The first Sino-American joint University, NYU Shanghai, is launching its newest minor: Chinese Language and Literature.

“The driving force and motivation behind the initiative to establish the proposed minor came from student demand and expansion of the Chinese language curriculum,” says Melanie Hackney, the Director of World Languages at NYU Shanghai.

Hackney says that students will have to take 20 credits within the Chinese language and literature minor, with almost all courses conducted in Chinese. The minor will have two points of entry: Native speakers are recommended to take Foreign Societies in Classical Chinese, and Non-native speakers are recommended to take Introduction to Classical Chinese.

Furthermore, students need to take eight credits from the Chinese literature category, with courses such as Shanghai Stories, Chinese Food History, or History of Modern Chinese Literature. Students will have to take another eight credits from the Language and Context Category, with courses such as Reading and Viewing Modern China, Contemporary Chinese Art and Fashion, Introduction to Contemporary China, Creative writing in Chinese, and Chinese Business and Finance.

According to a student cohort survey undertaken by the Chinese Language Department, 184 out of 196 students agreed that NYU Shanghai should implement this new minor.

The majority of responses came from students studying Business and Finance, Computer Science, Math, and Interactive Media Arts. One hundred and two of the students were non-native speakers, 23 were heritage speakers, and 70 were native speakers.

Stephanie Anderson, a sophomore from the United States double-majoring in Interactive Media Arts and Social Science, is "absolutely interested" in minoring in Chinese Language and Literature. Additionally, she hopes the school will soon offer an English Literature minor.

"It is equally as important for Chinese students to have the opportunity to minor in English as it is for international students to minor in Chinese," she said.

Furthermore, the added component of language and literature will help international students better understand culture and community as they share significant and deep meanings about the world, Hackney said.

Tracey Lan, a junior from China majoring in Global China Studies, says that although it is too late for her to consider minoring in Chinese language and literature, she has been familiarizing herself with Classical Chinese in recent weeks.

"It would be kind of fun to have a slightly more advanced course where we learn the Chinese language and literature in a Chinese context. Especially for national and international students at an advanced Chinese level," she says.

Selina Ju, a freshman from China double majoring in Global China Studies and Social Science, feels that studying Chinese Language and Literature would be a different experience from studying Global China Studies. She's interested in learning how to write Chinese stories and poems. She believes that this minor would allow her to apply new knowledge to what she has learned in the past.

For students like Krabs Siew, a sophomore from China majoring in computer science, a minor would be an ideal option.

"Learning Chinese Literature would help me explore my identity as a Chinese, as well as exploring the question: what is China? '' he said.

"Studying computer science is my main goal. I want to focus on solving problems, algorithmic thinking. However, having a minor in Chinese Literature would help me develop a way of thinking from a humanist perspective," Siew said.

The minor will also allow NYU Shanghai students to thoroughly develop their Chinese language skills. "Not only does language help students become interculturally competent, but it also opens new ways of seeing the world," Hackney said.

The development of the Chinese Language and Literature minor is a crucial stepping stone for NYU Shanghai and NYU as it does not exist anywhere else in the NYU system. Creating the minor is a step in a larger effort to recruit faculty and eventually propose a Chinese language and literature major.

New York University currently offers majors in French and Linguistics, German and Linguistics, Italian and Linguistics, Spanish and Linguistics, and Lus Brazilian Language and Literature. NYU Abu Dhabi does not offer any majors in foreign languages or literature.

Most, if not all, universities in China have a Chinese literature major.

Fudan University offers a series of courses named "intensive reading of classic works." Students have the opportunity to dive into the classics and original works.

It also provides a series of courses in "Intensive Reading of Chinese Language and Literature Works," "Ancient Chinese Literature," "The History of Chinese Literary and Criticism," and "Aesthetics."

Fudan also has several research institutes such as The Center for the Study of Ancient Documents, The Center for the Unearthed Literature and Archaic Chinese Characters, and The Center for Contemporary Literature Writing and Study, to name a few.

The university also organizes a Graduation Drama event as a traditional activity for students in the Chinese Language and Literature program. They perform plays like "The Importance of Being Earnest," "Chuang Chou Dreaming a Butterfly," and "Departure June."

JiaoTong University established its Department of Chinese in 1908. Many professors specialize in modern literature, Tang dynasty literature theory, and Buddhist literature while researching philology and characters.

NYU Shanghai students and faculty are optimistic about the launch of the new Chinese language program minor for the Fall 2021 semester.

Since the minor is in its early stages of development and classes are yet to be scheduled, there are plenty of growth opportunities.

“Students should voice their opinions about the curriculum since the minor itself was actualized as a product of student feedback,” Hackney said.

If students have questions about the minor or proposals for potential classes, they should contact NYU Shanghai's World Languages Department.