As the component part and important content of the liberal arts development of SJTU, as an academic journal for foreign language teaching and research, the journal Contemporary Foreign Languages Studies by School of Foreign Languages at SJTU was officially published in 2010. On the afternoon of January 16, the Release Conference & the first plenary session of the editorial board were held in Hao Ren High-Tech Building of Xuhui Campus. SJTU Assistant President Yan Liangyu, chief of Division of Development of Liberal Arts, Jiang Hong, dean of School of Foreign Languages, Liu Longgen, director of Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press, Han Jianmin, members of the editorial board as well as representatives from Foreign Literature Review and Journal of Foreign Languages, invited guests, experts and scholars and teachers and students from School of Foreign Languages attended the conference.

The journal Contemporary Foreign Languages Studies is defined as a purely academic journal which mainly publishes the innovative, high-level and significant research results of the basic research and applied research in the fields of foreign linguistics, foreign literature and others. Display the reform practice and theoretical research results in the relevant fields both at home and abroad, it will promote the sound development of China’s foreign language teaching and academic research and serve the international academic exchange.

Contemporary Foreign LanguagesStudies grew out of English of Science and Technology Learning which was founded in the early eighties of last century. In the early period of reform and opening up, Department of English at Shanghai Jiao Tong University established the magazine of English of Science and Technology Learning in the forward-looking manner and provides readers a channel to learn English. Accompanying the three-decade changes of the country, the magazine has constantly made innovation and breakthrough in the content and layout. Originated as the English popular science reading, it now has developed into the academic research.

To construct and develop high-level liberal arts is the inherent requirement for Shanghai Jiao Tong University to achieve “the high-level research university”. The foundation of Contemporary Foreign LanguagesStudiesis another happy event in the development history of SJTU. Contemporary Foreign LanguagesStudies is the stage for academic exploration, and also the window to show scientific research. Founding and running the journal is one important component for construction and development of liberal arts at SJTU, which will exert positive impacts on the overall development of SJTU.

School of Foreign Languages, SJTU, expressed that they would take Contemporary Foreign Languages Studies as a platform and an opportunity to pass on academics, advance exchanges, and inspire teaching; taking foreign languages studies as objective, science-based, innovation-oriented and stylized, the school would adhere to standardization and internationalization, follow the tenet of “academic thinking, international outlook, innovative quality and independent spirit” to highlight the reform and scientific innovation in the field of foreign language teaching and display the domestic and foreign reform practice and theoretical achievements in the relevant areas. The school will run Contemporary Foreign Languages Studies into a distinctive, high-level and influential journal to contribute to the healthy development of China’s foreign language teaching.