OGE Nexus: Silk Road

Professional Development

OGE Nexus: Arts-based Research in China

January 2 - 11, 2026

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Program Description:

This course offers an immersive journey through the cultural, architectural, and aesthetic heritage of northern China. Travel from Beijing to Shanxi Province to encounter iconic sites such as the Badaling section of the Great Wall, the ancient Buddhist sculptures of the Yungang Grottoes, the Hanging Temple, the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, and the well-preserved urban fabric of Pingyao Ancient City. Studying the art and architecture of the Tang, Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties, participants will engage with themes of cultural memory, architectural expression, and the enduring legacy of religious and artistic practices across dynastic China.

Throughout the program, participants will engage with these sites through close observation and critical reflection. We will draw on arts-based research and multimodal scholarship to document our experiences and interpret the material, spatial, and symbolic dimensions of the sites visited. Themes will include the intersections of the contemporary and the traditional, the local and the global, the analogue and the digital, the rural and the urban, and how these themes are expressed in both tangible and intangible aspects of Chinese heritage.

About OGE Nexus

OGE Nexus is a new global platform under the Office of Global Engagement at Teachers College, Columbia University, dedicated to programs that sit at the intersection of study abroad and professional development. Designed in close collaboration with our academic partners around the world, these programs offer immersive, short-term learning experiences that combine academic insight with real-world application.

Offered in international settings, OGE Nexus programs are open to TC students and alumni, as well as local and regional participants in the host countries. Each program is shaped by shared expertise, local context, and global relevance—creating meaningful opportunities for cross-cultural learning, collaboration, and professional growth.

Dates: January 2 - 11, 2026

Format: In Person

Program Fee Options

With shared accommodation (double occupancy): $3,000
With private accommodation (single occupancy): $3,500
Without accommodation: $2,500

Discounted Rates for TC Students and Alumni

With shared accommodation (double occupancy): $2,700
With private accommodation (single occupancy): $3,200
Without accommodation: $2,200

The program cost includes:

Tuition fees
Certificate of completion
Access to TC’s online platform and course materials
Intercity transportation via high-speed train
Local transportation via air-conditioned vehicles, including one airport pickup (arrival day) and one drop-off (departure day)
Optional accommodation in international-standard hotels (see pricing options above)
Entrance fees and guided tours to major cultural and historical sites (optional activities not included)
9 breakfasts and 8 lunches (each lunch valued at ¥80 per person)
Professional tour guide service throughout the program
Travel agency liability insurance and additional travel accident injury insurance in compliance with national regulations

For more information, questions or to register: Email tcacademy@tc.columbia.edu

Instructor(s)

Chris Moffett, Ph.D., is a Research Scholar at the Digital Futures Institute, Teachers College, Columbia University, working across philosophy, education, art, and technology. He has taught both Art Education, and the Foundations of Art & Design. Current research includes work on play-based early-childhood learning in Anji, China, as well as comparative approaches to aesthetics and technology. Dr. Moffett is a Founding Member of the artist collective ARE, exploring the intersection between movement, sensation, and aesthetic practices. ARE has taught workshops for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Festival of Ideas for the New City and the Guggenheim Museum, the Noguchi Museum, DIA:Beacon, and collaborated with FormLab at the Inside Outside Museum in Beijing, amongst other projects.

Jun Hu, PhD, Dean of A/r/tography Research Center, & Professor of Art Education, Faculty of Fine Art at Hangzhou Normal University, considers himself an a/r/tographer: residing in the liminal spaces in-between the artist, the researcher and the teacher; drawing inspiration and developing knowledge out of their mutual transformation. He is World Counselor (2017-2019, 2023-2025) and Chair of the Asian Regional Council (2019-2024) of the International Society for Education through Art (InSEA), as well as executive editor of the journal of Creative Arts Education and Therapy (CAET). His research interests include cross-cultural dialogue and multimodal scholarship for opening up the potential of art education to enhance human welfare.

Learning Objectives

Participants will:

Increase intercultural awareness
Develop familiarity with Chinese artistic traditions as they exist in an ever-evolving cultural context
Develop of their own arts-based, a/r/tographic, and multi-modal methods of research

Who Should Attend

This program is designed for students, educators, practitioners, and professionals from a wide range of disciplines who are interested in deepening their understanding of cultural heritage, public art, education, and global exchange through experiential learning in China.

Ideal participants include:

Graduate and advanced undergraduate students in education, arts administration, international affairs, cultural studies, museum studies, architecture, urban planning, or related fields
Educators and administrators seeking to expand their global perspectives and incorporate intercultural experiences into their teaching or leadership practice
Artists, curators, and public art professionals interested in learning from China’s rich cultural landscapes and public art installations
TC alumni and international professionals eager to reconnect with Columbia’s academic community while gaining hands-on exposure to historic and contemporary sites across China
Anyone curious about the intersection of education, culture, and place-based learning within the context of the Silk Road

No prior knowledge of China or Chinese language is required. A spirit of curiosity, openness to intercultural dialogue, and enthusiasm for immersive learning are the most important qualifications.

Upon Completion

Participants who successfully complete this course will receive a Certificate of Participation.