By Zhang Menghan, Guo Weiran and Huang Tianyu
Recently, the Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Center of the Ministry of Education announced the results of the 2025 Thematic Case Collection Program. Two professional degree graduate teaching cases submitted by the Communication University of China (CUC) were successfully selected, focusing on the national strategic themes of cultural innovation and going global.
This achievement marks the fourth consecutive year CUC has received such approvals, with a total of eleven projects selected since the initiative's launch. The achievement reflects the university's continued efforts in strengthening practice-oriented training for professional degree students and promoting the integration of industry and education.
One of the selected cases, led by Liu Jianghong, explores the digitalization of cultural heritage and its vital role in safeguarding and transmitting cultural heritage amid the digital age. The project examines how emerging technologies such as digital tools and artificial intelligence can empower the preservation and dissemination of cultural heritage while transforming cultural resources into drivers of cultural development. Crucially, the case argues that heritage should not be confined to its material form, but rather understood through its potential for reinterpretation and recreation in the present and future. By shifting the focus from mere preservation to interpretation and presentation, the project expands communication from simple information transmission to civilizational dialogue and mutual learning, thereby enriching the contemporary expression of cultural heritage.
Poster of the China Cultural Heritage Digitalization Research Report (2023–2024).
Drawing on real-world scenarios, the case reflects prevalent technological and practical challenges within the digital and intelligent transformation of cultural heritage. By selecting representative examples with distinct civilizational significance and innovative digital applications, the project generates both practical and research-oriented teaching materials from the perspectives of value guidance, innovation-driven development, and collaborative integration.
The second selected case, led by Liu Yinghua, facilitates the global outreach of China's "time-honored brands" through a dedicated digital cultural heritage platform. Centered on the overseas dissemination of these historic brands, the project aims to establish a multimedia archive and digital platform to support international communication. Through standardized data collection and strategic global outreach, the initiative advances the national cultural digitalization strategy while cultivating top-tier international communication talent.
To date, the project has established a four-dimensional database containing more than 1,200 physical artifacts and a multi-terminal adaptive system. It has also compiled more than 200 hours of oral histories and 100,000 words of documentary materials. The project plans to further digitize advertising collections of time-honored Chinese brands from the Republican era to the period following the Reform and Opening-up, creating a searchable case database of brand advertisements and commercial seals. These resources will enrich teaching materials while forming reusable digital cultural assets.
Poster of the digital cultural heritage platform for China's time-honored brands.
The platform integrates a suite of interactive features designed to bring traditional craftsmanship to life. Leveraging cutting-edge technologies, it offers immersive experiences such as augmented reality imprinting, AI-powered virtual shopkeepers, and high-definition craft demonstrations. For international audiences, the platform supports multilingual interfaces, AI-assisted multilingual narration, virtual reality cloud exhibition halls, and lightweight digital content. The project also promotes cross-border exhibitions and cultural creative collaborations, expanding the possibilities for teaching and cross-cultural communication.
By working closely with academic research bases and conducting field research among time-honored brand merchants and inheritors, the project aims to build a digital cultural heritage platform that integrates historical research, teaching applications, and global communication. It is expected to support enterprises in expanding overseas promotion channels, promote the global dissemination of China's commercial cultural heritage, and further enhance China's international cultural communication capacity.
The 2025 Thematic Case Collection Program, organized by the Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Center of the Ministry of Education, focuses on four major themes: modern industrial systems, artificial intelligence+, cultural innovation, and going global. The initiative aims to transform China's real-world practices into high-quality teaching resources for graduate education.
Poster presenting the digital cultural heritage platform for China's time-honored brands.
A total of 2,224 projects from 440 institutions were submitted nationwide. After a three-tier evaluation process, 906 projects from 340 institutions were approved, including 203 under the theme of cultural innovation and 187 under the theme of going global. Since its inception in 2020, the program has evolved into a premier platform for cultivating China-focused case studies that exemplify contemporary relevance, social impact, and academic rigor.
Editor: Fang Yiran
Managing Editor: Shao Jianyu
Editor-in-chief: Yu Ran, Yang Zhongtian
