Educational Positioning

The NWU-Salento School of Cultural Heritage and Arts is a non-independent legal entity Sino-foreign cooperative education institution jointly established by China’s Northwest University (NWU) and Italy’s University of Salento (UniSalento), approved by the Ministry of Education. Relying on NWU’s first-class discipline of Archaeology, its distinctive discipline of Fine Arts, and the University of Salento’s strength in Cultural Heritage disciplines, the School conducts higher education degree programs. It is the first cooperative education institution in the field of cultural heritage in China. Based on national strategies for building a strong cultural nation, achieving self-reliance and strength in science and technology, and opening up education to the world, the School focuses on the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage. It is committed to integrating high-quality educational resources from China and Italy, exploring talent cultivation paths for cultural heritage conservation that combine Chinese characteristics with international standards, and building a highland for cultural heritage education in the new era.

Educational Features

The School adheres to the educational philosophy of “Small but Elite, High Starting Point, Interdisciplinary, and Personalized.” As the smallest Sino-foreign cooperative education institution in China, it employs refined cultivation strategies such as small-class teaching, academic mentorship, and face-to-face communication with the Dean, achieving whole-process immersive cultivation for students. Leveraging the advantageous disciplinary resources of both NWU and UniSalento, the School offers two undergraduate programs: Cultural Relics Conservation Technology (a national-level first-class major) and Fine Arts (a provincial-level first-class major), establishing a high-starting-point professional system. Focusing on the practical needs of cultural relics conservation and restoration, it emphasizes the integration of science and art, cultivating interdisciplinary talents with capabilities in “Scientific Conservation plus Artistic Restoration.” The School values students’ learning experiences and individual characteristics, providing specialized training based on students’ professional interests and career development needs, and offering personalized cultivation paths.

Basic Information

The School was approved by the Ministry of Education in May 2021. All its programs follow a “4+0” dual-degree model, with students having the voluntary option to study abroad in Italy during their third academic year. Enrollment is included in the regular higher education enrollment plan, with a scale of 240 students. Currently, there are a total of 232 students enrolled (from the 2022 to 2025 cohorts), and one graduating class of 57 students (Class of 2025). Students are registered at both NWU and UniSalento, enjoying the rights and interests of enrolled students. The two universities jointly formulate talent cultivation plans and organize course instruction collaboratively. The School currently has an operational area of 2,472 m² and has established 13 teaching and research practice bases in collaboration with cultural heritage institutions within and outside the province. After one cycle of exploration and practice, the talent cultivation of the School has begun to show results. Students have achieved excellent results in disciplinary competitions, innovation and entrepreneurship, and further studies. Students have won 2 national awards, 4 provincial awards, and 5 university-level awards in competitions such as the Contemporary Undergraduate Mathematical Contest in Modeling and the “Challenge Cup” National College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition. A total of 12 projects were granted national-level status and 2 university-level status in the College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program. Among the first graduating class, 15 students were admitted to world-renowned universities such as the University of Cambridge and University College London, and 12 students were admitted to Chinese “Double First-Class” universities such as Fudan University and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences.