The Chinese disciplines of Shanghai Jiao Tong University can be traced back to 1897, when Nanyang College was established. Most of the first batch Normal School students belonged to the rank of Juren (first-degree scholar), Linsheng (a kind of certified student) or Gongsheng (a kind of certified student), and the faculty were highly knowledgeable people. In 1901, a “Special Class” was set up. In 1908, Department of Chinese was founded, where large numbers of outstanding talents gathered, such as Cai Yuanpei, Tang Wenzhi, Shen Zengzhi, Li Shutong, Jiang Menglin, Xie Wuliang, Huang Yanpei, Zou Taofen, Gu Hongming, Wu Mei, Ma Heng and Ye Chucang. These figures have left indelible influence on modern Chinese history, also laying a solid foundation for the Chinese disciplines here in SJTU. Due to historical reasons, the development of Chinese disciplines in Jiao Tong University was interrupted once. However, in 2000, School of International Education was founded in SJTU, as well as some Chinese-related teaching/research institutes such as Department of Chinese, Institute of Chinese Language, Chinese Language Engineering and Testing Center and Multi-culture Institute. Then a reconstruction of Department of Chinese Language and Literature was fulfilled in 2003, when we began recruiting postgraduates in this field. In 2006, the master programs of Chinese Language and Literature (program at primary discipline level) were founded, and an undergraduate program of Chinese Language and Literature with Sino-foreign Cultural Exchange as its academic direction was set up for the very first time among all China universities.
Department of Chinese Language and Literature currently has a faculty of 20, among them are 6 professors (Wang Jie, Xia Zhongyi, Xu Jianping, Ye Shuxian, Zhan Furui, Xu Xinjian), 7 associate professors, 7 lecturers. The percentage of faculty members with doctorates is about 85.7%.
In the aspect of education, faculty of Department of Chinese Language and Literature are taking multiple teaching tasks of Chinese language and literature as undergraduate and postgraduate courses. 1 Shanghai Model Courses, 1 Shanghai Key Course, 18 SJTU General Education courses have been completed, and one book in the “eleventh five-year plan” of Ministry of Education has been published. They play an irreplaceable role in humanities education in Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
In the aspect of research, Department of Chinese Language and Literature pursues prominent feature at home and abroad, and builds a team of high academic advantages. Currently there are Marxist Aesthetics Research Center led by Professor Wang Jie, Research Center of Cultural Anthropology led by Professor Ye Shuxian, and Research Center of Chinese Ancient Literature and Research Center of Literature led by Professor Zhan Furui and Professor Xu Jianping. On this basis, we formed two disciplines of literary theory and a Chinese classical literature supported by “985″ building project Literary led by Professor Wang Jie, Xia Zhongyi, and Professor Zhan Furui, Xu Jianping.
Department of Chinese Language and Literature has now assumed one important event of national social science (Data Sorting and Research of Overseas Chinese Modernist), one important event of national social science foundation, one important event of social science of Ministry of Education, some ordinary events of national social science foundation, and some ordinary events of social science foundation of Ministry of Education. In recent years, faculty of Department of Chinese Language and Literature have issued about 20 academic treatises on authoritative periodicals of the country, such as Social Science of China, Comments on Literature, Legacy of Literature, and Study for Literature and Arts. It has been awarded Outstanding Achievements Prize of Social Science by Ministry of Education and Outstanding Achievements Prize of Philosophy and Social Science of Shanghai for several times.
Department of Chinese Language and Literature is now enlarging and enhancing its international education and exchange programs. We have absorbed many chair professors, specially appointed professors and STA fellows from famous universities in America, Britain, Australia and Hong Kong, such as University of California, University of Manchester and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Long-term cooperative relationship has been built up between these universities and the Department.
With years of development, Department of Chinese Language and Literature of Shanghai Jiao Tong University increasingly has shown its influence. The significant sign is that the Department involves many well-known scholars who enjoy lofty status and extensive influence. Among the scholars, there are one member of Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council subject review group, three members of National philosophy social science fund planning and review committee, three expert enjoying special allowance of State Council, two members of the Ministry of Education Chinese Course Teaching Guidance Committee, one expert of the Ministry of Education Degree and Graduate Education Development Center experts storehouse.
These scholars have made a variety of unique contribution to the contemporary Chinese literary academic. For examples, Professor Wang Jie is a well-known expert of the domestic Marxist aesthetics and Western Marxist theory, Professor Xia Zhongyi has made peer-recognized achievements in the research of modern scholars reading. Professor Xu Jianping has impressive results in Ming and Qing Fiction and the study of the Chinese famous thinker Li Zhi. Professor Zhan Furui has made undeniable contribution in the study of Li Bai and WenXin DiaoLong. Professor Ye Shuxian may rank first in the study of Literary Anthropology in China.
Professors at the Department of Chinese Language and Literature of SJTU, who are also the chairman and vice-chairman of National First-level Academy, play important roles in their professional fields. The most significant social appointments: Chairman of WenXin DiaoLong Research Seminar (Zhan Furui), Chairman of Chinese Literature and Humanity Association (Ye Shuxian), Chairman of Chinese Mythology Research Seminar (Ye Shuxian), Vice-chairman of Chinese Aesthetics Association (Wang Jie), Vice-chairman of Classical Literature Seminar (Xia Zhongyi), Vice-chairman of Marxism-Leninism Research Seminar (Wang Jie), Vice-chairman of Li Bai Research Seminar (Zhan Furui), Vice-chairman of Artistic Anthropology Association (Ye Shuxian), Vice-chairman of Jin Ping Mei Research Association (Xu Jianping), Vice-chairman of Chinese Comparative Literature Association (Ye Shuxian).
In recent year, a lot of young scholars in particular fields appear from the Department of Chinese Language and Literature in SJTU. On the modern literature aspect, there are coming men after Lu Xun, Hu Shi, etc. On the classical literature aspect, young teachers have their specialties in Tang Dynasty literature theory, the Buddhism, and so on. In the aspect of Language and Character, they do unique researches about philology and characters. In the aspect of Foreign Literature, there are also scholars make contributions in US Lit, Japan Lit, Christian, etc.
Department of Chinese Language and Literature of SJTU welcomes talents from all over the world to join us. We are eager to compose the future with enthusiasm and rigorous style.
