Strategies for Integrating STEAM into the Higher Education System in China

The aim of the research is to determine strategies for the integration of the STEAM approach into the higher artistic education system in China, with a focus on preserving national traditions. This text describes the features of modernizing the vocational education system, which requires the development of new approaches. The key idea highlighted is the synthesis of international pedagogical experience with national cultural characteristics, ultimately creating conditions for innovation. Special attention is given to balancing the technological components of STEAM with traditional artistic practices. An important aspect is the adaptation of Western educational models to the Chinese academic environment without losing cultural identity. As a result of this integration, a flexible educational model is formed, capable of preparing specialists who combine innovative thinking with an understanding of national artistic traditions. Achieving the set objectives is facilitated by theoretical analysis to study the specifics of the STEAM approach, a comparative method that allows for the comparison of different options for its implementation, and empirical methods: observation of actual pedagogical processes in higher education institutions, which reveals how traditional approaches to educating students in creative specialties combine with innovative STEAM approaches in Chinese art schools. The scientific novelty lies in demonstrating possible pathways for the integration of the STEAM approach into the higher artistic education system in China, as well as systematizing relevant developments and practices in specific universities. It has been found that art universities in China are beginning to adopt this approach, relying on the national educational model and integrating digital technologies while emphasizing interdisciplinarity and practice-oriented learning. Moreover, the integration is not limited to the mechanical addition of technical disciplines: universities adapt STEAM to the specifics of the artistic profile. An important element is project work, where students solve real tasks. This approach allows for the preservation of cultural traditions while simultaneously developing competencies in graduates that are in demand in the modern economy.