Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU; 北京外国语大学) is a public university in Haidian, Beijing, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education. The university is part of Project 211 and the Double First-Class Construction.

The International Business School of Beijing Foreign Studies University is accredited from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. BFSU alumni are well known in Chinese diplomacy circles such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of State Security.

History

BFSU was affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from its establishment in 1941 to the early 1980s.

BFSU has more than 3,000 international students from all over the world, more than 100 countries. More than 70 years, over 90,000 people have graduated from the Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Rankings and reputation

BFSU is a research university specializing in foreign language studies. BFSU ranked 17th out of almost 3,000 higher education institutions in China according to statistics based on the Gaokao from 2012 to 2023.

As of 2023, Beijing Foreign Studies University ranked first among universities in China specializing in language studies and research in the recent edition of the Best Chinese Universities Ranking. The university consistently features in the top 100 international universities in linguistics as ranked by the QS World University Rankings by subjects. BFSU is also highly ranked by the world universities rankings in "Arts and Humanities", "Modern Languages", " English Language and Literature" and "Education".

The university was ranked first in the Ranking of Chinese Language Universities of the Academic Ranking of World Universities.

Notable people

• Gao Xingjian, Chinese French novelist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature "For an Oeuvre of Universal Validity, Bitter Insights and Linguistic Ingenuity." Graduated from the Department of French.
• Jin Liqun, President of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and Former Vice President of Asian Development Bank (ADB)
• Thae Yong-ho, Member of the National Assembly (South Korea). North Korean-born South Korean politician, and former DPRK's deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom. The first North Korean defector to win a National Assembly (South Korea) seat.
• Cui Tiankai, Chinese diplomat and longest-serving Chinese Ambassador to the United States
• Yang Lan, co-founder and chairperson of the Sun Media Group and the Sun Culture Foundation
• He Jiong, ranked 53rd on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list
• Hao Ping, present president of Peking University, former president of Beijing Foreign Studies University
• Hu Xijin, former editor-in-chief of Global Times