The People's University of China set up on Sunday the College of Chinese Culture Studies, the first of its kind in the country, which targets at glorifying the studies of the Chinese history, philosophy, literature and classical Chinese as a complete discipline.

The first group of 58 students have been enrolled in the college, who were selected from among 88 students registered in the university in 2004 and 2005, said Prof. Sun Jiazhou, executive deputy-president of the newly-established college.

The College of the Chinese Culture Studies consists of a number of teaching and research sections concerning the basis, documents, ideologies and overseas research in Chinese culture studies, as well as research institutes involving western Chinese culture studies and studies on writing on bamboo slips and silk, the deputy president said.

The college will adopt a six-year educational system combining an undergraduate course with a postgraduate course for a master's degree. Upon graduation, those who want to pursue advanced studies may go on with their courses for doctor's degree, he added.

The main subjects and required courses include the classic works such as the Analects of Confucius and Zuo Zhuan, the country's first chronological history covering the period from 722- 464 BC, in addition to an introduction to the studies of the Chinese culture, the overseas research of Chinese culture studies and many other subjects.

The students will be guided under the tutor system from the third year on, according to Ji Baocheng, president of the People's University of China.

The students are not only required to be proficient in Chinese culture, but will also be encouraged to draw on the advanced Western academic practices, he noted.

The establishment of the college is an attempt to explore new ways in the education system and in training talented personnel.

He explained that Chinese culture dissolved as a complete discipline in the modern times, and particularly since1949 it was divided into the specialized subjects of Chinese language, history, and philosophy.

"The too fine division of the specialities has led to the formation of barriers in disciplines and resulted in myopia in the structure of knowledge," Ji said.

(Xinhua News Agency October 18, 2005)