The French major is a four-year undergraduate program leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree. It is a non-teacher education program. Approved by the Ministry of Education in 2017, it has consistently ranked first in enrollment scores among similar majors in Zhejiang provincial universities for six consecutive years.
The program aims to cultivate high-quality French professionals who are well-rounded in character, intellect, and physical fitness; possess both an international perspective and a strong sense of national pride; and demonstrate a balance of professional expertise, cultural literacy, language proficiency, and innovation.
Over 82% of the full-time French department hold doctoral degrees, and all early-career department teachers have overseas study experience. The program also employs two foreign teachers and several part-time professors, including honorees of the French “Commandeur de l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques” and “Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres”.
In the past five years, the department has published nearly 20 monographs, translations, and edited works, including African Folktales, a companion reader for the Ministry of Education’s standardized Chinese language textbooks for primary schools. They have also edited two series of translations, with the “African Humanities Classics Translation Series” receiving funding from the National Publishing Fund. The department has undertaken three national, three ministerial, and three provincial projects, among others, with total research funding exceeding one million yuan—averaging approximately 100,000 yuan per department member.
The program maintains exchange and cooperation agreements with prestigious institutions such as Grenoble Alpes University and the University of Nantes in France. All students have the opportunity to study abroad at these partner universities.
Between 2021 and 2024, the program’s graduates achieved postgraduate continuation rates of 76%, 36%, 47%, and 54%, respectively, while maintaining a 100% employment rate.
The program highlights two key features: a focus on African studies and practical experience. Aligned with national strategies and the university’s research strengths, it offers elective modules emphasizing Africa, preparing French professionals with expertise in African contexts. Practical projects range from local initiatives, such as the Yiwu International Commodity Fair, to national programs, including those of the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ “China-Africa Joint Research and Exchange Program”. These opportunities offer students diverse, high-standard practical training.
