The Forum on the Construction of First-Class Foreign Language Courses was held at SCMU from November 23 to 24. Organized by the Foreign Language Curriculum Research Committee of the Chinese Association for Comparative Studies of English and Chinese, and hosted by the School of Foreign Languages and the Academic Affairs Office, the forum took place at the Academic Exchange Center. Over 170 experts, scholars, and students from universities such as Nanjing University, Dalian University of Foreign Languages, Xi’an International Studies University, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Chongqing University, South China University of Technology, Wuhan University of Technology, Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, and Xiangtan University participated. Song Fajun, Deputy Party Secretary and Vice President of SCMU, and Professor Zhang Wenzhong, President of the Foreign Language Curriculum Research Committee and a professor at Nankai University, delivered speeches at the opening ceremony, which was hosted by Yi Lixin, Dean of the School of Foreign Languages.

Song Fajun delivered a speech. Photo provided by the School of Foreign Languages

Song Fajun warmly welcomed the attendees and introduced the university and the School of Foreign Languages. He emphasized that first-class courses are fundamental to cultivating top-tier talent and are crucial for the development of foreign language programs and disciplines. He expressed hope that the forum would gather collective wisdom to explore and share the latest ideas, practical achievements, and future trends in foreign language course construction.

Zhang Wenzhong delivered a speech. Photo provided by the School of Foreign Languages

Professor Zhang Wenzhong extended a warm welcome and heartfelt thanks to the foreign language education experts and colleagues present. He noted that building first-class foreign language courses is essential not only for improving teaching quality but also for meeting national strategic needs and promoting Chinese culture internationally.

Keynote speeches. Photo provided by the School of Foreign Languages

Eight scholars from Dalian University of Foreign Languages and other institutions delivered keynote speeches. Topics included Reflections and Explorations on Building First-Class Undergraduate Foreign Language Courses, Constructing an Independent Knowledge System for Foreign Language Education in China, Exploring the Relationship between First-Class Courses and Program and Discipline Development, Reconstructing the Foreign Language Curriculum System at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Ideological and Political Guidance and Practice in Linguistics Course Teaching, and Exploring a Multi-Dimensional Evaluation System for Foreign Language Teaching: Digital-Driven Quality Improvement. These presentations sparked lively discussions and positive responses from all participants.

The conference featured three sub-forums where over 30 participants focused on the theme Exploration and Practice of First-Class Course Construction. They engaged in vibrant discussions on topics such as Innovation in Course Content and Teaching Models, Application of Teaching Tools and Technology, and Teacher Professional Development and Teaching Decision-Making.

The closing ceremony was hosted by Wu Changqing, Dean of the School of Foreign Languages at Hubei University of Economics. After the sub-forum conveners reported on their discussions, Li Minjie, Vice Dean of the School of Foreign Languages, provided a summary of the conference. Finally, Li Chunlei, Party Secretary of the School of Foreign Languages, delivered the closing remarks.