Yang Xiujing was born in 1964 in Shanghai. In 1987, she completed her BA studies in Russian Language at Hangzhou University (now Zhejiang University). In 1990, she obtained her MA in Art History at the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts (now CAA). From 1990 to 2000, she taught at the Department of Art History, CAA. In 2002, she was appointed a visiting scholar at the Repin Academy of Fine Arts in Russia. In 2000, she was honored with the Young Teacher Award by the Fok Ying Tung Education Foundation under the Ministry of Education of China. From 2000 to 2012, she worked at the International Affairs Office, CAA, holding positions including Deputy Director and Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office. She concurrently served as a council member of the Zhejiang People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and a council member of the Zhejiang Association for the Promotion of Cultural and Artistic Exchange. From 2006 to 2019, she held positions including Director of MA programs at Chinesisch-Deutsche Künstakademie (CDK) (now Institute of International Collaboration, IIC), Master's Advisor and Dean of CDK.