introduce

I. History

The Department of Multilingual Education traces its origins to the “Japanese Teaching Unit” established in 1971. In 1983, the unit was renamed the “Department of Japanese, Russian and German”, and in 1997, it became the “Department of Japanese”. The Japanese language education at Tianjin University once played an important role in the development of Japanese teaching at Chinese universities. Faculty members jointly compiled a number of nationally influential textbooks and reference works, including Japanese and its companion volume Japanese Reading (People’s Education Press, 1978), A Concise Japanese-Chinese Dictionary (The Commercial Press, 1984), and New Century College Japanese (Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 2003). These publications made a significant contribution to the foundations of Japanese language education in China.

II. Faculty

In 2022, with the establishment of the School of Foreign Languages at Tianjin University, the Department of Multilingual Education was formed. The Department currently offers instruction and conducts research in Japanese, French, German, Russian, Spanish, Arabic, and other languages, with a faculty of 15 members. More than 85% of the faculty hold doctoral degrees. The team includes 1 Chair Professor, 1 Professor, 2 Associate Professors (Yingcai Track), 2 Associate Professors, and 9 Lecturers. With a well-balanced academic structure and a strong spirit of collaboration, the Department has developed into a highly qualified teaching and research team distinguished by firm professional commitment and academic excellence.

III. Contribution to Disciplinary Development

The Department of Multilingual Education acts as a core contributor to the development of Country and Region Studies as a first-level academic discipline at Tianjin University. It played a key role in the application for and subsequent development of the doctoral program, contributing significantly to the optimization of the University’s disciplinary structure and the advancement of New Liberal Arts initiatives. The Department has also been deeply involved in the establishment and development of the Institute for Global South Studies. In line with Tianjin University’s development strategy of strengthening engineering, consolidating the sciences, revitalizing the humanities, advancing medicine, and promoting interdisciplinary integration, the Department actively contributes to think-tank development. Drawing on multilingual and cross-cultural perspectives, it seeks to communicate China’s stories effectively to the world and amplify the voice of Tianjin University on the international stage. In recognition of its outstanding collective performance, the Department was named one of Tianjin University’s “Top Ten Exemplary Teams in the 2025 Labor Competition.”

IV. Achievements in Teaching

In teaching and educational development, faculty members of the Department have undertaken a range of projects, including the Tianjin Municipal Undergraduate Teaching Quality and Education Reform Projects and special research programs funded by the Tianjin Municipal Education Commission. Faculty members have received numerous honors, including provincial-level Teaching Achievement Awards, awards in the Tianjin Young Faculty Teaching Competition, and Outstanding Instructor Awards for student competitions.

V. Research Outputs

In recent years, faculty members of the Department have secured a wide range of competitive research grants at the national, provincial, and ministerial levels. These include projects funded by the National Social Science Fund of China, including Major Projects, General Projects, Young Scholars Projects, and Monograph Projects; Humanities and Social Sciences Research Fund of the Ministry of Education; and projects supported by the Tianjin Philosophy and Social Sciences Fund. Our faculty members have published numerous high-quality academic papers in leading Chinese and international journals indexed in CSSCI, SSCI, A&HCI, Scopus, ERIH Plus, and other major databases. They have also published academic monographs, translations, and textbooks. Their research has been recognized with both First and Second Prizes of the Tianjin Outstanding Achievement Awards in Social Sciences.

VI. Perspectives

The Department of Multilingual Education actively supports the educational reform initiatives of both the University and the School and is closely engaged in the development of emerging academic disciplines. It continues to advance postgraduate education in Japanese Language and Literature, French Language and Literature, and Country and Region Studies, while also undertaking the teaching of core courses and the training of doctoral students in Country and Region Studies. In addition, the Department offers optional courses in multilingual and intercultural studies to students across the University. Building on its strengths in multilingual resources, the Department is currently placing greater emphasis on interdisciplinary integration and developing distinctive approaches to Country and Region Studies that reflect the academic strengths and characteristics of Tianjin University. Through these efforts, it will continue to contribute to the substantive and sustainable development of the discipline.

Updated in 2026