Chinese language learning has emerged as a major academic discipline in today's world. The interaction between India and China has a history of more than two thousand years. China is India's largest neighbour and biggest trade partner. As neighbors, India and China have much in common in terms of values and world-views. Besides being the two most populous countries in the world, India and China have also emerged as the two largest developing countries in 21 st century. There has always been a need to enhance mutual understanding between India and China as also highlighted recently by Sushma Swaraj, India's Foreign Minister in her remarks that "People of India and China should learn each other's language". Presently with the unprecedented growth of China, there is a felt need to have scholars well-versed in Chinese language, who could efficiently fill various lacunas present in the domain of China Studies and Chinese Studies in India. In order to nurture such scholars, the Central University of Gujarat started the Centre for Chinese Language and Culture in the year 2011 under the School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies. The centre started offering academic programmes from the academic year 2012-13.
Students from the Centre have been regularly awarded scholarships to pursue higher studies in China by MHRD, Govt. of India and China Scholarship Council, China. Centre students have also been selected as members of Youth Delegations sent to China by Govt. of India. Centre students have also won accolades in the India round of the Chinese Bridge Competition organised every year by the Chinese government to popularise Chinese language across the world.
Centre is equipped with a fully-functional language lab, which offers state of art teaching-learning experience.
Excellent job opportunities are available for students after completion of the course in academia, research organisations, government and private sectors. Right since its inception, the Centre is maintaining an excellent placement record. Growing trade and investment between India and China offers excellent employment opportunities to Chinese language experts.
The 6-semester course has been designed to enable students acquire advanced skills of reading, writing, listening, speaking, comprehension and translation in Chinese language. The course also equips students with a good base in Chinese literature, culture, society, and history. It emphasizes on multi-sensory learning using audio and visual presentations and learning through continuous practice. The stand-alone 148 credit B.A. (Hons.) programme is being offered from the academic year 2018-19. Students who have successfully completed their 10+2 (Senior Secondary/Intermediate) in any stream may apply for the programme.
M.A. in ChineseThe M.A. programme consists of total 4 semesters. In the four semesters, the programme offers specialized courses in a range of fields like Chinese literature, literary movements, periods in literary history, translation & interpretation, linguistics, Evolution of Chinese Language, the cultural and political history of China, China's Strategic thoughts, Government and Politics in China and so on. Over the four semesters of the M.A., in each semester the students are also required to write a dissertation on an area of their choice. Students who have successfully completed their B.A. in Chinese may apply for the programme.