Founded in 1951, the Department of Chinese Language and Literature of ECNU is a domestically and internationally renowned center of academic research and talent cultivation. It is one of the oldest departments of the institution, and has developed into a famous unit widely recognized in the academic circle. In 1995, it is listed among the first batch as a National Talent Cultivation and Academic Research Base for Fundamental Disciplines of Arts by the State Education Commission. In 2007, it is selected to be one of the first group of Specialty Major Construction Sites of Institutions of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education, followed by its recognition as a Pilot Institution to Innovate Talent Cultivation Models by the Ministry of Education in 2008. Under the Department, the discipline of Ancient Chinese Literature is named as a National Key Discipline; and along with the discipline of Chinese Language and Character, it is also awarded as a Key Discipline of Shanghai City.

The current reputation of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature cannot be achieved without the pioneer contributions of numerous reputable predecessor scholars. After the adjustment of departments of universities in 1950s, many famous scholars have taught here, including Xu Jie, Xu Zhen’e, Shi Zhecun, Xu Zhongyu, Qian Gurong, Cheng Junying, Zhou Zimei, Li Yuzhen, Wan Yunjun, Shi Cunzhi, Lin Xiangmei, etc. At that time, the academic atmosphere of the Department was flourishing and prosperous. During the initial period of the PRC, Pro. Qian Gurong raised a heated discussion nationwide with the proposal of “literature as human science”. Pro. Xu Zhongyu’s research on ancient Chinese literature theories paved the way for the modern development of this discipline. And Pro. Wang Yuanhua opened a new academic era with a series of significant works appreciated at home and abroad. Since the reform and opening up 30 years ago, several generations of scholars from the Department excel in various areas and lead the development of Chinese disciplines with acute, steady and solid attitudes and achievements. Abundant influential academic monographs have been published in research fields of literature theory and criticism, modern and contemporary Chinese literature, ancient Chinese literature, Chinese language and character, etc., earning massive reputation within the academic circle.

The Department possesses top-rank academic platforms. Currently, there is a first-batch National Key Research Base of Humanity and Social Science approved by the Ministry of Education – Chinese Character Research and Application Center; and there are 4 national level academic associations – China Association of Literary & Arts Theories, China Association of Ancient Literary Theories, China Association of College Chinese Research and Mao Dun Studies Association, with most of their presidents and secretary generals acted by professors from the Department of Chinese Language and Literature. There is also a Shanghai “Lide Shuren” Key Research Base of Humanity and Social Science – Shanghai Chinese Education & Teaching Research Base. Additionally, the research institutions subordinated to the Department include: Wang Yuanhua Research Center, Chinese Education Research Center, Pre-Qin Philosophers Research Center, China Research Center of Literature and Documents Originated in South of the Yangtze River, China Research Center of Literary & Arts Theories and Criticism, Aesthetics and Art Theories Research Center, Modern Chinese Literature Studies Center, Foreign Literature and World Literature Research Institute, Oriental Culture Research Institute, Enterprise Culture Research Institute and Language Education Laboratory, etc.

Currently, the Department issues 7 national academic journals – Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, The Study of Ci, The Study of Chinese Characters, The Study of Ancient Literature Theories, The Journal of the Philosophers, Reviews and Research on Chinese Literature and Chinese Aesthetics Research, as well as 1 magazine that targets at primary and secondary school students – Self-education on Chinese. Among those abovementioned, 5 of them are CSSCI (Chinese Social Sciences Citation Index) source journals and paper collections, and Reviews and Research on Chinese Literature is selected as CSSCI source journal (extended edition). The impressive number and high quality excels other departments of Chinese language and literature of domestic colleges and universities.

It now has 1 first-level discipline, Chinese Language and Literature, 1 undergraduate program, Chinese Language & Literature, 6 PhD programs and 7 master programs and a center for post-doctoral studies. The 6 PhD programs are Ancient Chinese Literature, Chinese Modern and Contemporary Literature, Chinese Language and Character, Literature and Art, Comparative Literature and World Literature, and Linguistics and Applied Linguistics. The 7 master programs are Ancient Chinese Literature, Chinese Modern and Contemporary Literature, Chinese Language and Character, Literature and Art, Comparative Literature and World Literature, Linguistics and Applied Linguistics and Subject Teaching (Chinese). In January 2013, the first-level discipline of Chinese Language and Literature of our department ranked 7 among all 85 attending institutions, according to the discipline evaluation result by the Ministry of Education. And in the comprehensive assessment of teaching and research entity units organized by ECNU, the result of our department is the first level.

By the end of 2022, the Department has 110 teaching and administrative staffs in service, including 42 professors or researchers and 34 associate professors or associate reserachers. Staffs with honors include 4 distinguished professors of “Changjiang River Scholar Program” of the Ministry of Education, 1 Cross-century Talent of the Ministry of Education, 8 New Century Talent of the Ministry of Education, 5 “Dawn Scholars” of Shanghai City, 2 Shanghai Outstanding Academic Leaders, 1 Teaching Role Models of Shanghai City, 9 “Pujiang River Talents” of Shanghai City, 1 member of the Discipline Evaluation Team of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, 1 committee member of the Committee of Social Science of the Ministry of Education and 1 committee member of the Teaching Guidance Committee on Higher Education of the Ministry of Education. 

The Department of Chinese Language and Literature has cultivated a large number of outstanding talents in its long history, with its graduates forming into four major groups: the writer group, the scholar group, the publisher group and the educator group.

• the writer group: Sha Yexin, Dai Houying, Wang Xiaoyu, Zhao Lihong, Wang Xiaoying, Sun Yong, Chen Danyan, Song Lin, Ge Fei, Li Er, etc,;

• the scholar group: Wu Xionghe, Chen Bohai, Deng Qiaobin, Wang Xiaoming, Xu Zidong, Nan Fan, Jiang Shuzhuo, Xia Zhongyi, Mao Shi’an, Wu Xuan, etc.;

• the publisher group: Zhao Changping, Lei Qunming, Chen Baoping, Wang Shiwei, Wang Xingkang, Gong Xiaowei, Jia Zongpei, Wang Weisong, etc.;

• the educator group: Guo Chuanzhong, Lu Jichun, Jin Zhihao, Liu Jinhai, Gu Chaojing, Bu Genhai, etc.

And recently the Confucian entrepreneur group represented by Jiang Nanchun and Hongbo is also emerging. 

They have brilliant achievements in their own fields and have made significant contributions to the society, bringing high reputation and widespread influence to the Department.