On November 18, 12022, the " University Presidents Forum: Art Creation, Art Education, Exhibition and Performance in the Age of Post-Covid" was held at the Fuzhou Hall of the National Taiwan University of the Arts (NTUA). The presidents and vice presidents from NTUA’s sister schools were invited to have an online discussion, including the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna in Austria, the Royal Academy of Music in UK, and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore and OCAD University in Canada. Professor Chih-Cheng CHEN, President of NTUA said that NTUA is one of the universities in the Taiwan that offers a full range of arts. As the epidemic ebbs around the world in 2022, many institutions, schools, and artists have already taken these new forms to a new level, which makes it a perfect occasion to look back at how the art world has responded, how it has evolved over the past two years, and how it faces to the future. He hopes this forum could deepen the partnership between the university and international art institutions.

In the opening address, Dr. Nicole Yen-Yi Lee, director general of the Department of International and Cross-strait Education of the Ministry of Education in Taiwan, mentioned that the Ministry of Education is committed to developing policies related to international education to establish an international learning environment. NTUA has nurtured many artistic talents with a global perspective and has performed very well in the international community. Now that Taiwan's borders have been opened, they are glad to see that NTUA is organizing an international presidents' forum to discuss the transformation of arts education and future trends and to realize a collective and beneficial international arts education.

Professor Johannes Meissl, Vice Rector for International Affairs and Art at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna in Austria, gave a presentation on "Music Education in the Age of Post Covid." He said the hybrid learning model is ideal for conferences and international performances. These will enhance global collaboration and learning and create a pan-European digital campus.

In Session 2, "The Royal Academy of Music - Some Lessons from the 2020s", Professor Timothy Jones, Deputy Principal, mentioned that after the UK government announced the closure of the city, the school implemented a combination of online and traditional teaching methods. The school switched to online teaching in composition, while woodwinds, brass, and strings were more challenging to teach online. Therefore, they maintain one-on-one instruction or pre-recording. Although the limitations of the epidemic have made teaching difficult, there are some new attempts and innovations. To illustrate, students can upload their works, conduct competitions, and present concerts on the platform, reaching out to audiences in many countries digitally without physical limits or boundaries.

The President of Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Mrs. Tah-Soh Wai Lan, gave a presentation in the session "The Practical Experience of Arts Education Online."  She also mentioned that NAFA is part of the new University of the Arts Singapore (UAS) which will open its doors for its first-degree intake in 2024. Since the beginning of the epidemic, the university's education department has conducted many workshops for teachers, implementing a flipped classroom approach to teaching. Teaching structure depends on the audience's role, the student's behavior, learning conditions, and the level of implementation. Through online learning platforms and communities, games are used to drive student learning and collaboration. In the future, they will continue to create a more effective teaching and learning environment through blended learning and complementary teaching.

Session 4, " Pandemic Pivot," was presented by Dr. Caroline Langill, Vice-President, Academic & Provost at OCAD University in Canada. She mentioned that since January 2021, the university's pedagogical development has focused on students' right to learn in the epidemic, balanced physical and psychological development, and blended online and offline learning to enable safe and uninterrupted learning. During the closure, the school developed online exhibitions. For example, the Department of Digital Futures encouraged innovative blended learning approaches and developed new technologies to promote visual arts and design. There are also experimental animation projects that integrate traditional and contemporary media. As mentioned above are the precedent for a hybrid online and offline learning environment.
　　
Professor Chen, Chih-Cheng, President of NTUA, mentioned in the special session "Cultural Governance at NTUA" that the epidemic in Taiwan has been properly controlled, and the impact on performance activities has been relatively mild. Many large-scale art performances can still be held. In the past few years, NTUA has been seeking new and innovative ways of governance, using arts and culture as the main body of governance, and hoping to build a base for exhibitions and discussions. Therefore, we have made a lot of efforts in creating the space. Through the Academic and Creative Platform and the establishment of the five experimental centers, we hope to work together to conduct exchange programs such as tours, forums, and publications.

Finally, the host, Professor Kuang-Yi CHEN, Dean of the College of Fine Arts of NTUA, led a comprehensive discussion. She affirmed that the teaching measures taken by each school during the epidemic had stimulated the creativity of teachers and students in a relatively stressful environment. The digital learning environment was freed from hardware limitations, allowing for more possibilities for international exchange. President Chen of NTUA also explained to the four schools the visions for the future academic exchange in inter-school collaboration, focusing on four aspects of “course cooperation”, “exhibition and performance exchange”, “academic research” and “research sharing” to propose a specific action plan. The other four schools expressed their great anticipation and excitement for cooperation on interdisciplinary courses and art activities, especially in the conception and planning of the multilateral research project, which is beneficial to the stimulation and accumulation of research capacity.

The five schools discussed their visions for the future after the epidemic, and the Presidents and Vice-Presidents of each school expressed that the blended teaching model is a good multiplier for expanding the scope of cooperation. They are highly open-minded to opportunities for international academic cooperation in the future. Through this international presidents' forum, we will not only deepen the relationship between NTUA and sister schools with different expertise in different fields, but also look forward to expanding the scope of cooperation through the innovative model of post-epidemic. NTUA will focus on “respecting cultural diversity”, “sharing knowledge and resources” and “promoting sustainable development” to organize the characteristic courses, exhibitions and performances, and academic research projects. We hope to implement the cooperation plan between the five schools to create a more sustainable environment and a better future.