Overview

The Research Institute of Anthropology in the School of Social Development, East China Normal University, was established in the autumn of 2011, and has completed highly successful years of its existence. The institute now accepts applications from prospective international students for the 3-year MA programme or 4- year PhD programme in socio-cultural anthropology.

The graduate programme in socio-cultural anthropology at ECNU covers general socio-cultural anthropology and applied anthropology, with particular specialties and courses in the anthropology of development, the anthropology of religion, ethnicity and minorities in China, the anthropology of food, visual anthropology, and the anthropology of money.

The graduate programme is centered on the core courses of Anthropological Theory and Anthropological Methods. Major elective courses include Issues of Power and Religion; the Anthropology of Food; Visual and Media Anthropology; Economic and Environmental Anthropology. Core courses cover anthropological classics, the history and theory of anthropology, ethnicity and Chinese minorities, and the anthropology of Chinese society. Other options in urban anthropology, anthropology of the state, and the anthropology of tourism are also available. The Institute also includes the Centre of Ethnicity and Development which concentrates research and teaching expertise in the areas of development and ethnicity.

Courses of Study

Students need 23 credits to complete the MA programme in anthropology. The MA programme is centered on the core courses of History and Theories of Anthropology, Research Methods of Anthropology , Chinese Society, Professional English andTasting Chinay, all of which are taught in the first School year. . MA students also need to choose another five selective courses. The MA program includes a period (6 months) of intensive fieldwork, on which the thesis will be written in English.

Students need 18 credits to finish the PhD programme. The core courses include (History and Theories of Anthropology, Research Methods of Anthropology, Chinese Societies, and China’s cultural diversity. This programme requires students to conduct an intensive fieldwork for one year, on which the dissertation will be based. Dissertation will be written in English.

The master degree thesis should be 30,000-50,000 words (excluding footnotes and references, No less than 3000 words in Chinese abstract) while PhD degree thesis 100,000 words in length (excluding footnotes and references, No less than 5000 words in Chinese abstract). Thesis must be based on original research and fieldwork, mark a new contribution to knowledge, show knowledge of relevant literature, and be well and clearly written and presented. Normally, in the third semester, original research for the thesis must be conducted normally based on fieldwork of 6 months (for MA students) and 12 months (for PhD students). A proposal for field research should be submitted before that for entrance to the field. Supervision of the thesis is by a Panel or Committee of up to 3 members with professional doctorate qualifications in Anthropology. The thesis will be examined by one internal examiner (from the institute) and one outside examiner (from another institute/department or another university), nominated by the Main Supervisor. Three or five professors will be organized for the MA or PhD thesis defense. For international students in non-Chinese language taught programs, they MUST pass HSK-3 (≥180) or pass the "International Chinese Proficiency Standard Test" arranged by the university before graduation. 

Credits Requirements for MA Programme (≥23 credits)

Credits requirements for PhD Programme (≥18 credits)

Core Program Faculty

Chen Yun
Assistance professor, PhD in Sociology, City University of Hong Kong.
Main Research Areas:ethnic minorities of Southeast China, Chinese religious organizations.
Email: chenyunecnu@126.com

Huang Jianbo
Professor, PhD in Anthropology, Central University for Nationalities in Beijing.
Main Research Areas: anthropological theory, Christianity in China and Chinese folk religion, minorities of southwest China, Han Chinese society.
Email: jbhuang@soci.ecnu.edu.cn

Horacio Ortiz
Associate Professor, PhD in Social Anthropology, EHSS (the School of Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences) in Paris.
Main Research Areas: money, finance, globalization, ethnography and world history.
Email:horacio.ortiz@free.frLi Shenqing
Associate Professor, PhD in Anthropology, University of ST Andrews.University of Cambridge Bachelor
Main Research Areas: Anthropological theory, anthropology of religion

Email: cl211@st-andrews.ac.uk

Wu Xu
Professor, PhD in Anthropology, University of Alberta, Canada.
Main Research Areas: food, ethnobiology place
Email:xwu@soci.ecnu.edu.cn

Zhang Hui
Assistance professor, PhD in Education, University of California, Los Angeles. 
Main Research Areas: culture theories, media and visual anthropology, anthropology of art.
Email:hzhang@soci.ecnu.edu.cn

Zhu Yujing
Assistance professor, PhD in anthropology, Chinese University of Hong Kong. 
Main Research Areas: economy anthropology, political anthropology, anthropology of money, migration, and globalization.
Email:yjzhu@soci.ecnu.edu.cn

About the program

“Being part of the first generation of the Master's program of Anthropology in English changed my life. Studying at ECNU improved my academic understanding of a discipline that was new to me. This happened due to the assistance of highly experienced professors who created a stimulating environment during the classes and the extracurricular activities organized by the department.

As professors' knowledge involve several branches of Anthropology, my project on the anthropological experience of literary translation found its place.

On top of that, the department of foreign students at ECNU does a good job in taking care of the students and the facilities bth, on campus and dorms are comfortable and adequate, creating a perfect environment for studying.”

——Olimpia Marroquín（Graduated in 2018）

Contact Information

Global Education Center, ECNU

Add: Room 253 Physics Building, 3663 North Zhongshan Road, Shanghai

Tel: (86-21)62232013/ 62238353

Email: lxs@ecnu.edu.cn