School Overview & Development History
In 1956, the MUC School of Philosophy and Religious Studies enrolled the first batch of undergraduate students of philosophy, marking the philosophy department's establishment by the name of the MUC School of Philosophy and Religious Studies. After the Gaokao (The National College Entrance Examination) was resumed in 1977, the MUC School of Philosophy and Religious Studies resumed enrolling undergraduates majoring in philosophy. In February 1986, the Department of Philosophy was established and obtained the right to confer master's degrees of Science in Marxist Philosophy to students. In 1988, the Institute of Religion was established to become a teaching and research institution. In 1989, the school began to recruit the junior college students majoring in religious studies. In 1994, the school began to train undergraduate students majoring in religious studies and became a teaching unit with two undergraduate majors in philosophy and religious studies. Starting in 1997, the MUC School of Philosophy and Religious Studies trained students in postgraduate courses in Marxism philosophy and Religious Studies. In 1998, the school obtained the right to confer master's degrees in Religious Studies. In 2000, it acquired the right to confer doctoral degrees in religious studies and the master's degree in Chinese philosophy. In August 2000, the Department of Philosophy was renamed the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies to adapt to the development of the discipline of Religious Studies. In 2001, the discipline of religion became a key discipline of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission. In 2006, the school obtained the right to confer master's degrees in Ethics. In July 2008, it was renamed the School of Philosophy and Religious Studies. In November 2008, the undergraduate religious studies major was approved as a national-level specialty construction point. In 2011, the school obtained the right to confer master's degrees in the first-level discipline of philosophy. In 2012, the school earned the right to confer doctoral degrees as a first-level discipline provider. In 2014, a philosophy postdoctoral research station was established.
Majors & Programs
There are two undergraduate majors: Philosophy and Religious Studies in the MUC School of Philosophy and Religious Studies. Religious Studies is the key discipline of the National Civil Affairs Commission and the special specialty of Beijing and China.
The MUC School of Philosophy and Religious Studies attaches great importance to undergraduate teaching and has formed a highly complete curriculum system. All the professional compulsory courses of the two majors have been established into school-level qualified courses. "Introduction to Religious Studies" is a national-level boutique resource sharing course, and "Twenty Lectures on Chinese Culture" is an open video course adopted by the Ministry of Education. In addition, there are two Beijing-level quality courses, one excellent school-level quality course, four quality education courses, and two bilingual courses. In terms of teaching materials construction and teaching reform, two Beijing-level quality textbooks have been completed, one project of Beijing-level quality textbooks, one school-level quality textbook, and two school-level education reform projects have been established. The MUC School of Philosophy and Religious Studies pays attention to practical teaching and actively participates in various social practice activities. There are ten national-level students' innovative experiment plan projects, seven Beijing-level scientific research and entrepreneurship action plan projects, and 18 undergraduate research and training programs of MUC. Furthermore, several related internship bases have been established throughout the country.
For encouraging students to study hard and support students with financial difficulties to complete their studies, there are three scholarships established by the MUC School of Philosophy and Religious Studies in addition to other national and school scholarships.
In terms of postgraduate education, there are five master's programs in Marxist Philosophy, Chinese Philosophy, Foreign Philosophy, Ethics, and Religious Studies, and three doctoral programs in Marxist Philosophy, Chinese Philosophy, and Religious Studies. The graduated students of all levels have made important contributions to the development of socialist modernization in their respective positions, especially for the development of ethnic minorities and ethnic areas. Many of them have become well-known experts and scholars, senior leaders, and elites in the corporate world.
The MUC School of Philosophy and Religious Studies is the entrusted unit of the "985 Project", the "Philosophy and Social Science Innovation Base of China's Contemporary Ethnic Issues Strategy Research", the "Research Center for Contemporary Major Ethnic and Religious Issues" of MUC, and also the sub-project construction unit of the "211 Project" and "China Minority Nationalities University". It is also undertaking the "History and Religion" and "Theory and Practice of Ethnic Religious Studies" in MUC.
There is an Institute of Religion in the MUC School of Philosophy and Religious Studies. Since 2010, seven research projects have been completed at the national and provincial levels. At present, there are twelve national and provincial research projects under research. Since 2010, the MUC School of Philosophy and Religious Studies has published more than 40 books and published more than 300 academic papers; scientific research achievements have also won many awards. Among them, "General History of Chinese Religion" by Professor Mou Zhongjian and Professor Zhang Jian won the first prize for outstanding achievements during the Third Chinese University Humanities and Social Science Research Results Contest.
There are six teaching and research sections under the MUC School of Philosophy and Religious Studies: Marxism Philosophy, Chinese Philosophy, Western Philosophy, Religious Theory, Ethnic Religion, World Religion. Moreover, there are four sub-offices: the school office, the undergraduate teaching office, the postgraduate and research office as well as the student work office.
School Focus, Beliefs & Development Objectives
After changing its name to the MUC School of Philosophy and Religious Studies, the school put forward the guidelines for establishing a "Quality Institute, Academic Institute, and Strong Academic Institute." It proposed the guiding principles of the school work: discipline construction, philosophy, and religion are equally important. Strengthening the discipline of philosophy in the development of academic teams, both emphasis on promotion and introduction, and strengthening of introduction work; in terms of personnel training, undergraduate training and postgraduate training are equally important, and postgraduate training is strengthened; in teaching and scientific research, teaching and research are equally important, and scientific research is emphasized. It is believed that under the leadership of the MUC party committee and the school administration, through the joint efforts of all faculty and staff, the MUC School of Philosophy and Religious Studies will take a new step in discipline construction, personnel training, and scientific research, so that the status will be significantly improved.
Our Talent
Currently, there are 29 members and 23 full-time teachers in the faculty at the MUC School of Philosophy and Religious Studies. There are 14 professors (both doctoral supervisors) and 3 associate professors. The faculty have a wide range of academic relationships, involving more than ten famous institutions and universities such as Peking University, Renmin University of China, and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). Among the teachers, there is one outstanding national teachers, two national social science fund judges, two Beijing Famous Teachers, two Beijing Outstanding Teachers, one exceptional young teacher who obtained Huo Yingdong Education Fund, three New Talents of the Ministry of Education, Beijing and One Beijing Moral Teacher and one of the chief experts of the "Marxist Theory of Religion Research and Construction Project" research group on "Major Issues of Marxist Religious Theory".
Full-Time Instructors: 23
Part-Time Instructors: 6
Professors: 14
Staff with Masters and Doctoral Degrees: 14
Academic Exchanges and Cooperation at Home and Abroad
The MUC School of Philosophy and Religious Studies attaches great importance to academic exchanges with higher learning institutions and research institutions at home and abroad. Since 2005, eleven international and domestic academic conferences have been hosted, and more than 30 people have visited the foreign countries and regions for academic visits and academic exchanges. More than 100 people have participated in domestic academic seminars, and invited famous scholars from home and abroad to visit the college and hold academic lectures for more than 80 times.
Examples of Internationally Active Scholars
Liu Chengyou (刘成有), Han Ethnicity
Dean of MUC School of Philosophy and Religious Studies
Doctoral Advisor (Ph.D. in Philosophy)
Liu Chengyou, born in 1964, is a native of Henan. He graduated from the Department of Philosophy of Lanzhou University in 1987, received a master's degree in philosophy from Lanzhou University in 1990, and a doctorate in philosophy from Renmin University of China in 2001. He is currently the Dean, Professor, and Doctoral Supervisor of the MUC School of Philosophy and Religious Studies of Minzu University of China. The existing research results mainly focus on the research on the human Buddhism thoughts of the China Academy and Yinshun. Recently, more attention has been paid to the past dynasties of the East Asian "Mahayana Awakening of Faith". He has presided over or participated in the completion of 4 projects at or above the provincial and ministerial level, won 1 award for scientific research achievements at or above the provincial and ministerial level, published 12 books (including co-authored works and translations), and has published more than 40 academic papers.
Research Interests & Activity
He is mainly engaged in the teaching and research of Chinese Buddhism and Chinese philosophy.
Key Projects
At present, he is concurrently the Director of the Institute of Religious Studies of Minzu University of China and the Director of the East Asian Buddhism Research Center of Minzu University of China. Director of the Society of Religious Studies, Director of the Society of Chinese Philosophy and History, Director of the Chinese Religious and Cultural Exchange Association as well as Researcher of the Fo Guang Shan Institute of Human Buddhism in Taiwan.
Representative Publications
1. "Chinese Buddhism" (co-author, 2015), China Democracy and Legal System Press
2. "Patriarchal Traditional Religion" (co-author, 2015), China Democracy and Legal System Press
3. "Modern and Modern Lay Buddhist Studies" (single work, 2013), People's Publishing House
Sun Wuhu (孙悟湖), Han Ethnicity
Vice Dean of MUC School of Philosophy and Religious Studies
Doctoral Advisor
About
Sun Wuhu from Inner Mongolia was born in 1971. He is currently a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the MUC School of Philosophy and Religion.
Research Interests & Activity
Main research directions: Tibetan Buddhist thought history, Tibetan-Chinese Buddhist exchange history, etc. He has published two monographs including "Research on the Exchange of Religious Thoughts and Cultures of the Han, Tibetan, and Mongolian Nationalities", and published "Re-examination and Explanation of the "Sudden Accusation" in the Early Development Period of Tibetan Buddhism" as well as "Insights on the Inheritance of the Ningma School of Tibetan Buddhism". Other than this, he has published more than 20 academic papers.
Samina (萨敏娜), Ewenki Ethnicity
Deputy Secretary
Assistant Researcher
About
Samina is of the Ewenki nationality and was born in Inner Mongolia in 1968. She is a doctor of philosophy, assistant researcher, and is currently the Deputy Secretary and Deputy Dean of the Party Branch of the MUC School of Philosophy and Religious Studies.
1. 1987.9-1991.7, Department of Philosophy, Minzu University of China, BA in Philosophy
2. 1995.9-1998.7, Department of Philosophy, Minzu University of China, MA in Philosophy
3. 2008.9-2015.12 School of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Minzu University of China, Ph.D. in Religion
Research Interests & Activity
She has a broad interest in research topics related to shamanism.
Key Projects
1. In May 2009, she participated in the 9th International Conference of the International Society for Shamanistic Research (ISSR), University of Alaska, Anchorage, USA, published the paper "Types of Shamanistic Rituals and Ceremonies in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia Its impact.
2. In September 2012, she participated in the "3rd Ethnic and Religious High-level Forum" sponsored by the "985 Project" and "Contemporary Major Ethnic and Religious Issues Research Center" of Central University for Nationalities, Northwest University for Nationalities in Lanzhou, China. She published the paper "A Brief Talk on the Daur Nationality" The Ceremony of Worminan.
3. In September 2013, she participated in the 11th Conference of the International Society of Shamanistic Research with a Special Forum on World Anthropologies of Rituals, Guiyang, Guizhou, China National Institute of Nationalities, published the paper "Tradition and Modernity in the Practice of Shaman Culture - Taking the Horse Riding Ceremony of a Daur Shaman as an Example."
4. In December 2015, she participated in the "First High-end Forum on Religion and Ethnicity-Research on Hot Issues of Religion and Ethnicity in the Era of Globalization" academic forum, Ruili, Yunnan, China, Institute of World Religions, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Institute of Religion, Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences Co-sponsored and published the paper "Reconstruction of Daur Shaman Ceremony from the Perspective of Chinese Religious Model and Its Contemporary Development".
Representative Publications
1. "Observation and Thinking of Daur Ethnic Minan's Nominan Culture-Taking Wo Jufen's Rituals as an Example" (co-author), Beijing, Nationalities Publishing House, 2011.
2. "A Discussion on the Spiritual World of Daur Shamanism", "World Religious Culture", 2014, Issue 5, Beijing, Institute of World Religions, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
3. "The Reconstruction of Daur Shaman Ceremony from the Perspective of Chinese Religious Models and Its Contemporary Development", "World Religious Culture", 2016, Issue 2, Beijing, Institute of World Religions, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
School Slogan
"Quality Institute, Academic Institute, and Strong Academic Institute,"
Official Website: http://phil.muc.edu.cn/
