On August 23rd, under the guidance of the Heilongjiang Provincial Department of Education and the Amur Region's Department of Education and Science in Russia, Heihe University hosted the launch ceremony for the Sino-Russian Creative Design Alliance. Heihe University, the Moscow State Surikov Art Institute, and Amur State University in Russia jointly initiated the alliance. Representatives from NEFU's Undergraduate School and the School of Home Furnishings and Art Design attended the event. During the inaugural "Sino-Russian City Brand Creative Design" competition, NEFU achieved impressive results, winning one first prize, two second prizes, four third prizes, three Excellent Teacher Awards, and the "Outstanding Organization Award."

At the launch ceremony, Chinese and Russian universities and related associations signed agreements to join the Alliance. The first batch of members includes 55 Chinese universities, 12 Russian universities, and five industry associations from both countries. NEFU was one of the Chinese institutions that joined. In a symbolic moment, leaders and guests at the event slowly poured water from the Heilongjiang River into the "Sino-Russian Creative Design Alliance" launch platform, officially marking the start of the Alliance.

Following this, the awards ceremony for the inaugural "Sino-Russian City Brand Creative Design" competition was held. The competition, themed "City Branding: Innovation and Empowerment," focused on developing creative designs around key themes such as Heilongjiang's "border charm," "ice and snow tourism," "eco-agriculture," "wellness and leisure," "natural landscapes," "revolutionary culture," "historical heritage," and the "urban culture" of both China and Russia. This theme inspired a total of 626 entries from 41 universities, both domestic and international, to compete in the event. After evaluation by a panel of experts, NEFU won one first prize, two second prizes, four third prizes, three Excellent Teacher Awards, and the "Outstanding Organization Award."

Joining the Sino-Russian Creative Design Alliance is a practical step for NEFU in pursuing international education. It creates a high-level platform for our art-related disciplines to exchange and collaborate with Russian universities. This initiative helps align the supply of creative design talent and outcomes with industry demand, fostering collaboration and contributing to the high-quality development of the Sino-Russian creative design industry.