At Beijing International Studies University (BISU), students in the Japanese Language & Comic Creative Industries program experience a unique blend of language and creative arts education. They engage in systematic training in Japanese while delving into comic creation and through extracurricular workshops where they produce competition-level comics.
This innovative program was launched in September 2019 under the leadership of Professor Tao Ye, the first scholar to earn a PhD in Manga Studies in Japan.
It is the first in the nation to deeply integrate Japanese language with manga creation. Its practical and interdisciplinary approach has attracted many students passionate about manga and cultural creativity, and it has quickly become one of BISU's most competitive programs in Beijing, providing a "BISU model" for overcoming challenges in foreign language disciplines.
Its multidisciplinary approach significantly boosts enrollment interest, with application numbers rising sharply against the national backdrop of declining interest in Japanese studies. Graduates pursue diverse career paths, entering fields such as manga and animation companies (IP development and design), cultural communication organizations and cultural tourism planning.
The program has developed a unique "One Degree, Two Certificates" system. Graduates receive a Japanese degree along with a high-level certification in animation and manga from the Ministry of Education's Chinese Painting and Calligraphy Level Examination (CCPT), as well as English proficiency certificates.
Despite the program's comprehensive course design, it faces the challenge that about 90% of incoming students have no art background. How can the program develop these "manga novices" into professionals with both language proficiency and creative skills within just four years?
To address this, the program eschews traditional art courses, adopting instead a "project-based learning" approach through the Creative Comic Salon, a secondary classroom setting. This salon initiates creative projects around societal themes such as the Clean Plate Campaign, the centenary of the Communist Party, and Beijing's World Cultural Heritage, encouraging students to learn drawing.
Under faculty guidance, students conduct topic research and engage in iterative practice, often revising a piece numerous times to meet publication standards. This hands-on approach helps students with no art background quickly master composition and narrative techniques.
Students have created over 500 works in the salon, widely reprinted by media outlets such as AFP, Xinhua Japan Channel, China News Service and others.
Additionally, Tao designed the "Practical Manga Innovation Techniques" course, aligned with CCPT standards for targeted training. "This is a shortcut to improving artistic capabilities," Professor Tao notes, "strengthening creative foundations and aiding in certificate acquisition, thereby broadening students' career paths."
Moreover, faculty and students collaborated on the textbook Manga Interpretation of Japan, with teachers writing content and students creating illustrations. This collaborative model provides a practical platform for students, cultivating cross-cultural communication and creative expression skills.
This academic platform extends into physical space with the BISU China Manga Library, the only professional manga library in domestic universities. It has immersive art classrooms displaying works by Chinese modern comic pioneer Feng Zikai and Japanese manga education pioneer Makino Keiichi, allowing students to appreciate classic comics from both countries.
Zhao Suhui, a student from the first cohort who did not have an art background, achieved the highest CCPT certification after four years and is now pursuing a master's degree at BISU's China Comic and Cultural Creativity Research Institute.
Li Yan, a 2020 undergraduate, won the top prize at the "Haitang Cup" National Student Creative Comic Competition and now works as an operations lead and chief writer at a leading internet company, where her "Japanese + Manga" skills make her stand out in the job market.
"When learning content is closely linked to one's deep-seated passions, even the most complex grammar rules become approachable and relatable," says Ling Jiaying, a 2023 student from Shanghai. Despite starting with no language background, she achieved the highest level N1 in the Japanese Language Proficiency Test within 10 months. She applies design thinking learned in the Practical Manga Innovation Techniques course to large-scale fan conventions, attracting attention and purchases from fellow enthusiasts. This September, she will study abroad at Waseda University, aiming to work in ACG localization or character merchandise design in the future.
BISU's Japanese Department has established partnerships with over 30 renowned overseas universities and research institutes, including Osaka University, Hiroshima University, Waseda University, Meiji University and Sophia University. Students have ample opportunities for studying abroad, and the annual overseas study rate exceeds 50 percent, with over half of these opportunities being funded.
The program will also deepen technological integration by offering courses on AI manga generation and creative storytelling, aligning more closely with industry needs. Efforts will continue to involve students in IP peripheral development and design, build practical platforms, introduce enterprise and international resources, reform evaluation mechanisms and include achievements like curation and IP development in assessments. Faculty will also transition into interdisciplinary mentors, engage in industry practice and implement a project mentorship system.
This program transforms language learning into a practical tool and elevates artistic expression into a cross-cultural dialogue. Their fusion is nurturing a new generation of international talents proficient in Japanese, skilled in manga, knowledgeable in design, and adept at innovative creativity. This is not only a valuable exploration in transforming foreign language disciplines but also a vibrant and creative "manga bridge" facilitating cultural exchange and mutual learning in a global context.
BISU students of the program draw their works.
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