The International Academy of Chinese Tea (IACT), initiated by Discover Cha，a non-profit initiative under professional consultation and industry development guidance provided by the Department of Tea Science at HZAU, stands as a global hub for education, certification, and cross-cultural exchange in the world of tea. Bridging tradition and innovation, the Academy celebrates the richness of Chinese tea culture while fostering dialogue with global tea traditions, promoting tea as a spiritual bond connecting Eastern and Western civilizations.

Mission & Vision

IACT is committed to nurturing a global network of certified tea professionals, educators, and cultural ambassadors through rigorous academic programs, interdisciplinary research, and inclusive certifications. While rooted in China’s millennia-old tea heritage, our curriculum and ethos embrace the diversity of global tea practices, ensuring students gain holistic expertise that respects both the uniqueness of Chinese tea and its interconnectedness with worldwide traditions. Our vision is to advance tea as a universal medium for cultural understanding, sustainable collaboration, and shared prosperity across East and West.

Academic Excellence & Global Collaboration

As an academic partner of Huazhong Agricultural University—a leader in agronomy and tea science—IACT integrates cutting-edge research, traditional wisdom, and global perspectives. Our curriculum, co-designed by international tea scholars and industry pioneers, spans:

Core Disciplines

• Tea Science & Processing: Mastery of cultivation, fermentation, biochemical analysis, and artisanal techniques unique to Chinese tea, with comparative studies of global tea production methods.

• Sensory Mastery: Professional training in tea sommelier skills, tasting, evaluation, and blending, emphasizing both Chinese tea profiles and global flavor benchmarks.

• Cultural & Historical Studies: Exploration of tea’s role in Chinese philosophy, medicine, and rituals, alongside comparative studies of tea traditions in Japan, India, Europe, and beyond.

Professional Development

• Tea Brewing Arts: Technical and artistic training in Gongfu Cha, international tea preparation styles, and modern service innovations.

• Training of Tea Trainers (TOTT): Advanced pedagogy for educators, equipping them to teach Chinese and global tea cultures with cultural sensitivity and adaptability.

• Global Tea Business: An MBA-track program focusing on tea industry management, ethical sourcing, sustainability, and cross-border marketing strategies.

• Global Competency

• Multilingual Tea Education: Specialized language courses in tea terminology (Chinese, English, Japanese, French, etc.), designed for professionals to teach, trade, and collaborate across linguistic boundaries.

• Advocacy & Diplomacy: Strategies to promote tea culture as a tool for intercultural dialogue, environmental stewardship, and inclusive economic growth.

• Cultural Bridge-Building

IACT redefines tea as a shared language of connection. While highlighting the depth of Chinese tea heritage, our programs acknowledge and integrate insights from other tea cultures—whether Japan’s Chanoyu, India’s chai traditions, or Britain’s afternoon tea rituals. Through partnerships with overseas institutions, students engage in immersive exchanges, from Fujian’s Wuyi Mountain tea fields to collaborative workshops in Sri Lanka, Kenya, or Germany. These experiences decode the “Eastern wisdom” of harmony (hé 和) and mindfulness while illustrating tea’s universal capacity to unite people, ecosystems, and economies.

A Global Network for a Shared Heritage

Co-organized by training schools across China, Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia-Pacific, IACT ensures its programs resonate locally while maintaining universal academic standards. Annual international symposiums, multilingual research publications, and a digital open-access repository foster collaboration among tea-producing and tea-consuming nations.

IACT invites the world to savor Chinese tea not as a solitary tradition, but as a vibrant thread in the global tapestry of tea culture. By blending China’s expertise with worldwide perspectives, the Academy cultivates a future where tea transcends borders—enriching lives, fostering respect, and brewing a more connected world.

中茶国际学院（International Academy of Chinese Tea, IACT）是由葡言茶语文化传播（DiscoverCha）发起的非营利性国际茶文化教育与认证机构, 华中农业大学茶学系为本机构提供专业咨询建议与行业发展指导。学院以中国茶文化为根基，融汇全球茶产业智慧，致力于打造一个尊重传统、包容多元的全球茶文化交流平台，推动茶成为连接东西方文明的精神纽带。

使命与愿景

IACT以“传承中国茶文化精粹，共筑全球茶业未来”为使命，通过严谨的学术课程、跨文化研究与行业认证，培养具有国际视野的茶行业领军者、教育者与文化使者。我们珍视中国数千年茶文化遗产，亦推崇印度大吉岭、日本抹道、英式下午茶等全球茶文化的独特价值，倡导以茶为媒，促进不同文化间的平等对话与可持续合作。

学术体系与全球协作

依托华中农业大学茶学院的科研实力与行业资源，IACT构建了融合理论与实践、本土性与国际化的课程体系，涵盖：

核心研习领域

• 茶科学与制茶工艺：中国六大茶类加工技艺深度解析，辅以全球代表性茶类（如红茶、乌龙茶、马黛茶）生产技术的比较研究。

• 感官品鉴与调配艺术：茶叶侍茶师认证课程，涵盖中国茶风味图谱解析、国际通用茶叶评价体系，拼配创新实践及餐茶搭配等。

• 茶文化通识：中国茶道哲学、茶医药学、茶美学专题，兼修东亚、南亚、欧洲等地的茶礼俗与茶历史。

职业赋能模块

• 茶艺精修与创新：中式工夫茶、日式点茶、西式调饮、新中式茶饮等冲泡技法的系统教学与当代应用场景开发。

• 茶教育师资培养（TOTT）：针对茶文化讲师的专项训练，提升跨文化教学能力与课程本土化设计水平。

• 全球茶业管理：茶产业MBA方向课程，聚焦供应链管理、可持续实践、文化品牌全球化战略。

• 全球方向

• 多语言茶文化传播：开设中、英、法、日等多语种茶学术语与商务沟通课程，助力学员无障碍参与国际对话。

• 茶文化公共外交：研习如何以茶为载体，推动文化交流、生态保护与社区共荣的全球议题。

以茶为桥，和而不同

IACT倡导“各美其美，美美与共”的文化互鉴理念。课程设计中既深入云南古茶山、武夷岩茶场等中国茶文化圣地，亦引入斯里兰卡红茶庄园、肯尼亚CTC茶厂等海外实践基地，引导学员在对比中理解茶如何塑造地域身份，又如何超越国界成为人类共同的语言。通过茶中蕴含的“和合之道”，诠释东方智慧与全球可持续发展目标的深层共鸣。

全球网络与行业生态

IACT与中国及海外多家培训机构、文化组织、茶企结成战略联盟，确保教学标准国际通行且落地适配。每年发布的《全球茶文化发展报告》、多语种学术期刊及开放式数字茶库，持续赋能全球茶产业的知识共享与创新协同。

中茶国际学院诚邀世界举杯，不仅品味中国茶的隽永风韵，更探索其在全球语境下的当代价值——以一片叶子传递文明互信的温度，以一杯茶汤酿造人类共有的未来。