Brief Introduction
Sichuan International Studies University is a public university located in Chongqing, China. It is colloquially known in Chinese as Chuan Wai. Originally founded as Russian Training School of Southwest Military University of PLA in May 1950, it is the only university specialized in foreign language studies in the Southwest region of China. Due to its close relationship with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it is one of the ministry's few direct recruitment spots. The total student body amounts to 15,000, including foreign students and short-term students. According to the latest Wu Shulian Chinese Universities Rankings, Sichuan International Studies University is ranked No. 4 among all Chinese international studies universities.
Sichuan International Studies University is an important base for foreign language education and scientific research and information consultancy center in the southwest as well. Over the past six decades, plenty of foreign language teaching and research talents have gathered here in the university, we have accumulated rich experience in foreign language teaching, made remarkable achievements in foreign language research, built advanced philosophy for foreign language teaching, created good environment for foreign language learning, and deposited profound cultural heritage on the campus.
1. History
The development of Sichuan International Studies University has been highlighted with 6 important dates:
April, 1950: founding of the “PLA’s Russian Training Corps of Southwest University of Military and Political Sciences” with the support of Deng Xiaoping, Liu Bocheng, He Long and other proletarian revolutionaries of the People’s Republic of China.
January, 1951: renamed as the “Russian Training Brigade of No.2 Senior Infantry School of the PLA.”
November, 1952: renamed as the “Russian Department of Southwest People’s Revolutionary University.”
March 1953: renamed as “Southwest Russian College.”
May 1959: renamed as “Sichuan Institute of Foreign Languages”.
May 1990: renamed as “Sichuan International Studies University”.
2. Discipline and programs
Making full use of its advantages in foreign language education, Sichuan International Studies University develops related disciplines in coordination, such as literature, economics, management, law ,pedagogy, philosophy and the liberal arts. At present the university has 22 academic departments and subordinate colleges. It offers undergraduate degrees in 36 programs, 36 master degree programs and 3 doctor degrees in foreign language education. It offers 11 foreign language courses. It is engaged in education on different levels and in different forms, embracing post-graduate education, undergraduate education, international student education, continuing education, etc.
Foreign languages offered in the college include Portuguese, Russian, English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Korean, Japanese and Arabic. A number of non-language specialties have been added to its curriculum, such as law, journalism, Chinese as a foreign language, advertising, and tourism management. Six master's degree programs have been offered, namely, Portuguese, Russian Language and Literature, English Language and Literature, French Language and Literature, German Language and Literature, Japanese Language and Literature, Comparative Literature and World Literature.
3. Academic facilities and Scientific research
Sichuan International Studies University boasts a strong contingent of devoted, qualified and experienced teachers with a high academic level. Some of the teachers are model teachers and model educators of the national level; some have been granted special allowance by the State Council; some have been granted the title of “experts with outstanding contributions” at the provincial/ministerial level; some are academic leaders at the provincial level; some are famous teachers of the provincial level; and some have been granted the titles of “Chongqing’s model teachers for their fine virtues and ethics”, or “excellent teachers of Chongqing” and other tiles of honor. Besides, some teachers have formed the best education teams of the provincial level.
At present, Sichuan International Studies University has 5 experimental centers for the development of a new mode of intellectual cultivation, 3 experimental teaching demonstration centers, 1 postgraduate education innovation center and 1 professional-degree educational reform center, 3 key academic research centers for humanity and social studies at the provincial level: “the Center for Linguistic, Literary and Cultural Studies”, “the Center for Comparative Literature and Comparative Cultural Studies”, and “the Research Center for International Business and Economy”. It has international and regional research center sponsored by the Ministry of Education i.e. the center for German Studies, the training and research center for studying abroad. It also has the “Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Foreign Language Learning” and “the Key Laboratory for Multi-lingual Corpus Linguistics”. It has established over 20 research institutes, including “Research Institute for Foreign Language Education and Resources” and “Research Institute for Lexicography Studies”. Foreign Language and Literature, a journal published by the University, is a “national core journal in Chinese”, it is one of China’s top 100 journals in social sciences, and it is an “A-class priority journal” supported by Chongqing Municipality.
The teaching facilities in Sichuan International Studies University are complete and advanced. The University has classroom with multimedia facilities and sound labs for foreign language teaching, translation and oral interpretation-the best in southwestern China. The University library boasts a collection of more than 1.6 million books which include foreign language and literature works published in foreign countries, reference books and dictionaries on language studies. In addition, the library subscribes to about 3,000 periodicals in both Chinese and foreign languages.
4. Great achievements
Taking advantage of its language competence, Sichuan International Studies University has graduated many talented professionals to lift the level of internationalization and social civilization of Chongqing, to create more economic environment and to facilitate the internationalization and diversified development of Chongqing industries. Volunteers from Sichuan International Studies University were frequently seen at many international and domestic grand events and other foreign events in Chongqing, offering foreign guests, entrepreneurs and journalists the services of reception, translation and interpretation, contact, coordination and guide. Their performance and services were greatly appreciated by the domestic and foreign friends. Since its establishment, Sichuan International Studies University has graduated more than 100,000 talented professionals in foreign-related fields and many of them have become leaders and backbone members of their respective units. They work hard in various areas, fully utilizing their knowledge in specific areas and contributing to regional and national economic development, foreign exchanges, as well as playing a crucial role in developing the friendship between the Chinese people and the people in other countries and regions.
5. Communication and international cooperation
Inter-college exchanges have been established between Sichuan International Studies University and about 80 universities around the world. Extensive cooperation and exchanges have been going on between Sichuan International Studies University and other Chinese or foreign colleges in the training of teachers and education of teachers and the education of undergraduates and postgraduates. The University is the only formal member unit of Chinese members of Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF). In cooperation with education institutions of the other countries, Sichuan International Studies University has set up some foreign language centers on its campus, such as Alliance Française de Chongqing, the Goethe Language Center, the Russian Language Center, the Cervantes Institute, the South Korean Center, and the Consortium of University of Toulouse, France at China Office, and it has established Confucius Institutes at Lome University of Togo, Nizhniy Novgorod Language University of Russia and University of West Florida of America. Cooperating with the University of Newcastle, Australia, Sichuan International Studies University is one offering an “International dual-degree” joint program in Business English.
The final information is subject to the University If there is any discrepancy!