DEVELOPMENT HISTORY

The College of Liberal Arts is the foundation of Fu Jen Catholic University. In 1927, during the trial period of Fu Jen in Beijing, departments of Chinese Literature, History, Philosophy, and English were established. The college was officially recognized in 1929, with the formal establishment of the College of Liberal Arts at the same time. When Fu Jen was re-established in Taiwan in 1961, the College of Liberal Arts was the first to be re-founded, starting with the Graduate Institute of Philosophy. After the undergraduate division was established in 1963, the college offered four departments: Chinese Literature, History, Philosophy, and Foreign Languages. In 1968, the English, German, French, and Spanish divisions of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature were elevated to departmental status. In 1969, the departments of Physical Education, Oriental Languages, and the Graduate Institute of Linguistics were added. The Department of Library Science was established in 1970, followed by the Department of Mass Communication and the Department of Educational Psychology in 1971. In 1972, the English, German, French, Spanish, Oriental Languages departments, and the Graduate Institute of Linguistics were merged into the newly formed College of Foreign Languages. In 2000, the Graduate Institute of Educational Leadership and Development was added.

For several decades, the College of Liberal Arts thrived as a large, diverse, and inclusive entity. However, due to academic specialization, in 2010, the College was reorganized into three separate entities: the College of Liberal Arts, the College of Communication, and the College of Education. Today, the College of Liberal Arts includes the departments of Chinese Literature, History, and Philosophy. In 2024, a new Bachelor’s Program in Humanities and Community Innovation was established.

CURRENT ACADEMIC STRUCTURE

The College of Liberal Arts currently offers bachelor's, master's, in-service master's, and doctoral programs in the Departments of Chinese Literature, History, and Philosophy. Additionally, it provides a Bachelor's Program in Humanities and Social Services for Continuing Education, a Bachelor's Program in Humanities and Community Innovation, and four credit programs: Chinese Classical Texts Editing, Philosophical Counseling and Guidance, Applied History, and Applied Chinese. There is also a microcredit program in Interdisciplinary Humanistic Narratives, offering students diverse learning pathways.

Outside of the academic structure, the college has established six student volunteer service teams: Wen Hua, Wen Fu, Wen Ai, Wen Shan, Wen Pei, and Wen Xin. These teams are engaged in service learning, providing care for migrant workers, assisting disadvantaged groups, and participating in both domestic and international service activities.

CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE OUTLOOK

Over the years, the College of Liberal Arts has cultivated outstanding talent that has made significant contributions across various sectors of society. Today, the College continues to strengthen academic research, enhance students' professional expertise and humanistic spirit, and integrate AI technology. It has also intensified collaboration with industries to boost students' employability. At the same time, the College is actively promoting "talent cultivation" and "local engagement," channeling the value of humanities knowledge directly into the community to fulfill its social responsibility as a university.

Looking ahead, the College will uphold Fu Jen Catholic University's founding spirit, blending Catholic and Chinese cultures. It aims to foster cultural exchange between East and West by increasing English-taught courses, establishing international Sinology lectures, hosting multinational academic conferences, and expanding exchange and visiting scholar programs. Additionally, the College is committed to cultivating excellent Chinese language teaching professionals, ensuring it plays a key role in promoting cross-cultural dialogue and enhancing its international influence.