Beijing Language and Culture University
39°59′36″N 116°20′16″E / 39.99333°N 116.33778°E
北京语言大学 | |
 South gate | |
Former names | Higher Preparatory School for Foreign Students (1962-4), Beijing Language Institute (1964-1996) |
|---|---|
| Established | 1962 |
| President | Cui Xiliang |
| Vice-president | Lin Guoli, Huo Mingjie, Han Jingtai |
| Chairperson of the University Council | Wang Lujiang |
| Students | 13,000 (9,000 international; 4,000 Chinese) |
| Location | , |
| Campus | Urban |
| Nickname | Beiyu (北语) |
| Website | http://www.blcu.edu.cn/blcuweb/english/index-en.asp |
Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU; Běijīng yǔyán dàxué 北京语言大学), colloquially known in Chinese as Beiyu (北语, Běiyǔ), has the main aim of teaching the Chinese language and culture to foreign students. However, it also takes Chinese students specializing in foreign languages and other relevant subjects of humanities and social sciences, and trains teachers of Chinese as a foreign language. It is the only institute of this kind in China.
History
Early in the 1950s when the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language (TCFL) was still at the initial stage, the first generation of BLCU teachers took an active part in the pioneering work. As a result, the first school of higher education specially oriented to foreign students, "Higher Preparatory School for Foreign Students", was established in June 1962. In 1964, the school was officially named "Beijing Language Institute" and later renamed as "Beijing Language and Culture University (北京语言文化大学）" in June, 1996, this was shortened to Beijing Language University (in Chinese) in July, 2002 with the approval of the Ministry of Education. September 6, 2002 witnessed the celebration of the 40th anniversary of BLCU, for which General-Secretary Jiang Zemin and Vice-Premier Li Lanqing wrote letters of congratulations, and the Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee Li Peng wrote words of encouragement.
Campus
Located in the Haidian District of Beijing, close to Tsinghua University and Peking University. It is on Xueyuan Lu 学院路 and Chengfu Lu 成府路 and near the Wudaokou 五道口 subway station on line 13.
Goals & achievements
 | This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. (March 2009) |
For forty years BLCU has carried out its mission to popularize Chinese language and promote Chinese culture, in the process BLCU has turned into an international center for teaching Chinese as a foreign language as well as a training base for personnel engaged in or concerned with foreign affairs. Since 1990s, the education scope of BLCU has been enlarged, covering a wide range of fields including literature, economics, law, education, history and engineering.
BLCU distinguishes itself by its unique cultural atmosphere of diversity, which attracts a large number of students from both mainland China and abroad. Since its founding more than 60,000 students from over 160 countries and regions have graduated from BLCU. Among them, fourteen have worked as ambassadors to China and more than thirty are diplomats working in embassies in China. Moreover, BLCU has turned out more than 3,000 qualified Chinese graduates, many of whom play active roles in the fields of education, diplomacy and the management of foreign affairs. More than 30,000 Chinese students have received intensive language training here.
See also
- List of universities in Mainland China
- Beijing Language and Culture University Press
- BLCUer Community
External links
- Beijing Language and Culture University
- Pictures of the BLCU campus
- Apply for Beijing Language and Culture University online
- Unofficial student guide
