Division
Division of Asian Studies

Department/Programme
Department of Chinese Studies

The curriculum consists of 3 major areas, i.e., Chinese literature, history and philosophy. It aims to provide students with comprehensive training in both classical and modern Chinese Studies. Topics covered include classical and modern Chinese literature, ancient and modern history of China, pre-Qin ideology and religion, business Chinese, film and cultural studies. The Department emphasises training students to develop independent and critical thinking. Although Mandarin is the medium of instruction, some modules are conducted in English.

Under the Visiting Scholar Programme, eminent scholars and distinguished visitors from overseas are invited to teach in the Department on a short-term basis, give public lectures and participate in forums organized by the Department. Hundreds of internationally renowned scholars and famous writers have visited us for such academic exchanges since 1980.

In addition, there is the yearly Wu Teh Yao Memorial Lecture series which was set up in memory of the prominent scholar and distinguished educator, Professor Wu Teh Yao. Each year a prominent scholar in the field is invited to Singapore to give bilingual lectures (English and Chinese) in the areas of Confucianism, Chinese culture and language and political thought in the East and West, and other related fields.

As part of undergraduate and student activities, the Department also organizes a yearly JC seminar, with invitations to all junior college students to an open house at the Department, typically in April every year. This event usually is a series of talks and presentations about the Chinese language subjects, which give these students insights into the state of Chinese learning and education in modern Chinese and Asian societies.

Extra-curricular activities such as overseas summer camping, overseas cultural tours, and classes in Chinese calligraphy, seal carving, painting and lion dancing are also regular features of the Department. These activities aim to expose students to cultural aspects of Chinese Studies outside the confines of traditional scholarship.

Chinese Studies Department provides training in diverse areas of Chinese Studies and Chinese Language, with the aim of preparing students for employment in a wide range of sectors. Graduates are offered career opportunities as professionals in the educational and business sectors, academia, the translation service industry and the mass media. They are always highly sought after because they are effectively bilingual.