Hongkun Wei is a PhD candidate in American studies at Shanghai International Studies University (SISU). Wei first became interested in studying the US as a high school student, when he took an American history class. Upon graduation, he became an English teacher, through which he was able to conduct research on American studies.
After five years of working Wei knew that the job “was not enough for him.” He thus applied to the doctorate program in American studies at Shanghai International Studies University.
Wei primarily conducts research on different cultural trends in American society. He is writing his thesis, for example, on American cultural wars at the end of the 20th century. He also studies the American higher education system and mainline religion in the US.
Wei’s American studies program has about five doctorate students each year. Additionally, the program is highly adaptable, and its main focuses change depending on the students’ academic interests. Generally speaking, his program places more emphasis on the political and historical aspects of American society than on literature or pop culture.
His program, however, still includes a broad array of courses, including 21st Century American Culture, American Thought, Modern American Women Studies, and US Diplomatic History. SISU’s library has a large collection of foreign books, some of which have been donated by the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai, by Fulbright professors, and by the Asia Foundation.
Currently, Wei is applying for a post-doctorate research position at Illinois State University’s Department of History. If he is accepted, this will be his first opportunity to conduct academic research in the US.
“After graduating, I want to teach students about American culture and society,” Wei said.
He shared that in his program, a large number of students go to America to conduct research at graduate studies programs. He believes American studies programs uniquely prepare students to succeed in the US because “on the one hand, language is very important to study [there].” On the other hand, he said “basic knowledge about US society is important.”
Previously Wei had the opportunity to participate in the ASN Conference at Wuhan University. “I think it was an amazing experience for me,” he said. “I [had the opportunity] to attend a lot of courses by foreign speakers.”
He is also planning on participating in the upcoming conference at ECNU, where he will submit a research proposal for review.
American Studies lies at the core of USCET’s organizational mission. This profile is part of a series to highlight various students across China who are majoring in American Studies and who plan to use it in their careers.
Hongkun Wei现在就读于上海外国语大学的博士项目。他高中时曾上过美国历史的课程并因此对在美就读十分感兴趣。毕业后，他成为了一名英语教师，工作之余进行美国研究。
五年过去之后，Wei觉得这份工作“对他来说不够。”他申请了上海外国语大学美国研究的博士项目。
Wei主要研究美国社会不同的文化潮流。举例来说，他写的博士论文就是关于20世纪末的美国文化之争。他也研究美国高等教育系统以及主流信仰。
Wei的美国研究项目每年都会接受五个学生左右。这个项目也有一定弹性，可以根据学生的学术兴趣来改变其重点。总体来说，他的项目更着重于美国社会的历史及政治，而不仅仅是文学及大众文化。但他的项目课程涵盖范围很广，包括21世纪美国文化，美国思想，现代美国女性研究，以及美国外交史。上外大的图书馆外文书籍馆藏也十分丰富，部分书籍来自上海美领馆，Asian Foundation以及Fullbright教授的捐赠。
现在wei在申请伊利诺伊州州立大学历史系的博士后项目，如果被录取的话，这也会成为他第一次在美国进行学术研究的机会。他说，“毕业之后，我想教关于美国文化和社会的课程。”他还提到，他这个项目里有很多学生都有志于在美国继续研究。他相信美国研究有助于帮助学生在美国学习。他解释道，“一方面，语言对于在美学习十分重要。而另一方面，关于美国社会的基本知识也十分重要。”
此前，Wei曾参加过在武汉举行的ASN会议。他告诉USCET，“我觉得能当面见到很多外国学者的经历非常棒。”他打算参加在华东师大举行的下一届ASN会议并打算提交他的开题报告进行审阅。
美国研究是中美教育基金的核心使命之一。本篇特稿是USCET对主修美国研究并有意于之后在领域内发展的中国学生的系列采访之一。