Peking University, May 16, 2025: Combining elements of history, culture, and personal backgrounds, Sun Yuqi’s poster design exudes detail-oriented creativity, distilling complex theory and philosophy into a visual story that is both simple and compelling.

As a PhD student in the Institute of Area Studies, Sun Yuqi strikes a perfect balance between rigorous academics and getting in touch with her creative side. Since her first poster from two years ago, she has designed more than 50 posters for the “Adventus amicorum” symposium series of the Institute — events featuring prominent international scholars sharing their wisdom and insights.    



Having a keen eye for appreciating the beauty in small things, Sun Yuqi draws inspiration from her life around her. For example, an inscription on a historical stela on campus — which roughly translates to “all plants and trees have a magical effect” — inspired her to feature plants and Earth on a poster celebrating the 7th anniversary of the Institute, attracting many for its vivid vibrancy.

It all started two years ago when she was still a graduate student. She once casually mentioned that she liked designing posters at a lunch with her teacher during summer school, without realizing that this small talk would bring her an opportunity to unleash her creativity.

Then came her first commission — designing a poster for a symposium of the “Adventus amicorum”series about classical realism and major power rivalry. Having learned that the event was themed on promoting discretion as the core virtue of political leaders, she sampled ancient Greek black-figure pottery style in her design.



“The undulating silhouette of Greek mythological figures documents the pursuit of virtue and morality in ancient Greece.”

Making a debut for her on the official WeChat account of the Institute, this poster design also drew her closer to the academic field of area studies.

With guidance from her mentor, Sun yuqi gradually kindled an interest in history and started reading the Institute’s WeChat account as a learning source. After auditing some classes at the Institute, some of which were taught by Associate Dean Zhang Yongle, she came to realize that the Institute’s charm came from a global focus and scholars of diverse backgrounds. That was when she decided to apply for PhD in the Institute.

“Though I have gone through a major change in my academic focus, the area studies of countries and their political and economic theories give me a diverse and inclusive perspective, which allows me freedom to explore.”

Sun Yuqi officially became a PhD student at the Institute last year, thereby leaving behind her former title of “outsourced designer”. Even with a busy life loaded with study and research, Sun Yuqi still managed to find relief in designing posters on the side. 

“Designing posters gives me a much-needed reprieve from fast-paced research.”

An extensive foundation of knowledge is needed for poised discharge of inspirations, whether in research or in design, a truth that Sun Yuqi understands by heart. She subscribes to many designing WeChat accounts, pays attention to artwork of famous designers, and learns from posters of museums in China and beyond, all for inspiring her own poster design.

She also joined a poster designing club at the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, where she learned from her fellow classmates, unlocked new skills, and eventually upgraded from designing for student activities to doing it for academic activities.

Moreover, her teachers had a hand as well in influencing her work, mainly by supplying key details relevant to the event itself — a finishing touch that brings the whole artwork to life.

“The revisions not only make the poster more vivid, but also help me understand the deep thinking of my teachers.”

When she was designing for a symposium on the Latin American perspective, her mentor Zhang Yongle gave her a clever suggestion, “Putting a wing of a North American bald eagle in there would clearly illustrate the predicament faced by Latin America.”In another poster featuring an image of Earth on a shredder — for a symposium on globalization — Zhang suggested her to draw a chasm running through the whole Earth, symbolizing the legitimate protest against a Western-led globalization process.



Sometimes personal stories can also play a role in the design.

When Sun Yuqi was racking her brain for a poster idea for a symposium featuring Destry Damayanti, Senior Deputy Governor at Bank Indonesia, the organizer Zhai Kun gave her an expedient detail — the speaker was once the best tennis player in Indonesia. Dawning on her like a ray of sunlight, Sun Yuqi then incorporated an element of tennis into the background, effectively putting a cherry on the cake.



“We want to show the speakers our sincerity through every little detail — we want to learn about their past and future, and cooperate with them for common progress.”


With much experience designing for the Institute under her belt, she has come to understand that the success of a symposium depends on team work, where every link, including sending out invitation, designing poster, writing synopsis and news, etc., need to be tightly chained together.

“If the number of attendees surpasses expectation, the organizer will try to find another venue, and I will change the information on the poster accordingly … No symposium nor lecture can smoothly proceed without the coordination behind the scene.”

Just like the exuberant flowers in her poster, Sun Yuqi’s design is budding into a garden full of joyful surprises, on the back of diligent cultivation and a down-to-earth attitude.

The poster Sun Yuqi designed for the 7th anniversary of Institute of Area Studies

Written by: Chen Shizhuo
Edited by: Zhang Jiang
Source: PKU WeChat