Beijing Foreign Studies University, or BFSU, is a prestigious university in China under the Chinese Ministry of Education's direct leadership. It is one of China's top universities listed under Project 985 and Project 211, comprising top universities in China. At present, BFSU is one of China's oldest language universities，teaching the most significant number of languages and offering education at different levels. Located in the Haidian District of Beijing，BFSU is divided into two campuses – the West Campus and the East Campus.
In 1941, BFSU started as the Russian Language Team in the Third Branch of Chinese People's Anti-Japanese Military and Political College. It was later renamed Yan'an Foreign Languages School under the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China's direct leadership. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the school was put under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs leadership. It was renamed as Beijing Foreign Languages Institute in 1954 and merged with Beijing Russian Institute in 1959. Since 1980, the Institute was put under the direct leadership of the Ministry of Education. In 1994, it took on its current name Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU). Today, BFSU teaches 83 foreign languages and offers education programs at different levels, including doctoral programs in foreign languages and literature, Chinese language and literature, journalism and communication, political science, law, management science, engineering, etc.
In more than 70 years, over 90 000 people have graduated from BFSU. BFSU now serves as an essential education base for qualified professionals with language competence who, after graduation, work as diplomats, translators/interpreters, business people, journalists, lawyers, bankers, etc. For example, among BFSU alumni who work or have worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we have over 400 ambassadors and over 1 000 counselors. BFSU is thus known as the "Cradle of Diplomats."
