Chongqing University, a prestigious national university affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Education, is one of the universities included in the two top education projects named 211 and 985 and has entered the list of a national project for the “Construction of world class universities（Class A）” proposed and supported by the central government of China.

The faculty of arts was established in 1929 when Chongqing University was initially set up as a comprehensive university. Prominent scholars, writers, and famous poets such as Xiang Chu, Xiang Zonglu, Shang Chengzuo, Wu Mi, Yang Mingzhao, Ai Wu, Wu Fangji had been teaching or received education at the faculty. The faulty suspended its operation under a Plan of Integration and Convergence of National Universities in the 1950s. In 1998, the university established the Faculty of Liberal Arts, re-offering the courses on Chinese language and literature and opening a programme in broadcasting journalism. In 1999, the Department of Broadcasting and Television was established within the faculty and began to recruit undergraduates majoring in broadcasting journalism. The faculty began to grant Master of Arts in Journalism, Master of Arts in Communication, and Master of Arts in Broadcasting starting in 2004. In 2006, journalism studies within the faculty became a key discipline supported by Chongqing municipal government.

In 2007, the School of Literature and Journalism was set up on the basis of the Faculty of Liberal Arts with Ma Shengrong, former Vice-President and Deputy Executive Editor-in-Chief of Xinhua News Agency, as its Dean. The school also co-established the Institute of Information and Public Opinion （an information site of the Chinese Department of Publicity）with the publicity department of Chongqing University. From 2010, the school began to award Master of Journalism and Communication （professional degree）. In 2011, the school co-established the Institute of Journalism and Regional Development with Renmin University of China. In 2012, the Department of Chinese Language and Literature was excluded from the school. As a consequence, the school changed its name into School of Journalism and Communication, and appointed Professor Dong Tiance and Ma Shengrong as the Dean and the Honorary Dean of the school respectively. In 2013, the school began to award doctoral degrees in Media Law with the support of School of Law at Chongqing University. In 2018, the school began to award doctoral degrees in Social Governance and Public Communication with the support of School of Public Governance at Chongqing University. In 2019, Chongqing University launched the doctoral programme of Journalism and Communication studies.

In 2015, the programme of Journalism was selected as the Unique Program in Chongqing, and successfully secured funding from the Chinese Ministry of Education and the Chinese Ministry of Finance to cultivate “distinguishing journalists”. In 2016, the school became one of the 18 authorized concerned parties for nominating candidates for the Chinese National News Awards. In 2017, the programme of Journalism and Communication became the best in Chongqing. The Cluster of Journalism, Communication and Film Arts was selected as the Unique Teaching Cluster in Chongqing. The Institute of Journalism and Regional Development became a research hub at the university level. In 2018, the School of Journalism and Communication became Chongqing’s Base for the Popularization of Humanities and Social Sciences (Fourth Round), and the “Virtual Simulation Experiment and Convergent Report of Natural Disaster Events” became a Municipal-Level Teaching programme for Virtual Simulation Experiment, and a National-Level Teaching Program for Virtual Simulation Experiment. In 2019, the programme of Journalism Studies became Chongqing’s “Top Undergraduate-Level Programme” and became a “Top Undergraduate-Level Programme” accredited by the Chinese Ministry of Education.

The school has established a completed educational system involving undergraduates, master and doctoral students. It convenes two undergraduate-level grogrammes (Journalism Studies and Broadcasting Studies), Master’s programmes (Research and Professional), and a doctoral programme of Journalism and Communication studies. The School also runs the university-level research platforms the Institute of Journalism, Communication and Social Development, and the Institute of Information and Public Opinion co-established with the Department of Publicity at Chongqing University.

The faculty members include 33 academics and 3 laboratory technicians, including 9 full professors (senior research fellows), 12 associate professors, 7 PhD supervisors and 24 Master students’ supervisors. There is 1 Distinguishing Scholar supported by the National Ten Thousand Talent Program. Two academics were entitled “Distinguished Scholar in New Epoch” awarded by the Chinese Ministry of Education. One was entitled the “Leading Figure of National Press Industries” by the Chinese Department of News and Publications. There are one “Chongqing Talented Young Scholar” and one “Chongqing Bayu Talented Young Scholar”. Two academics are the “Leading Scholar of Chongqing”. Three academics are candidates for the Chongqing’s leading scholar programme. One staff member was supported by the “University Ideological and Political Cadres Development Programme” of the Chinese Ministry of Education. Seven academics are the judge for the National News Awards and Changjiang-Taofen News Awards. There are three faculty members who respectively serve as the editorial advisors for China Journalism and Communication Yearbook, Journalism and Communication Archives of RUC’s Information Center for Social Sciences, and Journal of International Communication.

Over the past five years, the faculty members of the school have secured research funding for over 90 projects which include one Significant Research Project granted by Chinese Ministry of Education, one Important Research Project granted by National Social Science Fund. Twenty-one of them are General Project, Early Career School Project, West Provinces Project, or Post-Funded Project granted by National Social Science Fund. There are 30 projects supported by Ministry of Education, State Bureau of Letters and Calls, Chinese Department of Publication and Broadcasting, or Chongqing municipal government. There are 20 projects supported by commercial parties, and 10 projects are supported by Chongqing Department of Education. In 2018, academic staffs of the school won 1 second-prize and 2 third-prize of Chongqing Social Science Awards. In 2019, the School’s “Journalism and Communication Studies Disciple Improvement Project” became Chongqing University’s core development project under the “Double First-Class Initiative”. In 2020 the Journalism and Communication Research Team was granted “the Innovative and Collaborative Research Team of Chongqing Universities”.

The school possesses advanced facilities, labs and studios, which were exemplified by one laboratory complex and six media labs with a total property value of 7 millions Chinese RMB. These include the Lab of Media Convergence, TV studio, editing studio, camera studio, photographic studio, sound lab, and the Media and Public Opinion Lab. The area of laboratory facilities is 700 square metres. The School co-established platforms of internship with mainstream media organisations such as Xinhua News Agency （Chongqing）, Chongqing Broadcasting Group, Chongqing Daily Group, Hualong Online, and Chongqing Publishing House. In 2018, the incubation platform co-established by Chongqing University and Chongqing Daily Group was granted the “Chongqing Postgraduate Collaborative Education Platform”.

The school attaches great importance to international cooperation. In 2009, the School began to offer a “2+2” undergraduate programme with Wilfrid Laurier University. In 2011, the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications signed Memorandum with the school in terms of a “3+1+1 bachelor and master” programme. The school also operates exchange programmes with Ming Chuan University in Taiwan, Swinburne University of Technology, and California State University, Fullerton.

The School is dedicated to the international education of master students. In 2017, the school launched an articulated Master programme (Master of Internet Communication) with School of Media, Creativity Arts and Social Inquiry at Curtin University, in an effort to cultivating internationalized master students. In 2019, the School singed a MoU regarding joint-degree master programme with the School of Communication at Hong Kong Baptist University. MA students (research degree or professional degree) are eligible to enroll in master programmes provided by Curtin University and HKBU without tests. In 2020, the School signed a MoU regarding joint-degree master programe with the Department of Media and Communication at City University of Hong Kong.

(Updated on 19 November 2020)