven NYSID students have recently returned from China, where they took NYSID’s short and intensive travel-study course, “Ancient & Modern: Chinese Art and Design from Beijing to Jingdezhen, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Zhouzhuang, and Shanghai.”

The 16-day course was taught by Zhijian Qian, PhD, an art historian, author, and NYSID instructor with a doctorate from New York University, as well as a master’s degree from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.

Students visited important historic sites such as the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and the Great Wall, along with lesser-known locations like the city of Jingdezhen, known as the porcelain capital of China.

What made this course extraordinary was Dr. Qian’s personal connections to—and knowledge of—the world of Chinese design, which gave students access to design firms, private museums, craftsman’s studios, universities, and more. Cultural exchange was an emphasis of the program; Dr. Qian challenged students to present their own designs to peers at three of China’s most prestigious art, architecture, and design universities.  

The Anne K. Duffy Travel Fund for Non-Western Study Abroad awarded scholarships to students so that they could participate fully in this perspective-altering experience. The scholarships were granted on the basis of need, merit, and a personal essay. In the words of Duffy scholar Soraya Meadowsweet (MFA1), “I would not have been able to go to China without this scholarship. It opened doors for me physically, mentally, and creatively.” The family of late alumna Anne Duffy ’92 (BFA), a passionate traveller, established this scholarship fund in her name. Hanna “Anya” Kerez (BFA) and Meadowsweet reflect more deeply on their experience here.

Hanna Kerez (BFA) and Soraya Meadowsweet (MFA1) at the Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou

Continuity Between the Ancient and the Modern

“This was a course that had design at its forefront, but the approach was very holistic,” says Soraya Meadowsweet.  “We moved from ancient to modern spaces studying the way the food, culture, history, land, and architecture inform the design.” The group visited locations in Beijing, Jingdezhen (Jiangxi province), Hangzhou, Suzhou, Zhouzhuang, and Shanghai.

Meadowsweet explains that it was powerful to juxtapose the ancient interiors of the Imperial Family in the Forbidden City and Prince Gong's Mansion–with their traditional wood carvings, large porcelain pottery, and tapestries from the Ming Dynasty–against the work of design and architecture firms practicing in China today.

She says, “We went to several design firms throughout the trip, and even though we were shown very modern designs, you could always bring it back to traditional forms. The past is always referenced, in reverence for nature, attention to balance, tranquility, and respect for the preservation of handicraft. Perhaps the most memorable visit was SUN Design Studio in Hangzhou. The designer took us through the 25 years of his business and how he had to adapt to trends, yet at the core, he had maintained a connection to traditional Chinese design principles.”

“There are so many overlaps between the ancient and modern in Chinese design, especially the idea that one must live in harmony with nature,” says Anya Kerez. “One experience that taught me the most about Chinese design and the tradition of Feng Shui was our walk through the Summer Palace gardens. In a Western garden, you can see everything all at once, from the beginning to the end, in a continuous path. But traditional Chinese gardens are curving places where you can’t travel in straight lines, where you wander and discover beautiful koi ponds and lakes. My first-hand understanding of this will stay with me forever.”         

Hanna Kerez (BFA) in the Pottery Workshop at the Jingdezhen Ceramic University

Hands-on Respect for Handcraft

Kerez reflects, “One thing I absorbed in China is the huge importance of craftsmanship. In visiting museums and seeing calligraphy, carving, and pottery, and in meeting furniture makers and ceramicists, I learned that there is so much intention in objects for everyday use. I came to understand that craftsmanship brings the soul into an interior. This made me want to focus on local design and master craftsmanship in my own work.”

The students not only met with master craftsmen, they also practiced Chinese handicraft themselves.

“We went to Jingdezhen Ceramics University, and took part in a workshop there, where we got to throw pottery on the wheel,” says Meadowsweet. “It took me by surprise – how difficult it was, the making and painting of ceramics. That same evening we went to a ceramics fair, with artists from all over the world showing and selling their work.  Seeing the beauty of these ceramic pieces, we truly understood the effort and intention that goes into each piece.”

Anna-Sophia Brand, Nour Saedeldine, Nicole Hand, Soraya Meadowsweet, Local Guide, Marina Tosti Lopes, Brittany Lagrasta, Jezreen Mody, Yerin Hwang, and Professor Zhijian Qian in Art District 798 in Beijing

Introducing Students to the China He Knows and Loves

Kerez and Meadowsweet agree that much of what made this travel-study course special was their instructor, Dr. Zhijian Qian’s, personal knowledge of the world of Chinese art and design.

“He’s a storyteller. When we were in certain places, he would tell us ancient myths and personal stories,” says Meadowsweet. “He introduced us to spaces we would never have had access to on our own. The most memorable was the Lyu Pingcheng Sculpture Art Museum, a private museum holding massive, government-commissioned sculptures on its first floor by the famous ceramicist and sculptor Lyu Pinchang, president of Jingdezhen Ceramics University.” After the museum tour, the group was invited to take tea with President Pinchang in his private studio.

Adds Kerez, “One thing I love about Professor Z. (Zhijian Qian) is the fact that he speaks with so much passion and makes design personal. He would gather us around him to point out the significance of details, down to the meaning of the color of a tile on an Imperial rooftop.” Ellen Fisher, PhD, NYSID’s dean and vice president for academic affairs, and David Sprouls, NYSID’s president, accompanied the group on the trip. Says Kerez, “It was incredible to listen and be part of the conversations between Professor Z, and David and Ellen. You had your professor’s ear, and you could continue conversations over meals and beyond.”

Cultural Exchange Through Design

NYSID students in this course were called on to give presentations of their own work to fellow design students at three prestigious universities in China: China Academy of Art (CAA) in Hangzhou; Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) in Beijing; and Jingdezhen Ceramics University, where they presented as part of an academic symposium. “As a student who just finished the first year of my MFA studies, it was humbling to present my early work to students in China’s finest art, architecture, and design programs,” recalls Meadowsweet. “A lot of growth happened for me because of this. It was great representing the school and connecting with other students.”

Soraya Meadowsweet (MFA1) presenting at the Jingdezhen Ceramic University

Hanna Kerez (BFA) presenting at the China Academy of Art (CAA)

A Foray into Rural China

Asked which sights they will remember for the rest of their lives, Kerez and Meadowsweet both pointed toward a foray into an ancient hillside village.  “I’ll never forget driving outside of the city of Jingdezhen, seeing people farming in the rice fields as we drove up into the mountain range region of Wuyuan county in the Jiangxi province,” Meadowsweet says. “We took a cable car to the ancient village of Huangling, so we were able to look down on all these white houses with pointed, dark tiled roofs, and see how they're embedded within nature. It was very clear that everything is with the land there. It felt like we were in heaven.”

Says Kerez, “The village was beautiful in its simplicity and harmony with nature. It was clear to me that the builders of these (Hui-style) homes weren't trying to make them perfect. Each house was more of an instrument for living.”

Study Abroad Changes People

Kerez and Meadowsweet are only beginning to guess how their first exposures to the design of Asia will impact their work, but both agree the course was life-changing.  “This trip has changed me as a designer and a person,” says Kerez. “It was just an amazing opportunity to have this scholarship, because it led me to seeing a completely different part of the world, and to studying the accumulation of detail and meaning in Chinese design over thousands of years. I want to say a huge thank you to the Duffy family for helping me and the other students who went on this trip.” Says Meadowsweet, “I get emotional when I think about how transformative this trip was. It left me with a greater understanding of how design is informed by nature and culture, and gave me connections to peers I hope to collaborate with in the future. It meant a lot.”

Yerin Hwang, Nicole Hand, Mary Angel, Brittany Lagrasta in a cable car to Huangling Village in Wuyuan in the Jiangxi province

Travel Study Scholarships & Grants at NYSID

NYSID’s Travel-Study Funds make study abroad possible for students who otherwise could not afford it, and help the College create an equitable environment where all students have access to the best of a NYSID education. NYSID’s travel study funds provide partial and full scholarships to the College’s Study Abroad Semester in Florence; scholarships to its 10-day to three-week travel study courses, as well as grants for independent travel study.

The Anne K. Duffy Fund for Non-Western Study Abroad is one of several NYSID travel-study funds, and it has been earmarked specifically for study abroad and independent study in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, at the behest of the Duffy family.'

To discuss a donation to the Travel Study Funds or underwriting a scholarship for Study Abroad, reach out to Joy Cooper, NYSID’s Director of Development, at giving@nysid.edu or make a donation and designate “Scholarships - Travel” HERE.

Travel-study scholarship applications are open to all students with demonstrated financial need who are in good academic standing, whether enrolled in an online or in-person degree program. NYSID will send out an announcement detailing 2026 Study Abroad to Florence in the late summer. It will include directions on how to apply for scholarships. Interested students should reach out to the Office of Academic Affairs for more information at academicaffairs@nysid.edu.