University welcomes its first students in China scheme

Kuang Sheng and Yingcun Jin are settling in to their History of Art Masters studies at the university.

The Foundation was established last year in memory of History of Art student Jiangning Wang, who died in a car crash on the A64 near Tadcaster in November 2009.

Yingcun suspended her Masters course at the University of Peking when she successfully applied for the scholarship in York and has been studying a number of artistic periods and movements.

She previously gained a First Class honours degree in Chinese and Fine Arts at the University of Hong Kong and intends to return to Peking after her stay here.

Kuang was previously at the University of Loughborough, where she studied for an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis.

She graduated from Hunan University with a Batchelor of Arts degree in English, during which she spent a year at York St John University as an exchange student.

Head of History of Art at York Professor Mark Hallett, said: “Jiangning was one of the first people from mainland China to study art history at York, and we hope that Yingcun and Kuang are the first of many more Chinese students who will follow in her footsteps. The Jiangning Foundation offers wonderful opportunities for British and Chinese students and scholars.”

The foundation aims to encourage cultural exchanges, scholarships and academic visits between the University and organisations in China.