Beijing Foreign Studies University

Beijing Foreign Studies University, commonly known as BFSU, is a public research university in Haidian, Beijing, China, directly under the Ministry of Education and specialising in foreign languages and international studies.北京外国语大学（Beijing Foreign Studies University，简称北外）是中国北京市海淀区的一所公立研究型大学，直属教育部，以外语与国际问题研究为特色。

It is a member of Project 211, the Double First-Class Construction and the 985 Innovative Platform for Advantageous Disciplines, and it teaches more foreign languages than any other Chinese university.学校是「211 工程」、双一流建设以及「985 优势学科创新平台」的成员，开设的外国语种数量居中国高校之首。

Its origins lie in a Russian language unit founded in Yan'an in 1941, and it has trained several hundred ambassadors, earning the nickname cradle of the diplomats of the People's Republic of China.其前身是 1941 年在延安创办的俄文教学单位，迄今培养出数百名大使，因而被称为「共和国外交官的摇篮」。

History

• BFSU traces its ancestry to the Chinese People's Anti-Japanese Military and Political University, itself descended from the Red Army University created at Wayaobao in June 1936 and renamed in 1937 when it moved to Yan'an under Mao Zedong, Lin Biao and Luo Ruiqing.北外的源头可追溯至中国人民抗日军政大学，后者前身是 1936 年 6 月在瓦窑堡创办的红军大学，1937 年迁至延安后更名，毛泽东任教育委员会主席，林彪任校长，罗瑞卿任副校长。
• In March 1941 the Third Branch of the university formed a Russian language company to strengthen exchanges with the Soviet Union, and the unit soon grew into a Russian language brigade with three companies.1941 年 3 月，抗大第三分校为加强与苏联的交流合作而成立俄文队，不久扩充为下辖三个队的俄文大队。
• In December 1941 the brigade was converted into the Russian section of the Yan'an Military Academy, and in June 1942 it was reorganised again as the Russian Language School of the Military Commission.1941 年 12 月，俄文大队改为延安军事学院俄文科；1942 年 6 月，又调整为中央军委俄文学校。
• In June 1944 the school added an English department and took the name Yan'an Foreign Languages School, the institution that BFSU regards as its direct precursor.1944 年 6 月，学校增设英文系，更名为延安外国语学校，这一机构被北外视为其直接前身。
• After the Japanese surrender in August 1945 teachers and students left Yan'an in groups for the North-East and North China liberated areas, carrying the school's teaching model with them.1945 年 8 月日本投降后，师生分批离开延安，前往东北与华北解放区，把学校的教学传统一并带往各地。
• In January 1946 part of the staff reached Zhangjiakou and formed a foreign languages department within the North China United University, attached to its college of letters.1946 年 1 月，部分师生抵达张家口，在华北联合大学文艺学院之下组建外语系。
• In June 1946 a foreign language cadre training class of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military and Political Cadre School joined that department to create a Foreign Languages College with English and Russian sections.1946 年 6 月，晋察冀军政干部学校的外语干部训练班师生转入，与原有外语系合并成立外国语学院，设英语、俄语两个系。
• The college moved twice, first to Luguocun in Shulu county in December 1946 and then to Zhengding in Hebei in May 1948, following the shifting front lines of the civil war.学院两度迁址，先于 1946 年 12 月迁至束鹿县路过村，又于 1948 年 5 月迁往河北正定，随内战前线的推移而转移。
• In June 1948 the English staff and students at Nanhaishan in Huolu county formed a foreign affairs school, and in August the North China United University merged with Northern University to become North China University, whose second section absorbed the foreign language classes.1948 年 6 月，获鹿县南海山村以英语系师生为基础成立外事学校；同年 8 月，华北联合大学与北方大学合并为华北大学，其第二部吸纳了外语班。
• The foreign affairs school and the foreign language department of North China University entered Beijing in February and April 1949 respectively and were combined in June 1949 as the Foreign Languages School.外事学校与华北大学二部外语系分别于 1949 年 2 月和 4 月进入北京，并于同年 6 月合并为外国语学校。
• A separate Beijing Russian Specialised School had been created in October 1949, and in February 1951 the Russian division of the Foreign Languages School was merged into it.1949 年 10 月，北京俄文专修学校另行成立；1951 年 2 月，外国语学校的俄文部并入其中。
• In August 1954, by then offering German, Spanish and French as well as Russian, the institution was approved by the State Council to be renamed the Beijing Foreign Languages Institute.到 1954 年 8 月，学校已开设德语、西班牙语、法语与俄语，经高等教育部报请国务院批准，改称北京外国语学院。
• Teaching was suspended and admissions halted from June 1966 to August 1971 during the Cultural Revolution, and the institute resumed normal degree admission only after national university entrance examinations were restored in 1977.1966 年 6 月至 1971 年 8 月，学校因文化大革命被迫停课、停止招生，直到 1977 年全国高考恢复后才重新正常招收学位生。
• In August 1979 the institute established the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, which became one of China's leading publishers of language textbooks and academic works.1979 年 8 月，学院建立外语教学与研究出版社，该社后来成为中国语言教材与学术著作的重要出版机构之一。
• In 1994, with the approval of the former State Education Commission, the institute was renamed Beijing Foreign Studies University to reflect its broader range of international studies.1994 年，经原国家教育委员会批准，学院更名为北京外国语大学，以反映其国际研究领域的扩展。
• For its 60th anniversary in 2001 the university created the School of English and International Studies out of the old English department and founded the International Business School.2001 年建校六十周年之际，学校在原英语系基础上成立英语学院，并创设国际商学院。
• In 2002 the business school added undergraduate programmes in finance, business administration, electronic commerce and information management, and its economics and management cluster was designated a Project 211 priority discipline.2002 年，商学院增设金融、工商管理、电子商务与信息管理本科专业，其经济管理学科群被确定为国家「211 工程」重点支持学科。
• In 2006 the law and diplomacy sections of the English college became the Law School and the School of International Relations and Diplomacy, and a School of English for Specific Purposes was created for non-English majors.2006 年，英语学院的法律系与外交系分别组建法学院和国际关系学院，同时以原大学英语部为基础成立专用英语学院，负责非英语专业的高阶英语教学。
• In 2007 a School of Philosophy and Social Sciences was formed from the former social sciences division, extending the university's teaching beyond languages into political theory and philosophy.2007 年，学校在原社会科学部基础上组建哲学社会科学学院，使教学从语言延伸至政治理论与哲学领域。
• In 2011, for its 70th anniversary, the university adopted the motto Embrace diversity, pursue broad learning and earnest practice, replacing the old Anti-Japanese Military and Political University motto of unity, tension, seriousness and vivacity.2011 年七十周年校庆时，学校启用「兼容并蓄，博学笃行」的新校训，取代原抗大「团结、紧张、严肃、活泼」的旧校训。
• In 2021 the university opened a north campus in the former Beijing Television building for the School of Journalism and Communication, and in September of that year President Xi Jinping replied to a letter from ten senior BFSU professors.2021 年，学校利用原北京电视台旧楼开辟北校区，供国际新闻与传播学院使用；同年 9 月，习近平回信北外十位老教授。

Academics

• As of 2025 BFSU offered courses in 101 foreign languages, the widest coverage of any Chinese university, spanning European, Asian, African and Latin American languages as well as the major international languages.截至 2025 年，北外已开设 101 种外国语课程，语种覆盖居中国高校之首，既包括各大国际通用语言，也涵盖欧洲、亚洲、非洲与拉丁美洲的众多语种。
• The university runs one postdoctoral research station, twelve doctoral programmes and twenty-two master's programmes covering the languages it teaches along with Chinese language, diplomacy, law, journalism and management.学校设有 1 个博士后流动站、12 个博士点与 22 个硕士点，覆盖其所授全部语种，并延伸至中国语言文学、外交学、法学、新闻传播学与管理学。
• Four disciplines hold national key discipline status, namely English language and literature, German language and literature, foreign linguistics and applied linguistics, and Japanese language and literature.英语语言文学、德语语言文学、外国语言学及应用语言学、日语语言文学四个学科为国家重点学科。
• Six further disciplines are designated Beijing municipal key disciplines, including Russian, Arabic, Japanese, comparative literature and cross-cultural studies, Spanish and European languages.另有俄语语言文学、阿拉伯语语言文学、日语语言文学、比较文学与跨文化研究、西班牙语语言文学、欧洲语言文学六个学科为北京市重点学科。
• The university employed 576 full-time teachers, among them 113 professors, 177 associate professors, 41 doctoral supervisors and 221 master's supervisors, a staff shaped by language specialists rather than large science faculties.全校有专任教师 576 人，其中教授 113 人、副教授 177 人、博士生导师 41 人、硕士生导师 221 人，这支队伍以外语专家为主体，而非大型理科学院。
• The National Research Centre for Foreign Language Education, hosted at BFSU, was in the first group of national key research bases for the humanities and social sciences designated by the Ministry of Education.设于北外的中国外语教育研究中心是教育部首批命名的国家级人文社会科学重点研究基地之一。
• The School of English and International Studies, created in 2001, combines English language teaching with diplomacy, journalism and law components and is the university's largest teaching unit.2001 年成立的英语学院把英语教学与外交、新闻、法律等方向结合起来，是全校规模最大的教学单位。
• Language-specific colleges, among them the Arabic college and the Chinese language and literature college, group teaching and research by language and culture rather than by discipline.阿拉伯学院、中国语言文学学院等按语种与区域设立的教学单位，把教学与研究按语言和文化而非单一学科组织起来。
• The International Business School, founded in 2001, offers programmes in finance, accounting, business administration, e-commerce and information management and holds accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.2001 年成立的国际商学院开设金融、会计、工商管理、电子商务与信息管理等专业，并持有国际商学院协会的认证。
• The Law School, formed in 2006, teaches Chinese law with a strong international law component and prepares students for work in foreign-related legal practice.2006 年组建的法学院以中国法为主干，同时强化国际法方向，培养涉外法律实务人才。
• The School of International Relations and Diplomacy, also created in 2006, offers diplomacy and international relations degrees that draw on the university's language training and its diplomatic networks.同样于 2006 年设立的国际关系学院开设外交学与国际关系学位项目，依托学校的语言训练与外交人脉。
• The School of Journalism and Communication moved into the north campus in 2021 and trains international news workers able to report in more than one language.国际新闻与传播学院于 2021 年迁入北校区，培养能够以多种语言从事报道的国际新闻人才。
• BFSU awards two professional master's degrees, in translation and in teaching Chinese to speakers of other languages, alongside its academic master's and doctoral degrees.除学术型硕士与博士之外，学校还开设翻译与国际中文教育两个专业硕士学位授权点。
• The Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, founded in 1979, publishes the journal Foreign Language Teaching and Research and supplies textbooks to schools and universities across the country.1979 年创办的外语教学与研究出版社出版《外语教学与研究》期刊，并向全国大中小学供应外语教材。
• BFSU hosts Confucius Institutes with partner universities in Germany, Belgium, Austria, Italy, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, the United States, Malaysia, South Korea, Spain, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Britain, Albania and Sri Lanka.北外与海外伙伴高校合办孔子学院，合作方遍布德国、比利时、奥地利、意大利、波兰、匈牙利、保加利亚、捷克、美国、马来西亚、韩国、西班牙、俄罗斯、阿联酋、英国、阿尔巴尼亚与斯里兰卡。
• Exchange agreements link the university with institutions such as University College London, Yale University, the University of California, Berkeley, Waseda University, Sciences Po, Heidelberg University, Moscow State University and the University of Copenhagen.学校与伦敦大学学院、耶鲁大学、加州大学伯克利分校、早稻田大学、巴黎政治学院、海德堡大学、莫斯科国立大学与哥本哈根大学等院校签有交流协议。

Campus

• The main campus covers about 49.2 hectares at the western entrance of Weigongcun in Haidian district, and it is divided into an east and a west compound by the West Third Ring Road, with most teaching and residential buildings in the east.主校区位于海淀区魏公村西口，占地约 49.2 万平方米，被西三环北路分为东院与西院，教学与生活设施主要集中在东院。
• The east compound contains the main building, the stadium, tennis courts, the Japan research centre, the English college, the audiovisual centre, the library, the Arabic college, the Yifu teaching building and the student activity centre.东院分布着主楼、体育场、网球场、日本研究中心、英语学院、电教中心、图书馆、阿拉伯学院、逸夫教学楼以及学生活动中心。
• The west compound is mainly residential and auxiliary, holding the BFSU hotel, the international building, a staff activity centre, the affiliated primary school, flats for international students and visiting experts, and staff housing.西院以生活与辅助功能为主，设有北外宾馆、北外国际大厦、教职工活动中心、附属小学、留学生公寓、专家公寓与教职工宿舍。
• The older dormitories were designed by the architect Liang Sicheng and had five undergraduates to a room until new blocks built in 2005 reduced occupancy to four and added broadband access.较早的宿舍楼由建筑学家梁思成设计，本科生原为五人一间，2005 年新建宿舍后改为四人一间，并接入宽带。
• Two student canteens serve the campus, one in each compound, the eastern hall rising four storeys and supplemented by a smaller halal canteen, snack counters and a basement supermarket.校内东西两院各有一座学生食堂，东院大食堂共四层，另有较小的清真食堂、快餐窗口与地下超市作为补充。
• Public transport is close at hand, with Weigongcun station on metro line 4 about 200 metres east of the east gate and Suzhouqiao station on lines 12 and 16 about 500 metres north of the west gate.校园交通便利，东门向东约 200 米为地铁四号线魏公村站，西门向北约 500 米为地铁十二号线与十六号线苏州桥站。
• The neighbourhood is dense with universities and cultural institutions, Beijing Institute of Technology to the north, Renmin University of China and Peking University further up the Third Ring Road, and the National Library of China and Zizhuyuan Park to the south.校园周边高校与文化机构密集，正北为北京理工大学，沿西三环北路向北可达中国人民大学与北京大学，向南则通往国家图书馆与紫竹院公园。
• A north campus opened in 2021 in the former Beijing Television building on the northern edge of the site, giving the journalism school modern studios and teaching space.2021 年，学校在校园北侧的原北京电视台旧楼开辟北校区，为新闻传播学院提供现代化的演播与教学空间。

Reputation

• QS places BFSU in the 1201-1400 band of its World University Rankings 2027, a tied range that reflects the small size and specialised profile of the institution.在 2027 年 QS 世界大学排名中，北外被列入 1201-1400 区间，这一并列名次反映了学校规模较小、学科高度专门化的特点。
• BFSU does not appear in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2027, having not entered that table in the current cycle.北外未进入 2027 年泰晤士高等教育世界大学排名。
• The university also does not appear in the U.S. News Best Global Universities list for 2026-2027, which weights research output heavily in fields where BFSU is comparatively small.该校同样未进入 2026-2027 年度 U.S. News 全球大学榜单，该榜单在科研产出上的权重较大，而北外在这一维度规模有限。
• BFSU does not enter the main table of the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2026, which concentrates on science-heavy institutions with large citation counts.北外未进入 2026 年软科世界大学学术排名主榜，该榜主要面向科研规模与引用量庞大的理工医类高校。
• In the QS World University Rankings by Subject the university has consistently placed among the top 100 institutions worldwide in linguistics, and it also features in the rankings for modern languages, English language and literature, education and arts and humanities.在 QS 世界大学学科排名中，北外的语言学长期位居全球前 100 名，并在现代语言、英语语言与文学、教育学以及艺术与人文学科榜单中占有一席之地。
• The Best Chinese Universities Ranking published by ShanghaiRanking places BFSU first among Chinese universities that specialise in language studies and research.在软科发布的中国最佳大学排名中，北外在中国专门从事语言教学与研究的大学里位列第一。
• Statistics based on national college entrance examination scores from 2012 to 2023 put BFSU 17th among nearly 3,000 Chinese higher education institutions, and uniRank placed it 351st in the world in 2022.基于 2012 至 2023 年全国高考成绩的统计显示，北外在中国近 3000 所高等院校中排名第 17 位；uniRank 则把该校列为 2022 年世界第 351 位。
• Graduate pay surveys underline its market value, with BFSU third nationally behind Tsinghua University and Peking University in the 2019 ranking and eighth in the 2021 national salary index.毕业生薪酬调查印证了该校的市场认可度：2019 年榜单中北外位居全国第三，仅次于清华大学与北京大学，2021 年全国高校毕业生薪酬指数排行则列第八。
• The university calls itself the cradle of the diplomats of the People's Republic of China and counts more than 400 ambassadors and close to 1,000 counsellors among its graduates, a record rivalled by China Foreign Affairs University.学校自称「共和国外交官的摇篮」，校友中有 400 余位大使与近 1000 位参赞，这一纪录只有外交学院可与之比肩。

Student life

• Life is concentrated on the compact east compound, where classrooms, the library, dormitories and canteens sit within a few minutes of one another and students often read aloud in the open air early in the morning.学生生活集中在紧凑的东院，教室、图书馆、宿舍与食堂彼此相距不过几分钟路程，清晨常有学生在户外朗读。
• The student union works under the university party committee and the youth league, and a set of affiliated bodies runs media, volunteer and international exchange activities on campus.学生会在校党委领导与团委指导下开展工作，另有若干隶属机构负责校园媒体、志愿服务与国际交流活动。
• The Xin media studio runs the WE circle account for the student affairs office, the Student News Centre operates the university's official account, and the International Communication Association assists the international office with major events.歆媒体网络创意文化工作室为学生处运营「北外 WE 圈」平台，学生新闻中心运营学校官方公众号，国际交流协会则协助国际处承办校级外事活动。
• The Youth Volunteers Association coordinates service projects, and the campus calendar is filled with lectures, seminars, performances, film screenings and society activities that reflect the university's relatively open atmosphere.青年志愿者协会统筹志愿服务项目；校园日程排满讲座、研讨会、演出、电影放映与社团活动，体现出学校相对开放自由的氛围。
• Undergraduates normally share rooms of four with broadband access, and the two canteens, the halal kitchen and the basement supermarket cover most daily needs without leaving the campus.本科生通常四人一间宿舍并可使用宽带，两座食堂、清真厨房与地下超市足以满足日常所需，无需离开校园。
• Sporting facilities on the east compound include a stadium, tennis courts and a gymnasium, and the university fields teams in intercollegiate competitions across Beijing.东院体育设施包括体育场、网球场与体育馆，学校组建多支队伍参加北京高校的各类联赛。
• Beyond the gates, the back street east of campus and the bar street on Weigongcun Road offer restaurants and bars, while Zizhuyuan Park and the National Library of China provide quieter retreats to the south.校门之外，东门外「后街」与魏公村路「酒吧一条街」餐馆酒吧林立；向南的紫竹院公园与国家图书馆则提供了安静的休憩去处。
• In 2011 the university adopted the motto Embrace diversity, pursue broad learning and earnest practice, proposed by Premier Wen Jiabao in a letter marking the seventieth anniversary.2011 年，学校启用「兼容并蓄，博学笃行」的校训，这一表述由温家宝总理在七十周年校庆贺信中提出。
• The earlier motto, unity, tension, seriousness and vivacity, came from the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University and remained in use until the new formulation was introduced.此前的校训「团结、紧张、严肃、活泼」承自抗大，一直沿用至新校训启用为止。
• The school song, Forever in the Service of the People, was written by the alumnus Fang Kun and is sung at convocations and anniversary ceremonies.校歌《永远为人民服务》由校友方堃创作，在开学典礼与校庆仪式上传唱。
• International students, including Confucius Institute scholarship holders and exchange students from partner universities, give the campus a cosmopolitan texture unusual for an institution of its size.包括孔子学院奖学金生与伙伴院校交换生在内的国际学生，为这所规模不大的学校增添了浓厚的国际化气息。

Notable people

• BFSU graduates include more than 400 ambassadors and nearly 1,000 counsellors, and the university likes to say that wherever the Chinese flag flies, a BFSU alumnus can be found.北外校友中有 400 余位大使与近 1000 位参赞，学校常说「世界上凡是有五星红旗飘扬的地方，就有北外校友的身影」。
• Cui Tiankai, the longest-serving Chinese ambassador to the United States, studied at the university before joining the foreign service.中国驻美国大使任职时间最长的崔天凯曾在该校学习，此后进入外交系统工作。
• Jin Liqun, the first president of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, is a BFSU graduate and a former vice minister of finance.亚洲基础设施投资银行首任行长金立群是北外校友，曾任财政部副部长。
• Hao Ping, president of Peking University and a former president of BFSU, illustrates the close institutional ties between the two Haidian universities.北京大学校长、北外前校长郝平，正是这两所海淀高校密切机构联系的例证。
• Gao Xingjian, the novelist and playwright who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2000, studied French at the university.2000 年诺贝尔文学奖得主、小说家与剧作家高行健曾在北外学习法语。
• Xu Guozhang, the linguist and educator whose English textbooks shaped generations of Chinese learners, taught at the university for decades and is regarded as a founding figure of its English department.语言学家与教育家许国璋曾在北外任教数十年，他编写的英语教材影响了几代中国学习者，被视为该校英语系的奠基人物之一。
• He Jiong, one of China's best-known television hosts, graduated in Arabic and later taught at the university before moving into broadcasting full time.中国最知名的电视主持人之一何炅毕业于阿拉伯语专业，后曾留校任教，之后全职投入电视行业。
• Yang Lan, co-founder and chairperson of Sun Media Group, studied English at BFSU and became one of the country's most prominent media entrepreneurs.阳光媒体集团联合创始人兼董事长杨澜在北外学习英语，后来成为中国最具影响力的媒体创业者之一。
• Hu Xijin, former editor-in-chief of the Global Times, is counted among the university's journalism alumni and remains a frequent commentator on international affairs.《环球时报》前总编辑胡锡进被列为该校新闻方向的校友，至今仍是国际时事评论的常见面孔。
• Tae Yong-ho, a member of the South Korean National Assembly and a former deputy North Korean ambassador to the United Kingdom, also studied at BFSU.韩国国会议员、前朝鲜驻英国副大使太永浩同样曾在北京外国语大学学习。
• Fu Ying, a former vice minister of foreign affairs and spokeswoman for the National People's Congress, is another of the diplomats trained in the university's English department.外交部前副部长、全国人大发言人傅莹，是该校英语系培养的另一位外交官。