Updated: 2025-04-22

Yanbian University has been officially approved as one of 15 universities authorized to establish interdisciplinary programs in Chinese National Community Studies. The decision was jointly announced by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council and the National Ethnic Affairs Commission.

The selected institutions include Yanbian University, Renmin University of China, Wuhan University, Nanjing University, Shandong University, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Jinan University, Xinjiang University, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Heilongjiang University, South-Central Minzu University, Southwest Minzu University, Northwest Minzu University, Yunnan Minzu University, and Guangxi Minzu University. This marks the second round of pilot designations, following the inaugural selection of Minzu University of China on May 8, 2024. The initiative now forms a “1+15” pilot framework, reflecting a strategic and diverse layout in terms of region, type, and research direction.

The development of Chinese National Community Studies as an interdisciplinary field is aimed at fundamentally transforming approaches to knowledge production. By transcending traditional disciplinary boundaries and breaking through the limitations of Western-centric ethnic theories, the initiative seeks to build a distinctive theoretical system rooted in China’s historical experience, development path, and civilizational heritage. It is envisioned to provide robust academic and intellectual support for the conceptualization and advancement of the Chinese national community.

This initiative also aligns with broader efforts to ground academic disciplines in China’s own theoretical innovations, offering a pathway for integrating the Party’s theoretical advancements into scholarly research. Ultimately, it aspires to foster a globally influential Chinese school of thought within the humanities and social sciences.

(Source: National Ethnic Affairs Commission)