The objective of the Institute of Global Humanities is to study the tradition and the future direction of humanities and arts in China and abroad. “Global Humanities” is a leading academic concept that involves at least three subject matters. Firstly, the comparison and analysis of two factors that are shaped by the development of civilizations worldwide, namely the historical lineages and cross-cultural interactions of humanities and arts. Diverse cultural prospects should be adopted in order to achieve this goal. Secondly, the cultivation of interdisciplinary thinking. It not only transcends the theory of “two cultures” that counterposes art and science, but also enables the integration of knowledges among various sub-branches of the discipline, hence it promotes academic innovations that are based on the critical inheritance of cultural traditions. Thirdly, the promotion of global humanities’ paradigm transformation concerning teaching and research, and of the capability to better serve the progress of the society and meet new challenges of the times. This can be done when scholars around the world are channeled, and when their ideas and knowledge are brought together.
The reasons why this institute is established are manifold. a. The primary stance of the institute is to represent Chinese culture. During cross-cultural communications and interdisciplinary researches, it shall voice the viewpoints of the university, share the university’s intellect, model a way of studying that is tinged with Chinese characteristics, and tell bona fide Chinese stories with firmness and sagacity. b. It aims to build a world-leading academic team, to employ leading talents around the globe that specialize in the field of humanities and social science, to forge the distinctive characteristics of academic internationalization, and to become a cross-cultural, interdisciplinary research forefront of humanities and arts with both domestic prestige and international impact. c. The institute intends to provide courses for undergraduate and graduate students from Nanjing University Suzhou Campus. The curriculum includes foreign language and culture, general studies in humanities and arts, introductory courses, core courses, aesthetic education, etc. d. Guided by the ethos of new liberal arts, the institute will develop master’s and doctoral degree-programs with distinct interdisciplinary characteristics, and bring into play the university’s exemplary and leading role in the training of masters and doctors. e. It plans to foster developments and breakthroughs of the discipline, to make exceptional contributions to the university’s construction and evaluation of “Double First-Class” disciplines, to promote the economic and social development of Suzhou while gaining the resources and momentums for making its own progress, and to improve Nanjing University’s educational quality by encouraging representative international teaching projects and research outcomes.
The institute is founded by the School of Arts, and is widely supported by other associating faculties including the School of Foreign Studies and the School of Liberal Art. It aims to become an exemplar for the university’s interdisciplinary education and international academic research.
We sincerely hope that scholars across the globe would join and enrich our program.