Introduction to the College of Liberal Arts
The history of the College of Liberal Arts started in 1923 with the
establishment of the Fu Jen Academy at the scenic spot of Siangshan mountain, in West
of Beijing, under the direction and initiative of Mr. Ying Lien-chih. The aim of the
Academy was to develop Chinese culture to a greater depth and to educate young
Chinese intellectuals in traditional Chinese spiritual heritage. In 1925, the Holy See
entrusted the Benedictine Fathers and Brothers to the task of carrying on the entire plan
for the establishment of Fu Jen University. Mr. Ying was appointed to take the leading
role in the preparatory work of the project. Unfortunately, he died of exhaustion in 1926,
but the spirit of academic endeavor did not pass away with his death; instead, it took a
new start in the direction of teaching and learning.
With the reestablishment of Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan in 1961, the
Graduate Institute of Philosophy was set up in the College of Liberal Arts. In August of
1961, the College started with the Departments of Chinese Literature, History, and
Philosophy. In 1967, two new graduate institutes-History and Chinese Literature-were
added to the College.
From the beginning of the reestablishment of the University, the Chinese
Diocesan clergy has been in charge of the College of Liberal Arts. Following the steps
of their predecessors, the Chinese clergy strove to keep the old academic spirit growing
and to develop simultaneously new trends and insights to bring the academic standard
up to international level. Thus, in 1969 the Department of Physical Education and in the
following year the Department of Library Science were opened. The Doctoral Course
began with the Graduate Institute of Philosophy in 1969. In 1971 the College erected a
new building to house the department of Mass Communication (1971) and Educational
Psychology (1972), whose name was changed to Department of Applied Psychology in
1978.
In 1983, the Graduate Institute of Mass Communication was added, and in
1991, the Dotoral Program of Chinese Literature. In order to meet the needs of the
graduate schools of the College, a four-story building was opened in 1978.The Graduate
Institute of Library and Information Science was added to the College in 1994.
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