Uygur Language & Literature Department

Separated from the Department of Uygur, Kazak and Kirgiz Language & Culture, the Department of Uygur Language & Culture was founded on April 15, 2004, the first department across China and the world at large to be named with Uygur language and culture. As one of the earliest subjects offered by the Central University for Nationalities (former Central College for Nationalities), Uygur Language & Culture was set up in 1951 and, the second year, merged with the faculty and students of Uygur Language from the Department of Oriental Languages of Beijing University, which altogether was affiliated with the Department of Ethnic Language & Culture of the Central College for Nationalities. Furthermore, incorporated by Kazak and Kirgiz Language & Culture in February, 1986, it formed an independent department, once known as “secondary department of ethnic language and culture”, “department of Turkic language & culture” and “department of Uygur, Kazak and Kirgiz language & literature” in sequence. Its founding marks that the discipline has reached a more advanced stage after fifty years’ development and predicts larger developing space and opportunity in the future.

The department has a teaching staff with competence and enormous potentiality. With continuous refinement in teaching and scientific research for the past half-century, a high-quality faculty was fostered. Before the department was founded, many famous professors and scholars at home and abroad taught here, including Li Shen, Hamiti?Tiemuer, Geng Shimin, Miersulitang, Liu Xuezhen, Wei Cuiyi, Hu Zhenhua, Gao Shijie, Yi Kunxiu, Pan Zhenyu, Tuerxun?Wushouer, Xiamuxiding, Wupuerjiang, Dong Wenfang, Wang Dewen, Tuerxun?Ayoupu, Ding Wenlou, Bi Xun, Wang Tingjie and Wang Zhenzhong. Among the fourteen faculty members in the department, three are professors, two are associate professors and seven hold a master’s degree or above.

The scientific research in Uygur of the department has always retained the leading position in china. In some fields, the achievements have either reached or approached advanced world levels and attracted worldwide attention. Up to now, over fifty monographs, translation of foreign works and teaching materials have been published and more than 1,100 academic theses are issued. Among them, “Uygur Ancient Culture and Introduction to Literature” “Research on Uygur Ancient Literature” by Professor Geng Shimin;“Modern Uygur Grammar” by Professor Hamiti; “Lexicology of Uygur Language”by Abu Dulufu; Uighur script literature《金光明经》 translated and published by professor Tu’ersun Ayoufu and Matrahem; “An Introduction to Altay Linguistics” compiled by professor Litifu are awarded the first, second and third scientific prizes at and above the provincial or ministerial levels.

International academic exchanges are active in Uygur language & literature. For the past half-century, eighteen teachers were or are invited to work, give lectures, study and participate in academic meetings in such countries as the USA, Germany, Japan, Turkey, Austria, Holland, Egypt, Iraq, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, over ten scholars in those countries have been invited to our department for academic tours and lectures. Such exchanges played an important role in improving professional level, intensifying international cooperation and expanding the influence of the department, our university and even the subject of Turkic language & culture in our country.

As one of the subjects to be first approved by the State Council to grant master’s degrees and the State-level key subject with State protection and support, Uygur Language & Literature started to recruit Master’s degree candidates since 1979 and Doctor’s degree candidates since 1993. Now, the teaching of the department covers PhD candidates, Master degree candidates, postgraduates and undergraduates in two majors mainly, Uygur Language & Literature and Translation of English, Chinese and Uygur Languages. The major courses include “Introduction to Linguistics、An Outline of Turkic language、General Introduction of Literature、An Introduction to Folk Literature、An Introduction to Central Asia、Modern Uygur Language, Ancient Turkic Language，Qagatay Uygur Language，Uygur Language Writing、Academic Writing、Translation Theory and Practice、Translation of Trade、Modern Literature of Uygur、History of Uygur Literature、Contemporary Chinese Literature、Foreign Literature、History of Uygur Nationality、Intermediate Chinese、Advanced Chinese、Chinese Grammar、Chinese Writing、Classical Chinese、Foreign Language、Application of Computer、An Introduction of Law、Economy of Xinjiang Autonomous Region”. Among them, Ancient Turkic Language and Chagatay Uygur Language feature this major and join the front ranks of teaching and scientific research nationally.

During the eleventh five year, we will make teaching of undergraduates our main task, gradually expand graduates training and retain the plan that over forty undergraduates and ten postgraduates shall be recruited each year. Such a teaching scale will be largely adjusted by the year 2020, that is, training of postgraduates is prevails that of undergraduates. Moreover, PhD graduates teaching will be prior to that of Master Degree graduates. Flexible schooling means will be adopted to train more high-level personnel by placing class teaching first and remote teaching second. During this five-year, based on the method of “importing the senior and exporting the junior”, we will waste no time training young teachers and graduates to remain in the lead on the one hand, and ensure sufficient successors in the teaching team on the other hand. For student training, we will advance with times and update our views accordingly-replace instilling lessons with democratic interaction, moral and intellectual separation with all-round quality, and traditional enclosed idea with modern open concept.

Motivated by the university’s entry of 211 Project and 985 Project and holding tight opportunities, the faculty will work with one heart and one mind, complement each other and continue to make innovation to train more high-level and high-quality personnel for our country’s socialist undertaking in the new period.