The Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), a founding member of the University of the Arts Singapore (UAS), has just signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Singapore-Tianjin Arts on 18 September 2025 in Tianjin, China.
The MOU was signed by President of NAFA and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of UAS, Mrs Tan-Soh Wai Lan, together with representatives from the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts (TAFA), the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Administrative Committee, and the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd.
The partnership focuses on the Singapore-Tianjin Arts Centre of Excellence (STACE), a platform that aims to foster cultural dialogue, nurture creativity, and strengthen Singapore–China ties in arts, education, and research.
The partnership will centre four key initiatives:
- Cultural and Academic Exchange – Facilitates student and faculty exchanges between NAFA and TAFA, promoting cross-cultural learning and collaboration.
- Creative Placemaking – Pilots projects in Tianjin Eco-City that integrate public art, sustainability, and cultural elements, such as interactive installations, galleries, and art fairs
- Art Industry Incubation – Supports talent development through internships, residencies, and traineeships, while enabling the commercialisation of student projects and collaborations in technology-integrated art and AI-powered design.
- Collaborative Framework – Establishes a flexible mechanism for other selected higher education institutions to participate in future projects, fostering shared initiatives aligned with STACE’s mission.
“We are excited to partner with our counterparts in Tianjin to strengthen our ties with China in arts, education, and research. This collaboration will open new doors for our students, faculty, and artists to learn, create and engage in cross-cultural exchange. Through STACE, we can support talent development, provide our faculty, students and alumni the platform to showcase their talents, and lay the foundation for broader academic and artistic partnerships,” said Mrs Tan-Soh Wai Lan, President of NAFA and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of UAS.
The MOU will be valid for the next three years.
About NAFA
Established in 1938, the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), a founding member of the University of the Arts Singapore (UAS), is Singapore’s pioneer and largest arts institution. Renowned for its unique identity and strength in Southeast Asian arts, NAFA’s Institute of Southeast Asian Arts (ISEAA) is a global leader in Southeast Asian art practice and research. NAFA has nurtured the greatest number of alumni conferred the nation’s highest accolades, with 14 Cultural Medallions and 15 Young Artist Award recipients. As the only arts institution offering a comprehensive range of educational pathways from early childhood to adulthood, NAFA inspires learning and growth through diverse programs. These include tertiary education, lifelong learning courses at the Centre for Lifelong Education, junior arts classes in the School of Young Talents, and arts-enriched preschool education.
With a rich heritage dedicated to arts education, NAFA strives to live up to its mission of “inspiring learning and growth through the arts.”
For more information, visit www.nafa.edu.sg. Follow @nafa_sg on Instagram for updates.
For media queries, please contact:
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts
Karen Chang
Head, Strategic Communications Office
Email: [email protected]
Ashton Chong
Assistant Manager, Strategic Communications Office
Email: [email protected]