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Institute of Minnan Culture Research

In June 2012, under the auspices of Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, All-China Federation of Taiwan Compatriots, Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League, Fujian Provincial Government and other relevant departments, the Institute of Minnan Culture Research (IMCR) was founded by integrating the high-quality resources of relevant universities across the Taiwan Straits. IMCR consists of the Academic Committee Branch,AdministrationOffice, Editorial Department of "Fujian and Taiwan Culture Research", Research Institute of Minnan (Southern Fujian) Literature and Coastal Culture, Research Institute of Minnan Dialect and Culture, Research Institute of Minnan Folk Belief, Research Institute of Fujian-Taiwan Kinship Society and Culture, and Research Institute of Cross-Strait Integration Trend. It is a comprehensive teaching and research unit integrating talent training, scientific research, editing and publishing, cultural exchanges, and social services.

1. Talent Training

The Institute has built a comprehensive talent training system, covering undergraduate, master and doctoral programs. The doctoral program that serves special national needs “Minnan (Southern Fujian) Culture and Cross-Strait Exchange” currently has 67 students, including 26 Taiwanese doctoral students. The Institute has organized doctoral students to study in Taiwan 11 times, and cultivated a group of high-level talents engaged in the study of Minnan culture and cross-strait exchanges. There are 2 sub-disciplines authorized to offer master degree programs, namely Minnan Folk Culture and Folk Art and Minnan Culture and Kinship Society. Since 2012, 43 students have been recruited and 23 have graduated.

In 2014, “Promote the excellent tradition of Minnan culture on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, innovate the talent training system with Minnan culture characteristics” won the special prize of 7^thHigher Education Teaching Achievement Award of Fujian Province. Professor Zheng Yuling’sResearch on Folk Dance of Fujian and Taiwanwon the first prize of “Promote the cultural tradition of Fujian and Taiwan dance and create special course materials of dance”. In 2020, the project “Integration of Arts and Literature: Using traditional Arts of Fujian and Taiwan as the Carrier to Innovate the Humanistic Quality Training System for Cross-Straits Exchange Talents” presided over by Professor Zheng Yuling won the grand prize of higher education teaching achievements in Fujian Province.

2. Scientific Research

The academic research platforms of Minnan culture have achieved fruitful results in recent years. From 2014 to 2021, a total of 56 national, provincial and ministerial social science projects have been awarded; more than 40 monographs have been published. Additionally, theJournal of Taiwan Straits Literature(60 volumes)and theIntroduction to Minnan History and Cultureboth won the second prize of the 11th Outstanding Achievement Award of Social Sciences in Fujian Province.

We edited and publishedGeneral History of Taiwan (six volumes)and successfully held the national premiere ceremony at Taiwan Guildhall in Beijing. More than 20 news media, including CCTV “Across the Strait” Channel, People's Daily, Guangming Daily, and Xinhua News Agency, have reported it, which has had a far-reaching social impact.General History of Taiwan (six volumes)is another set of precious materials carefully complied by our Institute, which provides the basis for theoretical research and practice in promoting the study of Minnan culture, cultural exchanges and integrated development across the Taiwan Straits.

3. Editing and Publication

TheFujian and Taiwan Culture Research (quarterly), sponsored by the Institute, is the first pure academic high-end theoretical journal at home and abroad that focuses on the study of Minnan culture. It is published based on the open education orientation of our university, aiming to serve the local society and the special national needs, promote the peaceful reunification of the two sides of the Taiwan Straits, and serve the socio-economic and cultural development of the Belt and Road Initiative. It is an important academic platform for the research and exchange of Minnan culture across the Taiwan Straits and even at home and abroad. The journal has published 66 consecutive issues and more than 1500 articles. More than 10 articles have been reprinted by Xinhua Digest and China Social Science Excellence in full text. In addition, the journal also conducts exchanges and cooperations with more than a dozen of university libraries and scientific research institutions such as Taiwan Soochow University, Chung Hsing University, Aletheia University, Feng Chia University, Academia Sinica in Taiwan, Chinese Buddhism Institute of Taiwan, etc.

4. Cultural Exchange

Since 2014, we have hosted and undertaken 36 academic conferences on Minnan culture and Taiwan-related studies, and invited well-known experts and scholars at home and abroad to give lectures on Minnan culture more than 200 times. In 2018, we jointly established the Research Center of Cross-strait Language and Cultural Exchange with the Institute of Applied Linguistice Ministry of Education. In 2019, the Fujian and Taiwan Traditional Opera (Gezi Opera) Inheritance Base of Fujian Colleges and Universities Excellent Traditional Culture Base was established. Besides, we have held many performance activities of intangible cultural heritage projects.

5. Social Service

The institute is oriented to serve the scientific decisions of the Party and the government and to undertake projects entrusted by relevant departments. It actively participated in the “Investigation on the Construction of Zhangzhou-Taiwan Exchange Base” organized by the Zhangzhou Political Consultative Conference, providing consulting services for Taiwan-related departments such as Zhangzhou Taiwan Affairs Office, the United Front Work Department and Committee for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Compatriots and Overseas Chinese, participating a number of activities organized by provincial and municipal departments related to Taiwan. Many political advisory articles have been adopted by the United Front Work Department of CPC Central Committee and other departments. Professor Wu Xiaofang has been awarded the honorary titles of “Advanced Individual in Social Conditions and Public Opinion Information Work” and “Outstanding Information Worker of Fujian United Front ”, etc. for many times.

Since 2012, we have held the annual key exchange program of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council “Cross- straits Youth Minnan Culture Study Camp” for 8 consecutive years, which has continuously affected more than a thousand young people of Taiwan. Also, we continue to do a good job in the arrangement, maintenance and explanation work of the Minnan Culture Exhibition Hall jointly built by our university and Zhangzhou Tourism Investment Group Co., LTD., located in Zhangzhou Southeast Flower Paradise.