Brief Introduction

As one of 20 schools under Jiangnan University---one of China’s national key universities of the “Project 211” directly under the National Ministry of Education, the School of Literature is focused on the educational philosophy of fine and time- honored educational traditions with an aim to nurture students with cultural, philosophical and social awareness, and to explore their personality and potentiality. And even more attention has been paid to the cultivation of specialized knowledge and skills to meet the demand of the times. Since its foundation in 1948 by Qian Mu, the great scholar in Chinese Learnings , it has experienced great changes with readjustment of specialties in 1981, the modeling of bachelor’s degree program in 1996, and the integration of specialties and faculties from different colleges when three colleges merged into Jiangnan Univeristy in 2001. And now it takes on a new pose and manifests its particular vigor and vitality with a strong will to achieve greater and higher goals.

At present, it offers B.A degrees in two specialties for undergraduates, that is, Chinese Language & Literature, and Literature of Theatre & Television. The former is categorized into normal-education program and non-normal-education one. In the non-normal-education program, undergraduates are required to major in journalism, advertisement, copy writing, exhibition management, etc. on the basis of a good mastery of systematic literature knowledge, and of deep cultural and literature awareness education. And the normal-education program is distinguished by its ideas of elite cultivating in teacher education as well as the development and perfection in solid knowledge mastery and skill training. Meanwhile, it is also entitled to confer master’s degree in two specialties—Ancient Chinese Literature, and Comparative Literature & World Literature, taking on excellent undergraduates who specialize in Chinese Language and Literature, and Literature of Theatre & Television through recommendation of the school without examination. In addition, it is authorized to grant M.A degree and doctoral degree in “Food Culture and Literature Studies”. Now it has an enrollment of more than 1000 (including undergraduates, MA candidates, and PhD candidates).

After years of ploughing and exploration in education, it has developed its unique ideas on the cultivation of its disciplines and specialties. It is firmly believed that the profound cultural and literature knowledge education and accumulation function as the ground for creating fresh conception of humanities, which lay the foundation of developing social adaptability and innovation ability for both literature education and neo-humanistic talents; meanwhile, its clear-minded educational policy of definitely-directed specialties and capability training play an important guiding role in deepening and strengthening students’ awareness of applying and practicing their specialized knowledge.
Nowadys, the School is staffed with a faculty with high professional level and excellent quality, who are competent for the undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and academic research.

At present, there are 12 full-time professors and 21 associate professors, together with more than 20 part-time professors, who are national-famous experts, scholars from national key universities and entrepreneur, among thom, 35% are doctors and PhD candidates. And many of its faculty are honored as distinguished teachers at provincial level, Jiangsu research chairs, and candidates for provincial “Project 3-3-3” and “Blue Project”. Through? great efforts made by the faculty in recent years, its faculties have published more than 100 monographs, textbooks, and more than 1000 academic theses. And nearly 100 research results have won national and provincial awards or prizes, such as National Book Award, Provincial and Municipal Excellent Achievement Prize in Philosophy and Social Science. Thus the first-class and well-organized academic group has been coming into being in the field of Theory of Literature and Arts, Ancient Chinese Literature, Chinese Classical Documents, Modern and Contemporary Chinese Literature, Comparative Literature & World Literature, Literature of Theatre & Television, Linguistics and so on.

The School of Literature has won its wide fame in cultivation of students with comprehensive qualities and abilities. In the past 20 years, more that 3000 graduates have found their jobs in different social fields. Many have become leaders in enterprises and public institutions, the Party and government administrations, and some others have become key employees in the cultural, educational, news media and broadcasting and television undertakings.

At present, the School, by the policy of higher goals and greater achievements, will devote itself to the adjustment of specialty directions and the standardization of curricula system in order to cultivate novel talents with excellent humane qualities to cater to social demand.

Majors/Disciplines

The School now runs 2? M.A. programs---- the Ancient Chinese Literature and the Comparative Literature & World Literature respectively.

Ancient Chinese Literature

With the profound cultural tradition and inter-disciplinary integration of Literature, History and Philosophy, the Ancient Chinese Literature enjoys diversified research orientations with distinctive features. With Professor Yao Ganming, Ph.D Supervisor and lecturer in the Program of Lecture Room as the leading figure, the Ancient Chinese Literature focuses their research interest on Ancient Literature and the inner law between culture and literature. Based on the studies on Ancient Chinese Literature, the interrelationship between Ancient Literature and Contemporary life is also studied, striving for the integration of wisdom in Classical literature and humanistic innovation with the new era. Besides, studies on the unique features of Chinese Dietetic Culture and Food Literature are also touched upon based on the research platform of Food Culture. The well-known scholar, Professor Huang Zhihao is the chair professor in the Chinese Poetics, paying special attention to the research on the structural relation and deep-going implication between Poetics and Chinese Literature. Professor Sun Hong, academic chair of Ci Poetry, focuses on the Aesthetic characteristics and value of Ancient Literature through the studies of famous poets in different literary schools during the Tang and the Song Dynasties. Besides, the well-known professors and scholars such as Professor Xu Xinghai and Associate Professor Yin Chubing have all demonstrated their academic excellence in the field of Ancient Chinese Literature.

Also the School has enjoyed a close collaboration and communication with overseas institutions in a rapid way for years, with reception of a large number of visiting scholars from Hongkong and Taiwan and the world around the year. It expects and welcomes more International students around the world to join in this program.

Comparative Literature & World Literature

Upholding the profound Chinese culture and Chinese literature tradition, the Comparative Literature & World Literature has long enjoyed a reputation of distinctive research orientation and academic features against the backdrop of the worldwide cross-cultural communication. Jiang Professor Chengyong, a renowned expert on World Literature, Tai Hu Scholar, is the research chair in this program, focusing the research interest on famous writers in world literature history through different literature schools. They interpret the works by world-class writers with new insights and pursue the latest development and new trend in the field of World Literature. With Professor Wu Yuesu , a renowned scholar as the leading figure, the Euro-American Literature endeavors for the influential writers and literary schools, which were significant to the development of Chinese Literature. And special attention is also paid to the study of the Comparative Poetics headed by Professor Zhao Jianjun.

Based on the comparative study of Literary Theories and Aesthetics of both China and the West, it is aimed to find the difference and interaction between World Literature and Chinese Literature. The study of world-class writers and their works within the approach of Comparative Literature helps to a better understanding of the national characteristics of those writers. Besides, the uniqueness of Chinese Literature is studied together with the comparative study of Western, Indian and Chinese Poetics. Professor Xiao Xiangdong, the leading figure of the Chinese-Western Literature and Culture,? together with his group, mainly works on their research on the distinctive rules and connotations of Chinese and Western Literature in the pattern of world culture. Distinctive values and features of writers in China and the West are touched upon in the interpretation of the interrelationship between Chinese-Western literature and culture. In addition, Professor Zhou Chunyu and Sun Zhounian, well-known scholars, are also supervisors of this program. They have all demonstrated their peculiar insights and academic excellence in this field with influential achievements. Meanwhile, a close collaboration and communication with overseas institutions have also developed rapidly, in this program,with the reception of a large number of visiting scholars from Hongkong and Taiwan and the world around the year.

The School has 2 Bachelor Programs as well, including Chinese Language & Literature and Literature of Theater & Television.

Chinese Language & Literature (Normal Education & Non-Normal Education)

This program is dedicated to the training of high-quality talents with innovative ideas in the new era, with the aim to equip students with integrated ability in teaching, research and practice. Non- Normal Education students are highly valued in fields like cultural agencies, public relations and news agencies after graduation. For students majoring in Normal Education, we facilitate them with professional training to be Chinese teachers for Middle Schools and related staff on teaching and research. A number of our graduates are enrolled in renowned institutions as Master Degree candidates for further education as well. Its main courses include Modern Chinese, Ancient Chinese, Introduction to Literature, Introduction to Linguistics, Ancient Chinese Literature, Contemporary Chinese Literature, Foreign Literature, Aesthetics, Marxism-Leninism Literary Theory, Science of Secretary (Advanced Secretary), Study of Journalism (Journalistic Communication & Advertising), Education (Normal Education Major), College English, Computer Application and Related Courses on Quality-oriented Education? and other Advanced Selective Courses.

Literature of Theater & Television

Dean

Prof. Jianjun ZHAO, PhD

Contacts

Tel: (86)-510-85913165

Email: zhaojj0302@jiangnan.edu.cn