Yang Xiaoguang...

Born on the 22nd July, 1953 in Hailong, Jinlin province Professor Yang Xiaoguang was brought up during the Cultural Revolution in China in the latter stages of which he was banished to the countryside. Returning to Dalian in the post Mao era he took a job as a technician in Dalian Medical University where he was to work for the rest of his life. Learning English by himself he took advantage of a scholarship to America in the early 80’s where he first started to study photography, completing an MA in Visual art at Columbia Pacific University. Returning to Dalian he started what was then only the second University Photography BA programme in China and over the next twenty years grew it to be the most respected department in China and quite possibly the largest department in the world. He was visiting scholar at University of California Berkeley from 1988-1990 where he first developed an interest in documentary filmmaking. A passion that saw him travel the world and develop film making into the University programmes.

Yang, as he was known to all who knew him, wrote/edited eight books on photography and photographic education. Four of those books are now key texts for BA photography courses in China. Most of his ideas came from American education practice with which he kept close ties throughout his academic career. As well as books he was a prolific journal article writer, contributing almost on a monthly basis to Chinese journals on a range of subjects related to photography and photographic education and editing two journals himself. He held a number of posts on national and regional photographic higher education organisation committees and was a key force in the development of the sector throughout the country. Often named in lists of the most important people in Chinese Photography, Yang spearheaded a movement for the acceptance of photography as a University subject and through his work saw the BA provision rise from just two courses to over seventy courses throughout the country. It was his idea to start the collaboration with the University of Bolton with the MA photography, introducing postgraduate study of the subject for the first time to China. Yang was exceptionally passionate about photographic education and his enthusiasm was instrumental in his ability to persuade academic authorities of its worth.

Although he was a keen photographer his greatest creative skill was in documentary filmmaking. He directed more than 30 documentaries for both Chinese and American TV working in North America, Africa, Europe and Asia on various projects. As with photography he held positions on committees in documentary film making organisations and with the local TV station. Yang organised five academic conferences connected to this and documentary education, the last of which was due to be held the week after his sudden death.

Though greatly respected for his achievements however Yang’s utmost quality was his energetic charismatic personality. He was a shining example of greatness in every respect. Always positive, never too busy to deal with the smallest request from anyone, whatever their position, nationality or need and kind to everyone who knew him. He was never short of ideas and answers to the numerous problems that faced him. A true ambassador to China and to Photography.

Yang was killed in a car crash in the Himalayan foothills of Nepal on the 7th October. He died while out with students on an informal trip, teaching multimedia skills. He died the way he lived, full of energy, adventure and with a passion to educate.