Abstract:

As Area Studies has become formally recognized as a primary discipline within the interdisciplinary academic category, its talent cultivation has gained institutional support. Concurrently, theoretical issues related to this cultivation have emerged as hot topics in academic discussions, receiving priority on research agendas. We identify three critical issues in the cultivation of talent in Area Studies that demand immediate attention: firstly, ‘reconciling instrumental knowledge’ with ‘disciplinary knowledge’; secondly, balancing ‘focus on subject fields’ with ‘focus on geographical areas’; and thirdly, harmonizing Academic Proficiency with Skills Proficiency and Social and Ethical Awareness. The essence of these issues is the coordination between undergraduate education and ‘post-undergraduate’ phases. To address these challenges within a unified framework, we propose a ‘T-model’ for talent cultivation in Area Studies. This model integrates both synchronic and diachronic dimensions, embracing principles of ‘breadth and depth’. It explores a planned, progressive talent cultivation approach, transitioning from a ‘general knowledge orientation’ to a ‘field orientation’, then towards a ‘regional issue orientation’, and ultimately a ‘comprehensive orientation’. This model aims to offer a universally applicable framework for cultivating talents in Area Studies in China, transcending the confines of a single discipline.

Key words: area studies, talents cultivating, T-model, three structural issues, four orientation, principles of ‘breadth and depth’