The undergraduate program, Journalism and Communication, was separated from the College of Humanities and then developed into the independent School of Journalism and Communication located at the Xiamen campus of Huaqiao University in 2016. The School now has 53 faculty members, among whom there are 37 full-time teachers, 10 full-time administrative, as well as 6 full-time technicians. Among the full-time teachers, there are 3 professors, 15 associate professors, 19 master’s degree supervisors, 30 doctoral degree holders and 14 teachers with either an overseas education or an academic experience of at least six months outside the Chinese mainland. One teacher was selected as one of the “One Hundred Talents” of Fujian Province (in 2018) and “Distinguished Cultural Industry Experts” of Fujian Province. An additional teacher was elected as one of the “High-level Talents (Category C)” introduced by Fujian Province.
The School is composed of three departments: the Department of Journalism, the Department of Broadcasting and the Department of Advertising. It offers four undergraduate programs: Broadcasting and TV, Advertising, Journalism and The Art of Announcing and Anchoring (Airline Announcing-oriented).Broadcasting and TV is both a first-class undergraduate program that has received key support from Huaqiao University and a provincial first-class undergraduate program, whose enrollment began in September 2003. Enrollment in Advertising, Journalism, and The Art of Announcing and Anchoring (Airline Announcing-oriented) began in September 2008, September 2013 and September 2017 respectively. The School has more than 1,100 students, of whom more than 500 come from outside the Chinese mainland. Meanwhile, it has been actively promoting domestic students’ engagement in exchange programs outside the Chinese mainland. Domestic students with such study abroad experience have accounted for over 10% of the total students from the Chinese mainland.
Media Culture and Communication, the academic master’s program within the realm of journalism and communication, was approved for enrollment under the academic master’s program, Chinese Language and Literature, in January 2013.Students in the classes of 2013-2016 and 2014-2017 have so far completed this program. The School was approved to launch professional master’s program in Journalism and Communication in September 2016. Its enrollment officially began in 2017, and over 130 students have enrolled in this program.
Alongside one provincial humanities and social science research base – the Cross-Strait Communication Innovation Research Center, the School also has five affiliated research institutions, which include the Strait Media Research Center of Huaqiao University, the Oral Communication Art Research Center of Huaqiao University, the Overseas Chinese Media Research Center of Huaqiao University, the Cultural and Creative Industry Research Center of Huaqiao University and the New Media Research Center of Huaqiao University. The School has had eight research projects approved by the National Social Science Fund of China and 24 research projects approved by either Fujian Province or national ministries. Over 60 papers have been published by core journals. Endorsed by the School, the distinguished “Media Forum” has held more than 60 high-level lectures since its establishment three years ago.
Focusing on the development of students’ practical skills, the School has not only implemented the “Bailuhu Media Training Camp” program but also invited industry experts to give lectures. Students’ works have won many awards in major events such as the Academy Award of the Chinese Collegial Association for Visual Art, China Computer Design Competition for College Students, Chinese College Students Micro-film Contest, National Advertising Art Design Competition for College Students, Golden Rooster & Hundred Flowers Film Festival International Micro-film Screening Gala, Beijing College Student Film Festival, National College Students Sports Video Festival, the Academy Award of Advertising Festival of Chinese College Students, Cross-Strait Student Micro-film Competition, and International Student Micro-film Festival. The Chinese educational program “Hello BTU” for the satellite TV station of Bangkok Thonburi University (BTU), which was created by a professional team comprised of teachers and students from the School, is the first Chinese-language educational TV show produced by a Chinese university and broadcast by a satellite TV station in Thailand. In addition, the youth inspiring film “Ji Gu Chang Ge” (literally “Beat the Drum and Sing Loudly”), mainly produced by teachers and students at the School, obtained a public screening permit issued by China Film Administration. It was also shortlisted for the 13th Macau International Film Festival.
The School has been expanding its teaching activities outside the Chinese mainland. Jointly offered with the Japan-China Culture and Sports Association · Wenpei College in Japan, its professional master’s program in Journalism and Communication is open to both overseas Chinese in Japan and Japanese friends with a strong interest in journalism and communication. Those who have acquired the required credits and passed the graduation examination will be awarded a master’s degree in Journalism and Communication after being approved by the Academic Degrees Committee of Huaqiao University, and they will also be issued a master’s degree certificate and a graduation certificate, both of which are recognized by China’s Ministry of Education. At present, 14 Japanese friends have completed their studies.
In terms of academic exchanges, the School has actively invited famous scholars from outside the Chinese mainland to give lectures. Professor Hong Junhao (a tenured professor of the Department of Communication at the State University of New York and a researcher at the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University), Professor Peng Yun of National Chengchi University and other scholars have been to the School many times and delivered academic lectures on cutting-edge issues. Also, the School has maintained long-term friendly relations with Shih Hsin University, National Chengchi University, Ming Chuan University and Tamkang University. It has conducted joint research with these Taiwan-based universities and sent students to Taiwan as part of exchange programs.
The School has attached great importance to interaction and cooperation with the media industry. It has established partnerships with Phoenix Television for many years. Phoenix Television’s media directors and hosts will come to Huaqiao University to give professional lectures and attend interactive activities every spring. Additionally, the School has taken an active part in training overseas Chinese media practitioners and hosted two advanced seminars, which won great acclaim from overseas Chinese media.
