The School of Humanities and International Communication at Ningbo University of Technology is a secondary school formed in December 2025 through the deep integration of the former School of Foreign Languages (established in 1993) and the former School of Humanities and Arts (established in 1984). This restructuring was driven by the university’s proactive response to the national “New Liberal Arts” initiative and the strategic need to enhance international communication capacity. The core objective is to break down disciplinary barriers between the humanities, foreign languages, and communication studies, achieving a powerful synergy between “humanities-rooted values” and “communication-enabled global reach.” The School is entrusted with the mission of cultivating versatile talents who are “proficient in languages, versed in the humanities, skilled in communication, and globally minded,” promoting the international dissemination of Chinese culture, and serving the region’s opening-up and development. It will become the university’s core base for liberal arts education, a vital hub for international exchange, and provide strong support for enhancing the university’s soft power and building an internationally distinctive brand.
I. Programs and Disciplines
The School builds on a rich historical foundation and a solid practical base, integrating the cultural depth and communication foundations of the former School of Humanities and Arts with the international exchange strengths of the former School of Foreign Languages. It carries forward decades of institutional accumulations in humanities education, foreign language teaching, and journalism and communication, achieving deep interdisciplinary integration. The School currently offers eight undergraduate programs: Chinese Language and Literature, English, Japanese, German, New Media and Communication, Advertising, Business English, and Urban Management, as well as one professional master’s degree program in Journalism and Communication. Co-administered with the Aesthetic Education Teaching Department, it offers over twenty aesthetic education courses for the entire university and is actively involved in various campus cultural and artistic activities.
II.Disciplinary Development
A new disciplinary ecosystem has been established, built on the principle of “humanities as the root, foreign languages as the bridge, and communication as the core.” The School focuses on three key disciplinary areas: Regional and Country Studies, Journalism and Communication, and Public Administration. Through curriculum restructuring, the formation of interdisciplinary teaching teams, and joint research initiatives, it has achieved optimal allocation and complementary advantages of disciplinary resources. Over the past three years, the School has undertaken 27 projects under the National Social Science Fund and provincial/ministerial research programs, published 155 high-level academic papers, produced 71 books and translations, and established 4 municipal-level or above research bases. Its research and social service capabilities will continue to strengthen.
III.Faculty
The School has assembled a well-structured, highly qualified faculty team that combines academic and industry expertise with international perspectives and professional competence. It currently employs 135 staff members, including 110 full-time teaching faculty, of whom 42% are professors or associate professors, and 59% hold doctoral degrees. More than half of the full-time faculty have studied or worked abroad. The School also invites renowned overseas experts and industry leaders as part-time advisors and engages international faculty for undergraduate instruction each academic year. A strong team of experts and professionals has been assembled across fields such as humanities research, cross-cultural communication, and foreign-language translation.
IV. Talent Development
The School operates multiple platforms, including the Chuanshengtong Popular Science Base of Traditional Chinese Culture, Research Base of Intelligent Communication of Traditional Culture in Ningbo, the Digital and Intelligent Governance Laboratory, the Grenada Research Centre, the Slovenia Research Centre, the Research Centre for Urban Culture and Social Development, and the Civic Art Education and Activity Centre. Students actively participate in competitions, with excellent performance, including 3 national gold awards in the China International College Students’ Innovation Competition, 20 National Class A discipline competition awards, 26 National Class B discipline competition awards, and 155 National Class C discipline competition awards. 10 provincial awards in high-level competitions include the “Challenge Cup,” the China International College Students’ Innovation Competition, and the College Students’ Career Planning Competition. Other provincial awards include 96 Provincial Class A discipline competition awards and 10 Provincial Class B discipline competition awards. Faculty and students have served in major international events, contributing over 1,000 bilingual volunteers and engaging in social practice activities such as “Bilingual Livestreaming for Agricultural Support” and volunteer services for the elderly and children. Graduates have gone on to work in foreign affairs, media, education, culture, and other fields, becoming key forces in promoting cultural exchange and international communication.
V. Future Development
Standing at a new starting point, the School has established a long-term strategy centred on “upholding integrity and pursuing innovation, cross-disciplinary integration, international leadership, and serving the local community,” with the goal of building itself into a regionally leading and provincially renowned talent cultivation base, cultural research innovation platform, and international exchange hub that combines humanistic depth with a global vision.
First, disciplinary development will be deepened by focusing on national strategic needs for international communication, with priority given to three distinctive directions: Regional and Country Studies, Journalism and Communication, and Public Administration. Second, faculty strength will be enhanced by intensifying the recruitment of high-level talents and young professionals from both domestic and international sources, improving the “double-qualified teacher” training mechanism, encouraging faculty to pursue overseas research and industry secondments, and building interdisciplinary research teams to improve teaching, research, and international communication capabilities. Third, talent cultivation models will be innovated by closely adhering to the goal of cultivating students who are “proficient in languages, versed in the humanities, skilled in communication, and globally minded,” optimising the curriculum, and implementing a “project-based” approach integrated with a “theoretical teaching + practical training + innovation and entrepreneurship” trinity model to enhance students’ cross-cultural communication and practical innovation abilities. Fourth, research innovation and outcome transformation will be advanced by focusing on frontier areas such as the international interpretation of fine traditional Chinese culture, Regional and Country Studies, and the construction of international discourse systems; by strengthening organised research; and by promoting the translation of research outcomes into practical applications. Fifth, the deep integration of Party building and academic work will be promoted by creating a “Communication+” Party building brand matrix, achieving new accomplishments in preserving fine traditional culture, advancing international exchange, and serving national strategies.
