Foreign Media: Chinese universities are shifting their academic focus from traditional foreign language majors to regional and country studies. Analysts believe this reflects China's strategic intent to establish a global cognitive system independent of Western paradigms.
Regional and country studies cover multiple dimensions such as politics, economy, culture, military, geography, and language of various countries and regions. Since the Ministry of Education launched the "Cultivation Base" project in 2011, more than 180 universities across the country have established at least 450 regional and country research centers, with approximately 20,000 full-time teachers related to the field. In 2024, 12 institutions applied for new programs in this field, making it one of the most popular emerging majors that year. At the same time, traditional language majors are facing large-scale reductions and restructuring.
China's latest five-year plan clearly states "strengthening regional and country studies and enhancing international communication effectiveness," elevating this field to a national strategic priority direction.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1857905067723780/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.