Founded in Yan’an in 1941, Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) is China’s first institution specializing in foreign language studies. BFSU is one of the key universities directly affiliated with the Ministry of Education (MOE) of the People’s Republic of China. Excellence in foreign language teaching has allowed BFSU to enjoy a good reputation for quality programs boasting rapid development in teaching and research activities.

BFSU is located in the Haidian District of Beijing, where the key institutions of higher education are concentrated. The total area of BFSU is 310,000 square meters. The Third Ring Road runs through the center of the university campus making transportation very convenient.

          
BFSU has 12 schools and institutes: School of English, School of International Communication, School of Russian, School of International Business, School of Chinese Language and Literature, Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation, School of Adult Education, School of Online Education, School of Law, School of Training, and the Research Institute of Foreign Languages and Culture. BFSU also has 10 academic departments: German, FRA, Japanese, Spanish, Arabic, European Languages, Afro-Asian Languages, Social Sciences, College English Language Unit, and Physical Education. In addition, BFSU has over a dozen research institutes including the Beijing Center for Japanese Studies, the European and USA Literature Research Center, the Foreign Languages Research Center, the International Issues Research Center, as well as an USA Studies Center.

BFSU is one of the first institutions authorized by the MOE to offer Master and Doctoral degree programs. BFSU offers a Post Doctoral program in foreign language research; 9 PH.D. programs in English, Russian, German, Japanese, Spanish, Arabic, European Languages and Culture, Linguistics & Applied Linguistics, and Comparative Literature & Culture; 15 MA. programs in 34 languages, Chinese as a Foreign Language, Law, and Diplomacy; and 45 BA degree programs in 35 languages.

BFSU is superbly staffed with a highly-qualified, experienced and conscientious faculty of more than 600 members, 330 of whom are professors and associate professors and 200 of whom are lecturers. Each year approximately 120 teachers and experts are invited from more than 20 countries to teach at BFSU.

BFSU has been actively engaged in comprehensive and in-depth international exchange and cooperation. To date, BFSU has established extensive academic links with 206 universities and educational institutions in 50 countries and areas.

          
In the 1950s BFSU started to enroll overseas students and was one of the first universities enrolling scholarship students sponsored by the Chinese Government. The main task of the School of Chinese Language and Literature (SCLL) is to teach overseas students Chinese. SCLL offers Chinese Language courses for the undergraduate program; Linguistic and Applied Linguistic courses for the graduate program; Non-degree Chinese Language Training courses; and Vocational Short-term Intensive Chinese programs. Chinese undergraduate programs include 4 specialties: Chinese Language; Literature and Culture; Economy and Trade; and Chinese-English languages. The goal of SCLL is to turn out multi-lingual personnel with competent knowledge of more than one discipline and the capability of communicating in Chinese. In order to satisfy the special needs of overseas students, SCLL, also offers in non-degree training programs Intermediate and Advanced Chinese courses (economy & trade), and Advanced Chinese-Japanese Interpretation and Translation courses. SCLL has 70 teachers of Chinese, 8 of whom are full professors and 25 of whom are associate professors. Each year BFSU hosts over 1,000 overseas students from over 40 countries.