The School of Chinese Studies and Exchange of Shanghai International Studies University (SISU) was established in 1994. As one of China’s first batch of schools that enrolled international students, and China’s first institute that trained teachers in teaching Chinese as a foreign language, the School enjoys an excellent reputation both in the research of Chinese language and literature and the teaching of the Chinese language internationally.
With the motto “remain dedicated, keep learning, promote cooperation, and pursue common progress” in mind, the School of Chinese Studies and Exchange excels in the research and teaching of Chinese language and literature, promotes the inheritance of civilization and cooperation through cultural exchange, and prepares students at home and abroad for global competition and future demands. The School now has 53 full-time faculty and staff, including 6 professors, 15 associate professors, 16 lecturers, and 15 administrative staff. With the branch offices ranging from the General Office, the Office of International Students, the Department of Chinese Language Education for International Students, the Department of Linguistics, the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, and the Department of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, the School is responsible for all the compulsory courses in Chinese language and literature for undergraduates, and the enrollment, education, and management of international students and postgraduate students.
The School offers programs at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels and some programs are available for international students. For undergraduates, programs in Chinese Language (with two directions: Chinese Language and English Language, Economics and Trade), Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language, and International Economics and Trade are available. The School offers first-level master’s degree programs in Chinese Language and Literature, including 4 second-level disciplines: Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Chinese Philology, Modern and Contemporary Chinese Literature, Ancient Chinese Literature, and a professional master’s program in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language. Currently, the School has 700 undergraduates, 300 postgraduates, and 24 PhD students.
The School also enrolls international students taking long-term and short-term courses in Chinese language, which are available at all degree levels. In 2018 alone, more than 3,000 international students from more than 110 countries took Chinese courses of various kinds and at all levels.
In addition, on behalf of SISU, international students at the School of Chinese Studies and Exchange attended the final round of the 2018 Shanghai Foreign Students’ Chinese Poetry Recitation Contest and won several awards. The School is dedicated to developing talents who have global insights and humanistic spirit, master the Chinese language, and understand Chinese culture and national conditions to achieve excellence in face of the global challenges. Today, with the knowledge they acquire here, outstanding alumni of the School are working in various fields and making their own contribution around the world.
As Shanghai International Studies University has been included in the Double First-Class Initiative, the School of Chinese Studies and Exchange now has new development opportunities. The School will continue to make use of its established disciplines, give full play to its academic strength, provide quality education and training in Chinese language and literature, and promote exchanges in culture and teacher training between China and the rest of the world.