Beijing
Foreign Studies University (BFSU) is a key university under the Ministry of Education
(MOE). BFSU has long enjoyed a good reputation in the qualities of her language
teaching programs and has witnessed rapid development in teaching and research
activities over the past two decades. BFSU now is incorporating more interdisciplinaries
programs and offers a variety of tertiary education programs (programs with BA,
MA, Ph.D. degrees or certificates).
There are 9 academic departments
at BFSU. They are departments of English, German, French, Arabic, Spanish, Japanese,
Afro-Asian Languages, East European Languages and Social Sciences. In addition,
there are 7 schools and institutes at BFSU. They are School of Russian, Graduate
School of Translation and Interpretation, School of English Communication, School
of Adult Education, School of International Economy and Trade, School of International
Exchange and Research Institute of Foreign Languages and Culture. Other facilities
include the University A-V Center, and the University Library.
BFSU offers 30 undergraduate programs in foreign language studies including English,
Russian, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Arabic, Italian, Swedish, Portuguese,
Kampuchean, Vietnamese, Lao, Burmese, Thai, Indonesian, Malay, Sinhalese, Turkish,
Korean, Swahili, Hausa, Polish, Czech, Hungary, Romanian, Bulgarian, Serbo-Croatian,
and Albanian. BFSU also provides undergraduate programs in information management,
Chinese as a foreign language, international economy and trade, and international
studies.
BFSU provides post-graduate programs
leading to a master¡¯s degree in arts or a doctoral degree in philosophy. BFSU
has 7 Ph.D. programs in the areas of English Language and Literature, Russian
Language and Literature, German Language and Literature, Arabic Language and Literature,
Japanese Language and Literature, Spanish Language and Literature, and European
Languages and Literature. BFSU also offers post-doctoral fellowships in Foreign
Languages and Literature studies. There are 11 MA programs at BFSU including English,
Russian, German, Arabic, Japanese, Spanish, European Languages, French, Afro-Asian
Languages, linguistics and applied linguistics in foreign languages, and linguistics
and applied linguistics in Chinese. English Language and Literature at BFSU is
a state-recognized key study of the discipline.
BFSU offers
the largest number of language learning programs and other interdisciplinary studies
in China. The university draws the support from her highly-qualified and well-recognized
faculty and staff in teaching and research in the areas of foreign language studies,
literature, linguistics, translation and culture studies. Two of the professors
at BFSU are members of the Academic Disciplines Subcomittee of the Academic Degrees
Committee under the State Council; Twelve professors at BFSU sit on the University
English Teaching Steering Committee under the MOE. Four professors are recognized
by the state for their distinguished academic achievements. Another 115 faculty
members are recognized by the state for their academic performance and receive
state subsidies. The faculty members at BFSU have scored fruitful results in teaching
and research in their academic fields over the past decades. They have contributed
to the training of qualified professionals well-versed in foreign languages and
to the progress of BFSU¡¯ s teaching, research and program development. Many of
them have become leading figures in their academic fields and enjoy good reputation
in the academic community.
BFSU has won the name of a¡°garden
university¡± with her attractive physical environment for learning in the Western
suburbs of Beijing. The campus occupies an area of 304,553 square meters, with
a student dorm area of 40,000 m2 and a library of 9997 m2. Other facilities on
campus include an A-V Center, dinner halls, a university hospital, a stadium and
tennis courts.
BFSU was qualified for the first round of the
competition in her efforts to enter the ¡° 211Project¡±, launched by the Ministry
of Education in 1996. The initial success is a hallmark in the history of the
development of BFSU. BFSU aims at developing into a world class university known
for her excellence in language learning/research and multi-disciplinary studies
and providing learning opportunities to cater the growing needs in the Chinese
society for well-training and competent professionals with high levels of proficiency
in foreign languages.
Beijing Foreign Studies University evolved
from the Yan¡¯ an School of Foreign Languages based on the Russian Language Unit
of the Third Branch of the Chinese People¡¯ s Anti-Japanese Military and Political
College. The latter was established by the Chinese Communist Party in response
to the development of the war against the Japanese invasion. Ever since her initiation,
the Party Central Committee and the late Chinese leaders, including Mao Zedong
and Zhou Enlai, has provided great care and teachings for the development of the
university. BFSU has been China¡¯ s principal base offering excellent training
in foreign language learning and teaching. The university has turned out a large
number of graduates with high levels of proficiency in foreign languages, who
work in government departments of foreign relations or related areas since 1949.
In her history of over half a century, Chinese leaders Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, Chen
Yi, Ye Jianying, Yang Shangkun, Liao Chengzhi, among others, have provided great
care and guidance to the university. BFSU was affiliated to the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs from her establishment to the early 1980s and it is currently a key university
under MOE.
