Contact
Ms. He Gao
Tel: +86-21-55664060
Email: gaohe@fudan.edu.cn
History
As one of the oldest colleges at Fudan University, the College of Foreign Languages and Literatures evolved from its predecessor, Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, founded over a hundred years ago at the beginning of the university.
English and French departments were founded in 1905, as part of what was then referred to as Fudan Public University. In August 1949, the German Department of Tongji University was merged into Fudan. The Department then had two new majors, the English Language and Literature and the German Language and Literature. After adding the Russian Language and Literature major, courses in English, French, German, Russian, and Japanese were all available. The year 1952 witnessed a large-scale realignment of departments among the nation’s universities, during which English departments of nearly ten universities, including Saint John’s University, University of Shanghai, Aurora University, and Zhejiang University, were incorporated into Fudan’s English Department. From that time, Fudan’s Department of Foreign Languages and Literature became the preeminent locale of English education south of the Yangtze River. Instructed by the Ministry of Education in 1956, the Department cancelled the Russian major and focused on the English major.
When the Cultural Revolution began in 1966, professors that taught Englishencountered great challenges as the nation’s educational system was severely infringed upon, following a 5-year-long suspension of admission.
In 1970s, with a rapid development of China’s diplomacy, the Russian and German majors were restored. In addition, the Japanese, French, and Spanish majors were subsequently added, bringing the number of graduates in a decade up to 700. In the meantime, the teaching staff was replenished. Around 1978, thus, the Department met with an opportunity of revival. The restoration of the National College Entrance Examination ensured the quality of admitted students. The political liberty enabled many teachers return to work, which largely improved the quality of courses. Institutes of Modern English Studies, Foreign Literature Studies, and Shakespeare Studies were established in succession. The modernization of teaching equipment and the increase in library resources kept apace. In 1985, the original public education section of the department, which provided English courses for non-English majors, developed into a separate department, the College English Center. In addition, the establishment of Master and Doctoral programs in the department further met student needs. In 2003, the Department made great leaps in research on foreign linguistics, with the Modern English Institute, the PhD Program in Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, and thePost-doctoral Research Station of Foreign Languages and Literature emerging one after another. In September 2003, the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature merged with the College English Center and formed the College of Foreign Languages and Literatures.
Subjects and Programs
The College of Foreign Languages and Literatures consists of nine departments: the English Language and Literature, the French Language and Literature, the German Language and Literature, the Russian Language and Literature, the Korean Language and Literature, the Spanish Language and Literature, Translation and Interpretation, and the English Teaching. Two programs, the English Language and Literature and the Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, now have doctoral degree programs. The Post-doctoral Research Station of Foreign Languages and Literatures is also established.
Faculty
There are now 22 doctoral supervisors, 31 professors, and 56 associate professors in the College of Foreign Languages and Literatures. Annually, about 15 foreign teachers are hired from every corner of the world. In addition, many reputable experts and scholars in foreign languages and literature are invited to pay short-term visits and give lectures. A high proportion of the faculty have studied abroad and devote their proficiency to teaching and academic research.
Research
The College of Foreign Languages and Literatures aims at forming a comprehensive academic center. It has set several research institutes: Foreign Language Research Institute, Foreign Literature Research Institute (American Ethnic Literature Studies and Shakespeare Studies included), Nordic Literature Research Institute, French Language and Culture Studies Center, China-Australia Creative Writing Centre, Bilingual Dictionary Compilation Studies and others. Language Learning Centre is also set up to provide training to students who would like to enhance their English proficiency.
International Cooperation
The College of Foreign Languages and Literatures has actively engaged in international cooperation and exchange with top-class universities around the globe. A fair number of teachers pay visits to US, UK and other major English-speaking countries and other regions in Asia to deliver speeches and to share the fruits of their academic studies in international conferences and seminars. Every year, a high percentage of students are sent to renowned universities for overseas exchange programs.
