Introduction of Institute of Chinese Intellectual and Cultural History

●History

Institute of Chinese Intellectual and Cultural History, Hubei University, is one of the earliest academic institutes that study on cultural history in academia of China after the Reform and Opening-up;

In 1989, the Education Committee of Hubei Province approved its foundation;

In 1991, the Chinese Cultural History was defined into the first group of Hubei provincial key specialties;

In 1993, the institute acquired the authority of offering master degree;

In 2002, the institute was selected to be one of the first post-setting stations of “Chu Tian” Scholars in Hubei province;

In 2003, the institute acquired the authority of offering doctoral degree;

In 2004, the specialty “Specialized History” was conferred the title of “Creative Discipline with Prominent Achievements in Hubei Provincial Colleges and Universities”; In 2008, the specialty “Specialized History” was assessed as “Featured Discipline of Hubei Province”;

In 2010, mainly based on the works of the institute, history was approved to be the first level discipline of doctoral station by the Office of the State Council Academic Degrees Committee;

In November, 2012, Chinese history was approved to be Hubei provincial first level key discipline (featured discipline);

In the past 20 years, the institute has cultivated a group of world-famous scholars, published a pile of significantly influential academic works, and maintained a wide academic impact.

●Philosophy of Discipline Construction

During the development in the past 20-year, Institute of Chinese Intellectual and Cultural History has formed the Philosophy of Discipline Construction based on the theory of innovation and sustainable development, that is, taking hold in cutting-edge, focusing on the present, stressing features, being keen on innovation.

●Landmark scientific research achievements

From late 1980s to mid-1990s, History of Chinese Culture, which then became famous at home and abroad, was published by the institute at the focus of macro study of cultural history. This was the first History of Chinese Culture since the foundation of People’s Republic of China. Reflecting the leading level of cultural history study at the turn of the 21st century, it was awarded first prize at the 7th China Book Award, Nomination Award at the 1st Nation Book Award and first prize at the 1st Excellent Works in Social Sciences of Hubei Province.

 From mid-1990s to 2000, based on the solid foundation of cultural history study, the institute expanded its research to social history. It published Theory of Chinese Social History which was highly praised to be ‘Inheriting the past and forging ahead into the future’. The book was awarded at the 13^th China Book Award, the first prize at the 3^rd Excellent Achievements in Social Sciences of Hubei Province, Honor Award at the 2nd Book Award of Hubei Province. The book was assigned to be reference book or compulsory reading to doctoral students by Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and many key universities. It has a lasting academic impact.

Since the 21st century, in order to meet the needs of development in Hubei society, the institute has turned its research focus to Hubei social culture. Assembling domestic specialists of Hubei culture study, the institute compiled and published the megaword work Cultural History of Hubei which was described to be ‘The founding work of cultural study of Hubei’ by Guangming Daily and China Reading Weekly. In September 2004, with the approval from Hubei Provincial Department of Education and getting main support from the institute, the Center for Contemporary Cultural Studies of Hubei Province was founded. The center is the key research base of Humanities and social sciences in colleges and universities of Hubei. Based on the arduous and solid investigations of grassroots society, the center studied the contemporary social culture of Hubei Province and obtained a series of achievements such as Research Report on the Spread and Development of Christianity and Catholicism in Southern Hubei Area. Its achievements acquired high attention and full affirmation from CPC Hubei Provincial Government and related central departments. Internal Journal of Chinese Social Science and Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Review published these series of achievements, which generated essential social benefits and social impact.

    ●Discipline Research Direction and Feature

By continually condensing research direction in the long-term academic research, the discipline has formed three research focuses: Study on the history of academic history in the Qing Dynasty, Study of modern ideology and culture and Study of contemporary social culture in Hubei Province. Effective researches have been carried out on those focuses. The discipline has undertaken tens of projects of national and provincial level as well as other levels. It published The General Contents of Complete Library in the Four Branches of Literature in the View of Culture, A Study on Chinese Cultural History in 20^th Century, The Initial Era – Study on the Early Modernization of China, Shock and Conflict – The Trend of Thought and Society in the Early Modernization of China, A Hundred Years of Hardship – Intellectuals and Modernization in China, Return to the Origin and Innovate – A New Theory on Cultural Conservation in Modern China, The Outline of Anti-Traditional Ideological Trend in the Late Qing Dynasty, Discussion on the Consciousness of Secret Association, A Study on Argumentative Philosophy in the early Qing Dynasty, Southern Society and the Change of Modern Chinese Culture, Culture Area Division and Hubei Culture, Study on the Blending of Hubei Culture etc. These works are all of high academic standard. Meanwhile, on academic journals of both internal and external such as Japan and Taiwan, the discipline has published more than 200 theses among which 50 theses were reprinted by important national journals such as Xinhua Digest as well as overseas newspapers and magazines. Various achievements of the discipline got tens of national-level, provincial and municipal awards for outstanding achievements in social science and book awards.

●Academic team and Talent training

Professor Zhou Jiming is the leader of the discipline. He is a famous expert in cultural history and was awarded National young and middle-age expert with outstanding contributions while being one of the recipients of special allowances of the State Council and the first level candidate of the new century high level talents project in Hubei Province. Professor He Xiaoming and Professor Guo Ying are awarded Young and middle-age expert with outstanding contributions of Hubei Province. Our academic team is speeding up to become younger and consist of more doctors.

Institute of Chinese Intellectual and Cultural History has formed a talent training system of stepping up from bachelor degree, master degree to doctoral degree. Since undertaking ‘the Training mode reform for Liberal arts talents’ which is the major education reform project of Hubei Provincial Department of Education in 2002, the institute has persisted on exploration of education reform for 8 years. International Cultural Communication, a new specialty, has been created. For having achieved remarkable achievements on talent training, the institute was awarded second prize for National teaching achievements in 2009, and the first prize for Outstanding teaching achievements in Hubei Province.

●Academic Exchange

Institute of Chinese Intellectual and Cultural History has extensive contacts with universities home and abroad. Main members of the discipline have done lectures and academic exchanged in Australia, U.S.A., New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, France, Italy and Russia etc. as well as areas such as Taiwan , Hong Kong and Macau. To promote academic exchanges between China and other countries, the institute also hosts international academic conferences and publishes works on abroad journals.

Department of International Cultural Communication

Brief Introduction to Specialty of International Affairs and International Relations

Former named of International Cultural Communication, Specialty of International Affairs and International Relations in School of History and Culture of Hubei University is a full-time outside-the-directory undergraduate specialty which was given special approval by National Ministry of Education to cultivate talents for engaging in international cultural exchanges. It began to recruit students nationwide in 2006. When Ministry of Education adjusted the directory of undergraduate specialty of general colleges and universities in 2012, its title of Specialty of International Cultural Communication was adjusted to be Specialty of International Affairs and International Relations which was assigned to be a Special Specialty.

The specialty is a four-year curriculum recruiting students of both liberal arts and science. Based on objectives of talent training, the specialty has set up a new curriculum system with interdisciplinary penetration which consists of three curriculum parts: Foreign languages, Chinese and foreign cultural foundation courses and course of international affairs and international relations. Making culture as the core and transboundary application as the feature, the specialty aims to cultivate its students with proficiency in English and Chinese and ability of international cultural exchange. The course intensity of foreign languages is basically the same as that of bachelor degree of English specialty.

Supported by the first group of Hubei provincial key specialties and the first level discipline of doctoral station, Institute of Chinese Intellectual and Cultural History of Hubei University, the specialty obtains academic advantages, outstanding faculty and rich academic achievements. Meanwhile, the institute engages well-know scholars home and abroad to be visiting professors. With the practice of specialty construction for more than 10 years, the institute has acquired remarkable achievement on talents training. Pattern research for training talents of complex international cultural exchange was selected to be a provincial educational reform project and awarded Hubei Provincial Award for Teaching Achievement. Students of the specialty have high comprehensive quality, strong ability of foreign languages so they obtain wide range of employment. Some of our undergraduates continue their study in internal and external universities for master and doctoral degree in disciplines of international relations, diplomacy, Chinese and foreign culture, Translation, foreign languages, cultural Heritage, communication, teaching Chinese as a foreign language, international business, economic management etc. Some undergraduates work at the government, famous large-scale enterprises or public institutions relating to culture, propaganda, education, news and tourism etc.