In 2011, the Academic Degree Commission of the State Council initiated the “pilot scheme” of preparing scholars for work in areas that address the State’s special needs through the creation of relevant PhD programs. After meticulous consideration and research, the PhD Program in Northeast Asian Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs was submitted to the Academic Degree Commission of the State Council and officially ratified in 2013. The recruitment of PhD candidates began in 2014.

The PhD Program is implemented in response to the special needs of the State’s Northeast Asian Strategy and Security in accordance with the overall requirements of China’s Medium-and-Long-Term Talent Development Compendium and National Program for Medium-and-Long-Term Educational Reform and Development. It is policy-driven and guided by China’s national interests. Its central task is the preparation of a new generation of elite professionals, as part of the construction of a broader system that actively addresses challenges in the region. Centering on the national needs of maintaining Northeast Asian security and maintaining stability and development in Northeast China, the program is expected to address the lack of Northeast Asian studies programs in China. Historically, traditional security studies have taken priority while research in non-traditional security studies is scant. Well-trained, multilingual personnel with the necessary interdisciplinary knowledge for work on this region remain rare.

The objective of the program is to cultivate high-caliber personnel who can be involved in public diplomacy, social and cultural security issues, and eco-security, thereby meeting China’s urgent diplomatic needs for academic research on the region as well as for personnel with relevant skills. 

Courses aim to lay a solid theoretical foundation for research, to clarify the focus of research and professional work, as well as to emphasize learning and the development of professional and relevant expertise. In addition, opportunities for practical experience are enhanced through ties with domestic and overseas research institutions and governments.

The program embraces diversity, collaboration and innovation in its pedagogy and aims to remain responsive to the demands of the sector by providing students with training that is relevant, practical and timely in terms of emerging trends in the region. The goal is a comprehensive foundation for elite professionals who will lead research and practice in the region.