Education Characteristics
UCASS undergraduate programs are designed with distinctive characteristics, namely academic tutor system, incorporating postgraduate education resources into undergraduate cultivation, intensive academic engagement, and extensive international experience.
Academic Tutor System
Besides delivering regular courses, the University has developed its academic tutor system with a teaching and research faculty of 287 members for undergraduates. The system has been set up to safeguard the quality of education received by undergraduate students. Each academic tutor guides no more than 5 undergraduates.
Based on its strict and highly selective criteria, UCASS recruits academic tutors among well-recognized researchers and director generals from the various institutes of CASS, many of whom are CASS Members as well as nationally and internationally acknowledged scholars, senior researchers and academic leaders.
The principle of "Example is better than precept" prevails on UCASS campus. The University strives to maximize the benefits of the academic tutor system for undergraduates. Within the four-year study at UCASS, undergraduates closely interact with their tutors acquiring the latest knowledge and updatesof the discipline they majorinand equipping themselves with strong research skills that prepare them for further pursuit of research in humanities and social sciences.
Incorporating Postgraduate Education Resources in Undergraduate Cultivation
For better efficiency and quality of education, UCASS gradually makes exploratory efforts in incorporating experts from CASS research institutes and other academic organizations into the faculty for undergraduate education in a selected group of fundamental and key disciplines. In this experimental model, some outstanding students attain the opportunity of pursuing bachelor, master and doctor degree programs in continuity instructed by the relatively same faculty. Currently, 40 faculty groups of this nature have been formed for undergraduate education with 78 experts from CASS research institutes, 70 full time teachers of UCASS and 4 experts from other sources.
Integration of Teaching and Research
To enhance its synergies of research and teaching, UCASS organizes a group of 287 scholars as academic tutors for undergraduates, among whom 244 are also doctoral supervisors and 45 are master supervisors. The University also employs 65 senior professors and members of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and 41 professors as distinguished professors for undergraduate education. UCASS has formed a number of undergraduate teaching teams including doctoral and master supervisors and distinguished professors from CASS research institutes and UCASS itself in order to integrate research and teaching while delivering undergraduate programs by high standards. Additionally, a series of events named Colloquiums by CASS Members are offered at UCASS that have been well received by the students and faculty as "an unparalleled feast for the mind on humanities and social sciences".
Intensive Academic Engagement
UCASS also attaches great importance to the set of skills and abilities that makes great researchers out of students. In consideration of different academic backgrounds and interests of students, UCASS operates a variety of projects and programs to encourage students to delve themselves into the research world.
The "Program for the New Talents of Humanities and Social Sciences at Undergraduate Level" and "Innovative Research Funds for Postgraduates" are the most important incentives and catalysts to facilitate student research activities. In the two programs, students would be fully supported by academic tutors for carrying out activities such as thematic studies, classics readings, academic competitions, and group research. Hopefully with such engagement efforts, students are inspired to partake in ongoing research and projects of their tutors as they practice the basics, hone their skills and get access to norms and standards of research. By deepening academic interactions between students and faculty and better mentoring of students throughout their learning explorations, UCASS strives to nurture qualities and skills needed by prospective researchers in humanities and social sciences.
Extensive International Experience
UCASS always pays great attention to fostering international visions and cross-cultural abilities of students by encouraging them to participate in a comprehensive array of international programs. At present, the University actively collaborates with over 50 well-known overseas universities in the Americas, Europe, Oceania and Asia, as well as 6 outstanding Chinese universities in the regions of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
Every year, hundreds of UCASS students study abroad, over 50% of whom are supported by various university scholarships. Depending on the quality of student study abroad programs, multiple options of scholarships are available at UCASS:
☉ Scholarship for doctoral and master candidates in joint programs and degree programs
☉ Scholarship for "One-year Study Abroad" and "One-semester Study Abroad" programs with credit transfers
☉ Scholarship for intensive courses during semester breaks
☉ Scholarship for international internships and practicums
☉ Scholarship for international academic competitions
☉ Scholarship for international cooperative programs
