According to the official WeChat public account of Beijing Normal University's School of Arts and Media, a personnel appointment and dismissal announcement meeting was held on the morning of September 16, 2025. The announcement declared the appointment of Comrade Hu Zhifeng as Dean of the School of Arts and Media, while relieving Comrade Xiao Xiangrong of his position as Dean of the School of Arts and Media.

Public records show that Hu Zhifeng, born in Shandong in 1965, currently serves as a Level II Professor and doctoral supervisor at Beijing Normal University's School of Arts and Media. He previously served as Deputy Party Secretary and Vice President of Beijing Film Academy, and Dean of Beijing Normal University's School of Arts and Media.

Hu Zhifeng is the convener of the 7th and 8th Drama and Film Studies Discipline Evaluation Group of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, and Chairman of the Academic Committee of the China Higher Education Film and Television Association.

His other social positions include: Vice Chairman of the China Television Artists Association, Director of the China Film Association, Director of the China Television Artists Association, Director of the China Literary and Art Critics Association, Vice Chairman of the Audio-Visual Professional Committee of the China Literary and Art Critics Association (2016), Vice Chairman of the TV Drama Professional Committee of the China Television Artists Association (2017), Vice Chairman of the Beijing Literary and Art Critics Association (2018), Vice Chairman of the Intelligent Communication Professional Committee of the China Television Artists Association (2019), and Vice Chairman of the Convergent Media Culture Committee of the China Television Artists Association (2019).

Hu Zhifeng was promoted to lecturer in 1992, associate professor in 1996, and professor in 2000, serving as doctoral supervisor since 2004. He served as Dean of Beijing Normal University's School of Arts and Media from 2016 to 2020, and as Deputy Party Secretary and Vice President of Beijing Film Academy from 2020 to 2023.

Hu Zhifeng has led over 30 national and provincial-level research projects, published more than 40 books, and authored over 500 academic papers, with nearly 10 million words of various academic achievements published. He has received multiple awards including the China Higher Education Humanities and Social Sciences Achievement Award and the Beijing Philosophy and Social Sciences Achievement Award.

Hu Zhifeng serves as an expert reviewer for the National Social Science Foundation, Chairman of the TV Drama Category Jury for the 28th Magnolia Awards, and final judge for the film category of the inaugural Golden Panda Awards. He has participated in the planning and creation of hundreds of television channels, programs, and large-scale shows, establishing himself as a renowned television program planner in China.

Hu Zhifeng is also one of the founders of China's radio and television arts studies, an important pioneer of television aesthetics, and the creator of television communication arts and media arts disciplines.