A Literature Degree Without Literature: Why Chinese Language Graduates in Indonesia Know HSK Scores but Not Yu Hua

Abstract

What does it mean to graduate with a degree in Chinese Literature without ever reading a single contemporary Chinese novel? In Indonesia, this is not a paradox—it is reality. This study investigates the systemic exclusion of contemporary Chinese literature from Indonesian higher education, addressing a significant gap between language proficiency and literary competence that affects thousands of learners. Through document analysis of ten university curricula, semi-structured interviews with six lecturers, and documentation of available literary works, this study reveals that contemporary literature is almost entirely excluded from Chinese language programs across Indonesia. Drawing on curriculum theory and literary pedagogy, the study initially hypothesized that HSK preparation was the primary driver of this gap. However, the findings reveal a more nuanced picture: only one of ten universities offers a contemporary literature course (2 credits, <2% of total credits), and not a single university requires students to read complete novels. HSK functions as a gateway certification required by Human Resources departments, while the deeper driver is the systematic orientation of Chinese language programs toward business and industry. Using Yu Hua's four Indonesian-translated novels as a case study, the paper demonstrates that the literary gap cannot be attributed to a lack of available materials and offers three low-preparation lesson modules for intermediate learners. The paper concludes that bridging the literary gap does not require curriculum overhaul—it requires introducing one author, one story, one novel at a time.