On the morning of July 9, 2026, the College of Art and Design held the 16th Young Art Pioneer Academic Salon in Conference Room 12-311. Professor Yan Cuijuan, dean of the School of Marxism, delivered a lecture on research development for early-career faculty in the humanities and social sciences. Dean Zhang Zhiyu, Vice Dean Cang Shijian, senior faculty and early-career faculty representatives attended. Cheng Tan, an early-career faculty member, moderated the event.

The lecture was titled Serving National Priorities, Developing Specialized Fields and Advancing Interdisciplinary Collaboration. Drawing on her research and experience applying for national projects, Yan discussed five areas: refining research questions, building an academic framework, developing research teams, producing and applying results, and interdisciplinary collaboration. She outlined a path from selecting a topic and establishing a research system to producing high-quality results.

Yan addressed applications to programs such as the National Social Science Fund of China, the writing and publication of academic papers, and long-term research planning. She encouraged faculty to connect research with major national priorities and cultural development while also addressing local needs in Tianjin's urban development, cultural programs, and cultural and tourism industries.

During the discussion, participants asked about defining research directions, submitting cross-college proposals, building teams and maintaining long-term academic work. Yan responded with examples of interdisciplinary methods and research practice relevant to the integration of art and design with the humanities and social sciences.

The Young Art Pioneer Academic Salon supports faculty development and the integration of teaching and research. The college plans additional sessions on grant applications, academic writing, interdisciplinary projects, and connections between teaching and research.