The 2019 European League of Institutes of the Arts (ELIA) Leadership Summit was held at the China Academy of Art (Hangzhou). Professor Dean Lin Zijie, Dean of the International School of Design, and Professor Xiao Yong, Director of the Academic Committee attended the meeting.

ELIA is an independent organization for higher art education in Europe. It was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. ELIA covers more than 300 member universities around the world. Its purpose is to promote the exchange and cooperation of culture and arts and to strengthen the status and influence of higher art education in different regions and countries so as to enhance its influence on economic development. The Leadership Summit is the highest-level meeting of ELIA and is held every two years.

In this summit, more than 100 deans and supervisors from more than 70 colleges and universities discussed topics such as the current state of Chinese contemporary art, art education and practice, and art cooperation in a multicultural context. They also visited institutions such as the School of Film and Animation, the School of Sculpture and Public Art, the School of Art Management and Education, the School of Design, the Academy Art Museum, and other institutions of the China Academy of Art. Meanwhile, they participated in on-site teaching and workshops to explore the ways of international cooperation in various disciplines including art, design, film and television, music, etc., and expressed their vision for the future.

In the process of internationalization advocated by Gengdan Institute, International Academy of Design actively participates in the activities of the ELIA Alliance to learn of international experience and put them into practice, providing stronger support for students for their future education and career development.