Beijing Language and Culture University
Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU; Běijīng yǔyán dàxué 北京语言大学), colloquially known in Chinese as Beiyu (北语, Běiyǔ), is the only one of its kind in China with its main task set at teaching the Chinese language and culture to foreign students. Meanwhile it also undertakes the tasks of Chinese students’ education specialized in foreign languages and other relevant subjects of humanities and social sciences, training teachers of Chinese as a foreign language, and intensive training of foreign languages.
History
Early in the 1950s when the undertaking of teaching Chinese as a foreign language (TCFL) was still at the initial stage, the first generation of BLCU teachers had taken 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 as Beijing Language Institute and later was renamed as Beijing Language and Culture University (北京语言文化大学）in June, 1996, which was shortened to Beijing Language University (in Chinese) in July, 2002 with the approval of the Ministry of Education. September 6th, 2002 witnessed the celebration of the 40th anniversary of BLCU, for which General-Secretary Jiang Zemin and Vice-Premier Li Lanqing wrote letters of congratulation, 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 subway station on line 13.
Goals & achievements
As an international University, BLCU has carried on for more than 40 years its consistent aim of “popularizing Chinese language and promoting Chinese culture.” Generations of faculties have been working hard and thus has turned BLCU into an international center for teaching Chinese as a foreign language and 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 home and abroad. Since the founding of the University, more than 60,000 students from over 160 countries and regions have stepped out into the world from here over the past 40 years. Among them, some have become distinguished diplomats, sinologists and journalists; 14 once worked as foreign ambassadors to China and more than 30 are diplomats working in the embassies to China. Moreover, BLCU has turned out more than 3,000 qualified Chinese graduates, who are now playing an active role in the fields of education, diplomacy and the management of foreign affairs. Besides, more than 30,000 people have received intensive language training here before going abroad, some of whom are now in the leading posts or become the backbones of various fields and sectors in China.