Beijing Foreign Studies University
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Beijing Foreign Studies University (北京外国语大学) is a university in the western suburbs of Beijing, China. 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, dining halls, and tennis courts. The university is also popularly known as Bei Wai.
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 Communist Party of China in response to the development of the war against the Japanese invasion. Ever since its initiation, the Party Central Committee and the late Chinese leaders, including Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, have provided great care and teachings for the development of the university. BFSU has been China's principal base offering training in foreign language learning and teaching. BFSU was affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from its establishment to the early 1980s and it is currently a key university under the Ministry of Education.
BFSU was qualified for the first round of the competition in its 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 its excellence in language learning/research and multi-disciplinary studies and providing learning opportunities that cater to the growing needs in Chinese society for well-trained and competent professionals with high levels of proficiency in foreign languages.
Some 115 faculty members are recognized by the state for their academic performance and receive state subsidies.
