Institute of Ethnic Literature (IEL), Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), celebrated its 30th anniversary of foundation on July 21st , 2010. Institute of Ethnic Minority Literature, a national academic institute for the study of both oral and written literatures of Chinese ethnic groups, was officially established in 1980 and was renamed as Institute of Ethnic Literature in 2002. More than 100 people attended the meeting including scholars of universities and institutes throughout the country, representatives of functional departments and other institutes of CASS, and the faculty of IEL. Among the attendances are CASS Deputy Director Wang Weiguang, CASS Deputy Director Wu Yi and General Secretary Huang Haotao. Scholars from Central University for Nationalities, Qinghai Academy of Social Sciences, representatives of senior scholars and young researchers of Institute of Ethnic Literature, and Head of Hoboksar Mongolian Prefecture of Xinjiang Province gave speeches on behalf of the represented, expressing their gratitude and congratulations for the accomplishments of Institute of Ethnic Literature in the past 30 years.

　　In the past 30 years, the IEL has taken charge of many national key projects such as “Studies of Ethnic Epics in China”, “Collection, Collation and Translations of Epic King Gesar”, “The Transcribed Collection of Oral Texts of Epic King Gesar” and “Compilation of ‘Literary History of Chinese Ethnic Groups’ Series”, and many key projects of CASS levels such as “Disciplining Epic Studies in China”, “Ethnic Literary Relations” and “Frontier Research on China Folkloristics”. Currently, “The China Ethnic Literature Archive”, “The Oral Tradition Field Study Bases” and “The China Ethnic Literature Network” are under construction. With this threefold model of “Archive/Base/Network”, IEL is heading for a long-term sustainable development.

　　The Ethnic Literature Study, a journal series produced by IEL since 1983, is the only national academic journal in the field of ethnic literature study. The Department of Ethnic Literature was established in the Graduate School of CASS in 1980, which offers M.A and Ph.D programs in the two disciplines of Ethnic Literature and Folkloristics.

　　IEL has become the national leading center for epic study and study of literary relations of various ethnic groups, with significant accomplishments in the academic fields of ethnic oral traditions and folklore study. It maintains cooperative relationship with ethnic literature institutes from around the country, and has also built academic relations with scholars and institutes throughout the world. It has received more than 70 congratulatory letters from institutes and universities all over the world, including State Ethnic Affairs Commission, Central University for Nationalities, Central Academy of Fine Arts, Harvard University, Bonn University and Kokugakuin University.