Founded in 1949, and administered by the Ministry of Education, the University of international Relations is recognized as one of China's key national universities. Situated in Zhongguancun Science and Technology Park in the Haidian District of Beijing, to the east of the Summer Palace and west of Yuanmingyuan Park, UIR occupies a site with many world-class universities nearby. Blessed with an unparalleled geographical location and boasting a superb teaching and research environment, the UIR has produced many outstanding graduates.

With its motto of "loyal, diligent, practical, and creative," the core mission of the university is to serve the nation by cultivating superior talents in the fields of international relations and foreign languages. UIR’s students develop an international outlook, strong research abilities in international affairs, and a profoundly humanistic perspective. As a result, UIR’s graduates leave the university with the potential to provide creative leadership in different areas of society. After more than 60 years’ development, now UIR has become a multidisciplinary university famous for its research and teaching focus on foreign language and international issues.

The university’s academic units include the departments of International Politics, International Economics, Culture and Communication, Law, Public Management, and Physical and Aesthetic Education as well as the schools of Information Technology and Foreign Studies.

The undergraduate and graduate curriculums offer various majors including the following: international politics (both theory and diplomatic practice), international relations, the Chinese and foreign political systems, international law, international affairs management, public diplomacy and cultural communication, international economics, political economics, public procurement, English literature, French literature, Japanese literature, translatology, Chinese as an international language, information security, intelligent information processing, communication and information systems, and a number of other educational programs. All those involve five categories of economics, law, literature, management, engineering and 30 areas of study.

In addition, the graduate curriculum includes an international cooperative Master’s training program, “China and International Relations” (CIR), offered jointly by UIR and Denmark’s Aalborg University. Graduates from this program obtain Master’s degree certificates from both universities.

The university also offers a joint doctoral program for International Relations majors.

Adhering to its “student-centered” mission, UIR is known for its intensive-learning environment, with small classes and an experienced and dedicated teaching staff.

The UIR has developed long-term cooperative relationships with a dozen universities and other academic institutions around the world, including Aalborg University, Université de Toulouse 1 Capitole, Sciences Politiques Toulouse, Hiroshima University, Marietta College and Galilee International Management Institute.

Since 2013 UIR has been offering summer semesters for international education. Foreign experts and professors from a dozen countries and regions are invited to teach academic and proactive courses every summer. To broaden its students horizons, the UIR also offers overseas study and international training projects. As well, a number of students are chosen to study in the United States and Europe each summer. Moreover, outstanding graduates are awarded graduation trips to neighboring countries.

UIR houses various research institutions, including the Research Center for International Strategy and Security Studies, the Research Center on China and International Relations, and the Institute of Public market and Government Procurement. UIR also publishes several academic journals, including the Chinese and English versions of International Security Studies.

UIR undertakes research on many national and provincial topics, and is establishing a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary “Great UIR” system of research featuring cross-disciplinary studies of national security and international relations.