stablished in 1860 as a School of painting, which became in 1864 the National School of Belle Arts according to the Western model, the first institution of higher level in the Romanian art education has functioned continuously until now, despite the times of communism, when the Academy of Fine Arts from Iasi (with the title adopted in 1931) was transformed into the Faculty of Drawing (1950), and then into the Faculty of Fine Arts (1978). Since 2012 it has been named the Faculty of Visual Arts and Design. The Faculty of Visual Arts and Design belongs to the ensemble of three faculties integrated within “George Enescu” National University of Arts, public institution of higher artistic education, part of the national education system, accredited under the law, with the qualification “High degree of confidence”, classified as a university of education and scientific research. The Faculty of Visual Arts and Design has the mission to train specialists as visual artists or theorists to participate creatively in contemporary cultural life. The Faculty of Visual Arts and Design is in category A in the national ranking. It is the only higher education institution in Romania in the QS Global World ranking 2018 Top – Art and Design field.