The School of Foreign Studies

Founded in January of 2013, the School of Foreign Studies brought together the existing Department of English Language, Department of Japanese Language, and the Department of French Language. With an enrollment of approximately 800 undergraduate and graduate students, the school administrates the work of these three departments as well as the activities of the Institute of American Studies, the Institute of African Studies, the English Writing Center, the Multilingual Service Center, and the Beijing Yaxin Translation Center. The school also publishes the academic journal Foreign Language Academic. English, French, and Japanese have a long history in UIR as the primary languages taught to the school’s undergraduate and postgraduate students. Foreign language instruction has been offered to UIR undergraduates since 1949 and to postgraduate students since 1979. The school currently offers a first-level discipline in foreign languages and literatures.

In the early years of the PRC, UIR provided foreign language instruction to future ambassadors and diplomats, and the university has been helping talented students prepare for careers in diplomacy, foreign affairs, and related professional fields ever since.

The school has an accomplished teaching faculty, with 64 full-time instructors, including 10 professors and 29 associate professors, and 61% with a senior title. Dedicated to their work, most of the instructors have been granted local honorary titles. In addition to teaching, faculty members regularly undertake major research projects for the National Planning Office of Philosophy and Social Science, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Intensive teaching is provided through a high instructor-to-student ratio, so that students can seek guidance both for their schoolwork and for their lives outside school. Students also have the benefit of advanced language-teaching facilities as well as internship opportunities with organizations such as China Translation and Publishing Corporation, China International Publishing Group, and People China magazine.

Through its relationships with universities in the US, Japan, France, and other countries, the school is also known for creating opportunities for its students to participate in international exchanges and other forms of international cooperation.