CREATIVE WRITING CENTER (SHANGHAI UNIVERSITY CREATIVE WRITING CENTER)

Main Tasks of the Center

The following constitute the principal tasks of the Center:

• To conduct comprehensive academic research on Chinese culture and literary and philosophical sources in the Chinese language, while promoting the cultural values and national heritage of Uzbekistan in the People’s Republic of China;
• To study contemporary Chinese literature from an academic perspective, analyse its literary genres, train academic and teaching staff in this field, and conduct joint research with local and international partners;
• To translate works of contemporary Chinese literature into Uzbek and works of contemporary Uzbek literature into Chinese, thereby introducing and promoting Uzbek literary works among Chinese readers;
• To develop Creative Writing as an academic and research field and prepare curricula for its introduction at undergraduate and graduate levels;
• To organize academic conferences, seminars, and round-table discussions on contemporary Chinese literature, literary genres, online literature, and creative writing;
• To develop recommendations for integrating creative writing approaches and practices into language, literature, and philosophy courses taught at undergraduate and graduate levels;
• To enhance the professional and academic competence of faculty members and researchers through seminars, round-table discussions, and scholarly and practical events devoted to creative writing;
• To monitor and facilitate the timely implementation of research projects carried out at the University within the framework of state-funded research programmes;
• To regularly publish information on the Center’s activities, research findings, and academic achievements in University and national publications;
• To engage leading scholars and specialists in Chinese studies from Uzbekistan and abroad in the Center’s academic activities;
• To organize specialized seminars and training programmes on preparing journalistic materials, writing articles in journalistic and publicistic genres, and developing professional editing skills;
• To conduct practical training in creative approaches to advertising and promotional copywriting;
• To familiarize young writers and emerging authors of fiction and prose with international experience, particularly contemporary Chinese practices;
• To develop projects for the translation of literary and scholarly sources and undertake research in translation criticism, with the involvement of PhD and doctoral researchers;
• To organize summer camps for talented students, in cooperation with the Youth Affairs Agency, focusing on essay and short-story writing;
• To organize short-term copywriting courses for students of philology, journalism, and tourism, as well as master classes on creative writing and effective content development for blogs related to tourism sites;
• To offer short-term courses for young writers and screenwriters on recent trends in contemporary literature and to implement joint creative and academic projects;
• To contribute to the development of a new generation of Oriental studies specialists capable not only of conducting literary research and analysis but also of producing fiction, short stories, and novels;
• To facilitate regular academic exchanges and teaching and research placements for undergraduate and graduate students, PhD candidates, and doctoral researchers of both partner institutions;
• To develop start-up and innovative projects together with talented undergraduate and graduate students and doctoral researchers, strengthen cooperation with research institutions of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and organize academic seminars and project presentations.

Functions of the Center

In accordance with its assigned tasks, the Center performs the following functions:

• Conducts research in accordance with the University’s research priorities and the approved work plan of the Center;
• Organizes academic conferences, seminars, and round-table discussions at various levels on contemporary Chinese literature, literary genres, online literature, and creative writing;
• Prepares analytical articles and research reports based on the approved plans of the University and the Center in order to disseminate research findings to the academic community and the wider public;
• Participates in the development of academic courses, curricula, and educational materials in cooperation with international specialists;
• Participates in research and analytical projects consistent with the aims and objectives of the University;
• Engages University faculty members, undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, representatives of government bodies, analytical centers and research institutions, as well as international scholars and specialists, in the activities of the Center;
• Organizes specialized workshops and training programmes on preparing journalistic materials, writing and editing articles in journalistic and publicistic genres;
• Conducts practical training programmes on creative approaches to advertising and promotional copywriting;
• Introduces young writers and emerging authors to international literary practices, with particular emphasis on Chinese experience;
• Implements projects involving the translation of literary and scholarly sources and conducts research on translation criticism, including with the participation of PhD candidates and doctoral researchers;
• Organizes summer camps for talented students in cooperation with the Youth Affairs Agency, focusing on essay and short-story writing;
• Organizes short-term copywriting courses for students in philology, journalism, and tourism, as well as master classes on creative writing and effective content development for tourism-related blogs;
• Conducts short-term courses introducing young writers and screenwriters to recent trends in contemporary literature and implements joint projects in this field;
• Coordinates, in cooperation with relevant academic departments, undergraduate theses, master’s and doctoral dissertations, research projects, and analytical studies relating to contemporary Chinese literature and creative writing in Chinese;
• Studies international best practices in research on contemporary Chinese literature and Chinese-language creative writing and develops proposals for their application;
• Provides students and researchers with knowledge and practical skills aimed at developing creativity and competence in Chinese-language creative writing;
• Publishes academic articles and educational materials co-authored with faculty members of the College of Liberal Arts at Shanghai University.

17.08.2026, 17:28 185 Print version