WPP School of Marketing and Communications announces first graduating class

18 Aug 2014

SHANGHAI — WPP announces the first graduating class of the WPP School of Marketing and Communications in Shanghai, China.

The WPP School of Marketing and Communications is a joint venture between WPP and the Shanghai Art and Design Academy (SADA), a nationally recognized leader in arts and design vocational education. Founded in 2011, the WPP School marks China’s first professional marketing and communications three-year diploma program, bringing together a strong academic and creative curriculum combined with practical application.

Forty students completed the WPP program. Of the graduates, 23 won internships at WPP companies in Beijing and Shanghai, with many expected to be hired on in permanent positions.

The School marks WPP’s first formal venture into the education sector, and demonstrates WPP’s commitment to providing students with the best possible instruction combined with real-world experiences.

"All of us at WPP are very proud of our Marketing and Communications School in Shanghai and, particularly, the first graduating class, which is already starting to have a significant impact on the Chinese advertising industry and beyond. It is emblematic of the Chinese approach to building an industry's capability by devoting significant resources to education,” said WPP CEO Martin Sorrell.

“This is only the beginning of the development of the WPP Marketing and Communications School. We would also like to thank Harrison Dong, Executive Deputy Dean, for his deep commitment to building the program, as well as to SADA’s Principal Mr. Jiang Ming, for his invaluable support,” he added. “Congratulations to the first graduating class."

WPP School students have been recognized internationally and domestically with a number of awards. Two graduating students took home ‘Best of the Year’ awards at the 2013 D&AD Students competition; while in 2014, two teams won D&AD 2014 New Blood Awards, making the WPP School the only school in China to achieve these coveted honors. In addition, WPP School students won two golds and one silver at the 2013 China Universities Creative Design Awards, organized by the China Ministry of Education, ranking the WPP School as first in Shanghai, and fifth nationwide.


About WPP School of Marketing and Communications
The WPP School of Marketing and Communications was jointly founded in 2011 by WPP, the world’s largest marketing group, and the Shanghai Art & Design Academy (SADA) in China, a nationally recognized leader in arts and design vocational education. Located on SADA’s 218-acre campus in Shanghai, the WPP School of Marketing and Communications marks China’s first professional marketing and communications three-year diploma program, bringing together a strong academic and creative curriculum combined with practical application.

About WPP
WPP is the world’s largest communications services group with billings of US$72.3 billion and revenues of US$17.3 billion. Through its operating companies, the Group provides a comprehensive range of advertising and marketing services including advertising & media investment management; data investment management; public relations & public affairs; branding & identity; healthcare communications; direct, digital, promotion & relationship marketing and specialist communications. The company employs nearly 175,000 people (including associates) in over 3,000 offices across 110 countries. For more information, visit www.wpp.com.

WPP was named Holding Company of the Year at the 2014 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for the fourth year running. WPP was also named, for the third consecutive year, the World's Most Effective Holding Company in the 2014 Effie Effectiveness Index, which recognizes the effectiveness of marketing communications.

About Shanghai Art and Design Academy (SADA)
SADA is a national model college for advanced vocational education, with 51 years history of cultivating nationally renowned design talents and artists in China .The Academy has faculties encompassing 230 full-time and 100 part-time members to educate more than 4,400 students studying among 19 design specialties. The Academy occupies 218 acres with comprehensive environment of versatile workshops and studios featuring in practical training. SADA is now taking on the project of the education system innovations, a pilot education system through collaborations between governments, industries, companies and colleges. Through innovations, SADA has gradually cultivated initiatives to meet industrial developments and corporate demands. The academy has formulated a comprehensive environment of diverse workshops and studios featuring in practical training with the assistance of versatile facilities including domestic specialists, international designers and super craftsmen.

For more information, contact:
Belinda Rabano
Corporate Communications WPP Asia Pacific
Tel: +86 10 8520 3066
Email: [email protected]