Celebrating International Creativity: HSE Creative Festival 2025 Highlights

On May 24, 2025, as part of the International Festival of the HSE Faculty of Creative Industries, the results of the international competitions organized by the DAFES platform and the lineup of international student contests HSE Creative Open were announced.

Among the jury members and participants were representatives from thirteen Chinese art universities, who have been active participants in the HSE Creative International global career development program since January 2025:

Taiyuan University of Technology, Jinzhong University, Communication University of Zhejiang, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Art School of Dalian Medical University, Communication University of China, Luxun Academy of Fine Arts (Shenyang), Xi’an Academy of Fine Arts, Nanjing University of the Arts, Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, Xi’an University of Technology, China Academy of Arts, and Central Academy of Fine Arts (Beijing).

Experts from China served on the jury for the HSE Creative Open international student competitions in the categories of “Photo Project” and “Crafts as a Brand.” Chinese student projects were featured across multiple categories in both the DAFES and HSE Creative Open competitions. All submissions can be viewed in the China section of the platform at https://dafes.net/countries/china. Notably, Chinese projects earned second and third place in the DAFES categories of “Visual Series” and “Video Essay,” respectively.

Approximately 300 works were submitted overall, with more than 100 entries coming from students at Chinese universities. The jury praised both the high quality of the submissions and the diversity of artistic and technological approaches.

The event aimed not only to select the winners but also to launch an open call for students from HSE and participating Chinese universities to collaborate on a joint exhibition titled “Russia – China: Cultural Codes,” scheduled for autumn 2025.

A project by Shi-Chang Zhu, a student at the Communication University of China, supervised by Professor Xu Jinghan, won the award for “Best Photo” in the DAFES category in April and took second place overall in the competition. He shared his thoughts on receiving the award, the professionalism of the competition, and the valuable experience it provided.

"This was my first time receiving an international photography award, so I feel truly honored to have won second place in the photography category at HSE CREATIVE OPEN. I’m also grateful to the judges for selecting Outland as the Best of DAFES for April 2025.

What stood out to me about HSE CREATIVE OPEN was its professionalism and rigor. It was the first photography platform I’ve come across that offers such a detailed classification of art forms, along with awards and competitions based on those categories.

Although I couldn’t attend the award ceremony in person because I’m based in China, I was able to catch a glimpse of the event through the dedicated Telegram channel.

After publishing Outland, I jokingly told my teacher, “This site could be used to organize your portfolio,” because its clear categorization helped me better understand the direction and format of my own work.

Overall, this has been a fantastic experience for me!"

Professor Xu Jinghan also shared his thoughts on the competition and the outstanding quality of students’ submissions.
It was an honor to serve as a judge for the 2025 HSE CREATIVE OPEN Photography Competition. Through this opportunity, I had the pleasure of viewing a wide array of outstanding works from students in both China and Russia.

The entries spanned various genres, including documentary, fine art, commercial, and experimental photography. Both the subject matter and the methods of expression were impressively diverse.

Some works were especially solid in execution, such as “ЧАСТЬ” by Darya Kalnina, which won first prize. Her project focused on the lives of firefighters, capturing a wealth of rare and powerful moments from their work and daily routines, and was accompanied by a meticulously produced photo book. Others stood out for their experimental qualities, for instance, “Vanishing Point” by Alisa Lapshina, which won third place. Through a web of interwoven visual details and semiotic dialogue, the work explores the mechanisms of vision in a way that is both mysterious and visually rich.

Many of the commercial-style entries from Russian students were particularly striking. They demonstrated strong creative concepts, emotional depth, and impactful visuals, showcasing the students’ refined visual literacy, which is something Chinese students can certainly learn from.

This competition has created a valuable platform for photography students from both China and Russia to exchange ideas and learn from each other. It offered a meaningful look at how students from different cultural backgrounds approach themes, techniques, and presentation styles. The experience greatly broadened the horizons of all participants and inspired creative thinking, making it a significant contribution to cross-cultural exchange and mutual understanding.

The HSE Institute for Creative Industries Development, in collaboration with the HSE School of Art and Design and the digital platform DAFES, is implementing the “HSE Creative International” program to promote international career development in the creative industries.

As part of this program, scientific and practical events, joint seminars, and master classes are regularly held with representatives from international universities offering educational programs in the creative industries. Additionally, HSE Creative International initiates collaborative international projects that integrate students and faculty into a unified information space, promoting joint activities such as exhibitions, competitions, and creative educational projects. These initiatives provide valuable opportunities for creative professionals to gain international exposure.

Key partner countries include China, India, Indonesia, and Uzbekistan, which are among the most prominently represented in the country portfolio segment of the DAFES ecosystem: https://dafes.net.