Founded in 1963 by Pan Tianshou and Lu Weizhao, the calligraphy discipline at the China Academy of Art was the first higher-education programme in calligraphy in New China. The School of Calligraphy was formally established in 2023 and was recognized as a National First-Class Undergraduate Program. Adhering to its founding principles of "consolidating the fundamentals while nourishing the vital essence, and pursuing harmony without uniformity," the School centers its educational philosophy on the "Fourfold Integration" —the synthesis of moral character and scholarly attainment, artistic practice and theoretical inquiry, historical heritage and contemporary vision, and Chinese heritage with global perspective. This philosophy underpins an integrated academic framework of creative practice, academic research, and educational dissemination.

The School comprises three departments—Calligraphy and Seal Carving, Calligraphy Theory, and Calligraphy Education and Dissemination—offering a seamless pathway from bachelor's to master's and doctoral studies. Its research spans brush-and-ink innovation, traditional epigraphy, classical textual studies, and cross-cultural aesthetic education. The School is home to provincial and ministerial-level key research platforms, including the Ministry of Education's Base for the Inheritance of China's Outstanding Traditional Culture and the China Academy of Calligraphy and Seal Carving Studies, alongside high-level institutes such as the Institute of Chinese Character Culture and the academic journal Chinese Seal Carving. It also runs a portfolio of flagship public initiatives, including the "Path of Calligraphy" National Higher Education Calligraphy Exhibition, the "Calligraphy and Beyond" International Art Exhibition, and the "Joy of Calligraphy" public aesthetic education program.

The School combines scholarly depth with a strong drive for innovation. It leads the landmark project The Comprehensive Collection of Chinese Calligraphy Through the Ages, which has received the China Government Award for Publishing and the First Prize for Outstanding Achievements in Provincial Philosophy and Social Sciences. Its foundational research on steles, rubbings, and seal-studies literature has consolidated the core of China's autonomous knowledge system in calligraphy. At the same time, in response to the evolving academic landscape of the digital and intelligent era, the School has launched an interdisciplinary workshop on calligraphic AI agents, forging new pathways between traditional calligraphy studies and artificial intelligence, and giving rise to a distinctive academic model that balances tradition with innovation.

The School regularly hosts international seal-studies forums and cross-border collaborative exhibitions. It was commissioned to produce calligraphy for the China Pavilion at Expo Osaka and has developed bilingual teaching resources and open-access courses. Its graduates are active across a wide range of fields, including museums and cultural heritage institutions, higher education, cultural and creative industries, and international cultural promotion.

Faculty Profile: The School has 25 faculty and staff members, including 18 full-time instructional faculty—11 professors and 3 associate professors. (The number includes permanent staff, contract-based hires, and externally recruited specialists.)

Student Enrollment: The School has 257 enrolled students, comprising 128 undergraduates, 101 master's students, and 28 doctoral candidates. (Data exclude students scheduled to complete their studies or graduate in 2026.)

School Leadership:

Party Secretary and Vice Dean: Shen Leping

Academic Dean: Chen Zhongkang

Deputy Party Secretary: Mao Teng