School of Culture and Communication Zhejiang Wanli University

Founded in 1999, the School of Culture and Communication (SCC) is affiliated with Zhejiang Wanli University in Ningbo, an ancient and famous port city east of Zhejiang Province, China. As one of the national pilot schools with an emphasis on training applied journalism and communication talents in China, the school features an innovative and applied approach to teaching and research. The school has four undergraduate programs: (1) Internet and New Media, (2) Journalism, (3) Advertising, and (4) Chinese Language and Literature. Its total enrolment has reached more than 2000 students. It has 50 full-time faculty members, 30 specially hired faculty members, and 12 administration staff.

Aiming at grooming high-quality applied talents, the school has been implementing the “3+1” practice-oriented approach: 3 years of on-campus learning and 1 year of off-campus internship. Staying closely connected with various industries, the school has built over 100 internship bases in Ningbo. As a result, the school has won the Zhejiang Provincial Higher Education Achievement Award for its innovative and applied teaching and research achievements.

As a key discipline in Ningbo, the journalism program focuses on the following research areas: government affairs and new media communication, online public opinion and social governance, media development and social change, regional cultural communication, and network culture. The other programs have established the following research platforms: Ningbo Communication Monitoring Research Base (under Ningbo Social Sciences Research Base), and Academician Cultural Research Center (a Zhejiang Zhijiang Science and Technology Think Tank), Yangming Boya Academy.

Internet and New Media

As one of the earliest new majors in China and since its inception in 2012, the Internet and New Media major has become known as the emerging characteristic major in Zhejiang Province (2014), the “13th Five-Year Plan” characteristic major (2017), the supporting major of the first batch of Digital Media Innovation and Application Exemplar Base in the national institutions of higher education (2017), Ningbo key discipline (2018), the first-class major development in Zhejiang Province (2019), the national first-class major development (2021), and the first-class discipline in Zhejiang Province (2022). Furthermore, as one of the co-founders of Zhejiang Converged Media Alliance, the program has played an essential role in developing the journalism and communication discipline and Ningbo Communication Monitoring Research Base (under Ningbo Social Sciences Research Base). Among the backbone faculty members are Professors Chen Zhiqiang and Zhang Xiaoguang.

Prof. Chen Zhiqiang (Ph.D. in Journalism): His research interests include media development history and new media communication and social change. He is the leader of the Internet and New Media program, the national first-class major, the “12th Five-Year” emerging characteristic major in Zhejiang Province, and the “13th Five-Year” characteristic major. He is also the leader of the journalism and communication program (a key discipline in Ningbo) and the chief expert at Ningbo Communication Monitoring Research Base of the Ningbo Social Sciences Research Base. He completed the Emergence and Rise of the Communist Party of China Newspaper Group (1921-1949), a national key project funded by the National Social Sciences Foundation in 2011, and eight provincial and ministerial projects. He has published two monographs and 50 journal articles in journals such as International Journalism, China Publishing, and Journalists. He has won one provincial third prize for excellent achievements in social sciences, one second prize for national teaching achievements, two first prizes for provincial teaching achievements, two second prizes for provincial teaching achievements, the first prize for the 6th Excellent Achievements of Chinese Society of Journalism and History, and the first prize for the Excellent Achievements in Social Sciences of Ningbo. He has also undertaken 21 research projects, such as monitoring communication effects and public opinion analysis in Ningbo City.

Prof. Zhang Xiaoguang (former senior journalist): Before she joined the school, she had worked as a journalist for many years. She used to be the deputy director of the Aurora News Department of Heilongjiang Radio and Television Station, the chief of the Current Political News Department, and a member of the Central Youth Lecturers' Group. She has won the China Journalism Award for many times. In addition, she has been named one of the top ten journalists and one of the six top talents in Heilongjiang Province. She is also the “March 8 Flag” bearer and the winner of the May 4th Youth Medal in Heilongjiang Province. Among her taught courses are Content Production of Government Affairs New Media, Operation and Maintenance of Government Affairs New Media, and Video News Report.

Journalism

Launched in 1999, the journalism major is the earliest in Ningbo. It is the key development major in Zhejiang Province (2007), the national first-class characteristic major (2008), the key major in Zhejiang Province (2008), the advantage major in Zhejiang Province (2012), the leading major of the "Schools of Journalism" jointly built by the Ministry of Education and institutions of higher education (2014), the key discipline in Ningbo City (2018), the first-class undergraduate major development in Zhejiang Province (2021), and the first-class discipline in Zhejiang Province (2022). Furthermore, as the flagship major, journalism is the supporting major of the first batch of Digital Media Innovation Application Exemplar Base in higher education institutions in China, Ningbo Cultural Service Application Talent Training Base, and Ningbo Communication Monitoring and Research Base under Ningbo Social Sciences Base. The leading faculty members are Professors Ma Jia and Wang Cuirong.

Prof. Ma Jia (Ph.D. in Journalism): She is the head of the journalism program. Her main research interests are journalism theory, new media, and network community. Her courses include the provincial first-class courses Introduction to Journalism and Selected Readings on Marxist Journalism Classics. She was a research fellow at Ryuya University, Japan, investigating journalism education in Japan, and a visiting scholar at Hyogo Prefectural University, Japan, studying overseas Chinese newspapers in Japan. She has published a monograph entitled Academic and Professional: Research on Higher Journalism Education in Japan, the first monograph in China focusing on the systematic study of Japanese journalism education. She has completed three provisional and national social sciences research projects. She has published more than ten academic papers in core journals such as International Journalism and Modern Communication. Prof. Wang Cuirong (Ph.D. in Journalism and Communication): Her research interests include local journalism history and Internet culture. She teaches News Editing, Professional Comprehensive Quality, and other courses. She has completed one research project funded by National Social Sciences Foundation and three research projects funded by Provincial Philosophy and Social Sciences Foundation. She has published one monograph and more than 50 papers in well-known domestic academic journals such as International Journalism, China Publishing, Archives of the Republic of China, News Spring and Autumn, Journalism Lovers, and Academic Exchange. She has won two provincial Social Sciences Achievement Awards.

Advertising

The advertising major is the key development major of the university (2018), the essential supporting major of the first-class discipline in Zhejiang Province (2022), the primary major of the "Schools of Journalism" jointly built by the Ministry of Education and the institutions of higher education (2014), the first-class discipline in Zhejiang Province (2022), the key discipline in Ningbo City (2018), the supporting major of the journalism and communication discipline, and the exemplar base of the integration and application of digital media in the first batch of universities in China. The key staff are Xu Keji, Wang Jinjing, and Pang Yan.

Mr. Xu Keji (M.A. in Journalism) heads the Advertising program. His courses include Computer Graphic Design, Product Packaging Design, and Graphic Creative Design. He is the chief investigator of two research projects. He has developed one provincial first-class course. He is the advisor of two National Innovation Programs. He has won the Excellent Advising Award from the China College Students Advertising Arts Festival many times.

Ms. Wang Jinjing (M.A. in Journalism) is an associate professor and school supervisor for teaching affairs. Among her courses are Advertising, Social Media Marketing, and Application Writing. She has completed seven provincial and municipal projects as the chief investigator or co-investigator. She has published more than 20 papers in domestic and foreign journals. Ms. Pang Yan (M.A. in Media Technology) is an associate professor and Zhejiang Putonghua Proficiency tester. She teaches Advertising Psychology, Creative Communication of Small and medium-sized Brands, and the Practice of Advertising Copywriting in the Industry. As the chief investigator or co-investigator, she has completed 14 provincial and municipal projects. She has published 13 papers in domestic and foreign journals. As the instructor of the National College Students Advertising Art Competition and other discipline competitions, she has often helped her students win national and provincial awards. She has won the Outstanding Instructor Award many times.

Chinese Language and Literature

As one of the earliest majors established by the school and a key major at the university level, the Chinese language and literature major is an application-oriented exemplar major, an ideology and politics curriculum exemplar major, and the supporting major of university-level key discipline Chinese Language and Literature. It has a Modern Media Center, a provincial experimental teaching exemplar center, a secretary training lab, and other laboratories. In addition, it has more than 40 off-campus internship bases in collaboration with other stakeholders. The key staff are Zhang Shilong, Wu Hongtao, Wang Caiping, and Yuan Yun.

Prof. Zhang Shilong (Ph.D. in Literature): His research interests are Chinese cultural history and East Zhejiang psychology. His courses include Ancient Chinese Literature, Ancient Chinese, Traditional Chinese Culture, Introduction to Classical Chinese Studies, and Wang Yangming's Life and Knowledge. In addition, he has presided over a humanities and social sciences project funded by the Ministry of Education. He has published eight monographs and more than 50 academic articles.

Prof. Wu Hongtao (Ph.D. in Aesthetics): He teaches Literary Criticism and other courses. He has completed two research projects funded by National Social Sciences Foundation and three by Provincial Social Sciences Foundation. He has published one monograph and more than 40 CSSCI papers in journals such as Philosophical Research, Literary Theory Research, and Trends in Philosophical Studies. He has won the Provincial Outstanding Achievement Award of Philosophy and Social Sciences. In addition, he has been selected to be part of the provincial and municipal talent projects.

Prof. Wang Caiping (Ph.D. in Literature): She teaches Modern and Contemporary Chinese Literature, Special Topics on Modern and Contemporary Chinese Literature, and Essay Writing Training. She has completed a research project funded by National Social Sciences Foundation and participated in the completion of two research projects funded by the National Social Science Foundation. In addition, she has completed a few provincial and municipal projects as a chief investigator or co-investigator. She has published more than 30 papers in domestic journals. In 2021, she won the second prize in the university-level Teaching Achievement Award. In addition, her monograph won the second prize in the 14th Ningbo Philosophy and Social Science Outstanding Achievement Award in 2015.

Prof. Yuan Yun (M.A. in Literature): She has published more than 40 papers in journals such as Chinese Literature Studies, Literary Debate, Jinan Journal, Taiwan Studies, and Chinese University Teaching. She has also published a monograph entitled Research on Shen Guangwen, the Originator of Taiwan Literature. She has completed over ten provincial and ministerial research projects as a chief investigator or co-investigator. Her courses include Ancient Chinese Literature and Special Topics of Ancient Chinese Literature. She has designed one provincial first-class course and one provincial ideological and political course in Zhejiang Province. She won the Ningbo Universities Outstanding Ideological and Political Teacher Award in 2018.