The journalism and communication education of Nankai University began in 1984, and its predecessor was the undergraduate major of Editing (later renamed Editing and Publishing) under the former Department of Chinese Language and Literature. Established at the behest of the central government, this major was founded in parallel with that established at Peking University and Fudan University, which was the earliest among universities in China, and it has been enrolling students ever since. In 2000, the Department of Communication of Nankai University was officially founded. 

In September 2021, following a decision made at the meeting of the Standing Committee of the CPC Nankai University Committee, Nankai University School of Journalism and Communication and the CPC Committee of the School were established.

Guided by the Marxist view of journalism, oriented towards the national strategy of deep media integration and international communication, and aimed at implementing the Excellent Journalism and Communication Talent Education and Training Program 2.0, the School is committed to playing a greater role in and providing more support for cultivating omnimedia talents in the new era, promoting media integration and development, and building a discourse system for external communication.

The School is located at Xiushan Hall, Jinnan Campus. It relies on the advantages of Nankai University as a comprehensive research-oriented institution and explores new ideas for the construction of new liberal arts through “mutual learning between literature and art, the intersection of literature and science, and the integration of literature and engineering”, highlighting the new liberal arts attributes of omnimedia, integrated media, new media, international communication and international discourse.

The School currently has four undergraduate majors: Journalism, Network and New Media (Direction of Publishing and Intelligent Communication), Editing and Publishing (Direction of New Media and Digital Publishing), and Broadcasting and Television (Direction of Network Audiovisual Media and Media Integration). Among them, “Editing and Publishing” and “Broadcasting and Television” were rated as the provincial-level first-class undergraduate construction sites in 2021. In 2006, the School was granted the Master’s degree authorization point in the first-level discipline of Journalism and Communication. In 2010, it was among the first batch in China to be awarded Master’s degree authorization points in Publishing. In 2023, it was among the first batch in China to establish the doctoral degree authorization point in Publishing.

In response to the national call for cultural inheritance and development and the construction of a strong nation in culture, under the guidance of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and the Ministry of Education, Nankai University and the Publicity Department of the CPC Tianjin Municipal Committee jointly established Nankai University Publishing Research Institute in 2023. In 2023 and 2024, the Publishing Research Institute was twice selected as a key cultivation institution in the national High-quality Construction Program of Publishing Think Tanks organized by the National Press and Publication Administration. In September 2024, the Publishing Research Institute was selected for Tianjin Key Publishing Projects to Receive Support. In December 2024, Nankai University Intelligent Publishing Technology and Standards Laboratory was established in conjunction with Tianjin Publishing and Media Group and Nankai University College of Software. Nankai University’s publishing disciplines have formed a new pattern of coordinated advancement in disciplinary construction, talent cultivation, think tank research, and laboratory empowerment. 

The School currently has one faculty member awarded among the Leading Talents in philosophy and social sciences of the national “Ten Thousand Talents Program”, four faculty members awarded among the “Four Batches” of Talents in the national publicity and cultural system, and five faculty members awarded among the Leading Talents of the National Press and Publishing Industry.

(Data updated as of December 25, 2024)