In order to thoroughly implement the spirit of the National Conference on Postgraduate Education, strengthen the teaching of postsgraduate courses, promote teaching reform, improve teaching quality, and promote the improvement of the overall curriculum quality of the whole university by setting up a "benchmark", and playing a leading role in demonstration, recently the Graduate School of Shanghai Jiao Tong University announced the list of the first postgraduate quality courses. The course "Contemporary Foreign Literature Theory" taught by Professor Peng Qinglong of the School of Foreign Languages was selected.

Theory of Contemporary Foreign Literature
Project Leader

Peng Qinglong is distinguished professor and doctoral supervisor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Distinguished Professor of Major Talents Project of the Ministry of Education, leading talent of the National "Ten Thousand People Plan" (famous teacher), chief editor of Journal of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition), chief editor of New Techno-Humanities, and chief editor of Comparative Literature and Cross-cultural Studies. His research focuses on Australian literature, comparative literature and English education and English teaching.

Course Description:
"Theory of Foreign Literature" is a core course for graduate students in foreign language and literature as stipulated in the documents of the Academic Degrees Office of the State Council. Theory of Contemporary Foreign Literature is a basic compulsory course for doctoral students majoring in foreign literature, and it plays a core role in the goal of talent training. The content covers the theories and methods of foreign literary criticism since the 20th century, including formalist criticism, New Criticism, structuralism, deconstruction criticism, poststructuralism, new historicism, postcolonialism, postmodernism, feminist criticism, cultural criticism, posthumanism, etc. This course aims to help students establish a relatively complete knowledge system of contemporary foreign literary theory, be familiar with and master the historical and cultural background, ideological connotation, representative figures, main viewpoints and shortcomings of various literary theories, and be able to use foreign literary theories to carry out the practice of literary criticism, so as to improve doctoral students' understanding of literary theory and the essence of literary art, as well as their ability to appreciate and criticize literary works.

This course adheres to the concept of "theory first, practice first, and ability improvement", comprehensively and systematically helps students construct a relatively complete theoretical knowledge system and develop students' practical ability in literary criticism. Efforts are made to connect abstract and esoteric theories with real life and with the analysis and interpretation of literary works, so that students can deeply understand and grasp the connotation of literary theories, guide them to critically look at the advantages and limitations of various literary theories, and improve their ability to interpret texts with theories in the practice of literary criticism.

Curriculum features and innovation
1 Emphasis on both basic knowledge and advanced theory
2 Emphasis on both literary research and interdisciplinary research
3 Emphasis on both literary theory and critical practice
4 Emphasis on both professional curriculum and ideological and political importance