Ph.D. Program in Country and Area Studies

(1) Program Establishment and Disciplinary Orientation

Against the backdrop of profound transformations in the global landscape and deepening cooperation among Global South countries, Country and Area Studies research shoulders the crucial mission of serving national strategies and promoting mutual learning among civilizations. The Doctoral Program in Country and Area Studies (First-Class Discipline) at Tianjin University was approved by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council in September 2025. It serves as a key initiative of the university to respond proactively to national strategic needs, including the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative. Focusing on Global South Studies, the discipline is dedicated to conducting comprehensive, interdisciplinary research on target regions and countries, establishing a global knowledge system, so as to facilitate the global spread of Chinese knowledge, and provide academic support for building a community with a shared future for mankind.

(2) Disciplinary System and Research Orientations

Giving full play to Tianjin University’s disciplinary strengths, the program deeply integrates resources from multiple disciplines such as foreign languages and literature, law, political science, economics, management science, and engineering, establishing a distinctive interdisciplinary research system characteristic of “New Liberal Arts.” Emphasizing the integration of theoretical methodologies and regional applications, the program encompasses five secondary disciplinary orientations:

Theory and Methodology in Country and Area Studies

Academic Leader: Professor Wang Zhan

Thematic Studies in Country and Area Studies (Research on Country and Area Law)

Academic Leader: Professor Xue Yang

Comparative Studies in Country and Area Studies (Comparative Literature and Cross-cultural Studies)

Academic Leader: Professor Wang Lisong

Exchanges and Mutual Learning between Chinese and Foreign Civilizations (International Communication and Mutual Understanding)

Academic Leader: Professor Lu Xiaohua

Global and Regional Governance (Science & Technology Policy and Global Governance)

Academic Leader: Professor Liu Zhou

(3) Faculty

The Ph.D. program has assembled a high-quality interdisciplinary faculty team. Currently, it boasts a core faculty of 17 Ph.D. supervisors from the School of Foreign Languages, Law School, School of New Media and Communication, School of International Education, College of Management and Economics, College of Intelligence and Computing, as well as Tianjin Normal University, with Professor Wang Zhan serving as the disciplinary leader. In 2024, the project “Fundamental Theories and Methodology of Regional and Country Studies,” led by Professor Wang Zhan (Executive Director of the Institute for Global South Studies at Tianjin University), was approved by the Major Projects of the National Social Science Fund. This approval marks a significant breakthrough in this discipline’s basic theoretical research. The faculty team’s disciplinary backgrounds are diverse, covering foreign languages and literature, law, journalism and communication, political science, economics, management science, engineering, and other fields, ensuring comprehensive coverage of Global South Studies.

(4) Syllabus and Teaching Resources

The syllabus for Country and Area Studies aims to cultivate interdisciplinary high-end talents with “expertise in specific regions or countries plus proficiency in specialized fields.” It attaches great importance to the learning and application of target country languages, offering multilingual courses including English, Japanese, French, Russian, German, Arabic, and Spanish. The program also emphasizes overseas field investigation and national condition research, establishing on-site research bases covering major Global South countries. Moreover, it prioritizes interdisciplinary integration, ensuring cultivation quality through the system of establishing interdisciplinary supervisor team.

(5) International Cooperation and Social Services

The Ph.D. program actively promotes internationalized education, establishing personnel exchange and cooperation partnerships with universities in Global South countries such as Morocco, Senegal, and Vietnam. It regularly organizes faculty and student delegations to visit Chinese-funded enterprises and universities in countries like Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, advancing industry-university-research collaboration and on-site connection of projects under the Belt and Road Initiative. Through platforms such as the China-Arab Universities Alliance and the China-Belarus Universities Alliance, the program deeply engages in global higher education governance.

In terms of social services, the discipline fully exerts its think tank function, providing risk assessment and foreign-related legal support for Chinese multinational enterprises including Huawei and China Communications Construction, facilitating their overseas development. Meanwhile, by participating in major events such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Tianjin Summit and the Summer Davos Forum, the discipline continuously enhances its social influence.

(6) Institute for Global South Studies

The Ph.D. Program in Country and Area Studies at Tianjin University primarily relies on the Institute for Global South Studies (affiliated to the School of Foreign Languages) for talent cultivation and scientific research. Founded on September 29, 2024, the Institute for Global South Studies of Tianjin University is China’s first university-based academic platform dedicated exclusively to Global South Studies. It is led by Director Professor Ming Dong (Vice President of Tianjin University) and Executive Director Professor Wang Zhan (Distinguished Professor of the School of Foreign Languages). The institute comprises four research centers:

- Center of Francophone Studies

- Center of Shanghai Cooperation Organization Studies

- Center of East Asian Studies

- Center of U.S.-India Studies

Since its establishment, the institute has successfully hosted important academic events such as the International Forum on Sustainable Development and Talent Cultivation in the Global South and the Forum on Amplifying the Voice of the Global South and Restructuring the Communication Landscape. It has also initiated the establishment of the Global South Academic Research Consortium and released the Global South Academic Research Initiative.

(7) Development Prospects

The Ph.D. Program in Country and Area Studies at Tianjin University will always uphold the development philosophy of “Global Vision, Global South Wisdom, and TJU Responsibility.” It is committed to cultivating interdisciplinary high-end talents with a strong sense of national mission, a global perspective, and professional expertise. In the future, the discipline will continue to deepen Global South Studies, strengthen international exchanges and cooperation, optimize disciplinary layout, and improve the quality of talent cultivation. It will strive to build a leading center which is “world-class, distinctively Chinese, and imbued with TJU character” for Country and Area Studies teaching and research, contributing TJU’s wisdom to serving national strategies and promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.