Beijing Language and Culture University was established in 1962. In June 1964, it was designated as Beijing Language Institute. In June 1996, it was renamed as Beijing Language and Culture University, and simplified as Beijing Language University in 2002. BLCU, known as Little United Nations, is the only university of its kind in China that promotes Chinese all over the world and offers Chinese language and culture courses to foreign students as well as a multidisciplinary university featured in language teaching and research. Since its foundation in 1962, BLCU has been an important academic base for language and culture research and the cradle for international talents in China.

Since its founding, the university has trained some 120,000 foreign students who are proficient in the Chinese language and familiar with the Chinese culture from 176 countries and regions. In the area of the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language and the promotion of Chinese culture, Beijing Language and Culture University has the longest history, the largest size and the most well-qualified academic faculty. Among its more than 700 teachers, about 300 are professors/research fellows or associate professors/associate research fellows. BLCU has also engaged quite a few guest professors who are well known both at home and abroad. In addition, about 80 foreign experts and specialists have held teaching post in BLCU. All of these make the university a major base for TCFL and related research in the country. Since 90s, academic programs of BLCU have been widened further. Disciplines are composed of five categories: literature, economics, law, engineering and management. Besides a Post-doctoral Research Center, there are 15 Ph. D programs, 28 masters’ degree programs and 23 bachelors’ degree programs now. So far, a new disciplinary system has been set up, which is rational in structure and substantial in content.

Now the university comprises the following institutions: the College of Chinese Studies, the College of Foreign Languages, the School of Humanities, the Teachers Training College, the College of Advanced Chinese Training, the College of Intensive Chinese Studies, the College of Information Science, the International Business School, the school of Translation and Interpretation, the School of Social Sciences, the Pre-departure Training Department, the College of Continuing Education, the College of Network Education, the English Education Center and the Physical Education Department. 　
In addition to the teaching institutions, BLCU also has a few research bodies, such as the TCFL Center, the Chinese Proficiency Test Center (HSK), the Language Research Institute, the Institute of Applied Linguistics, the Language Information Processing Center, the Institution of Comparative Literature, the Chinese Culture Research Center，the Capital International Culture Research Base, the International Research Base for Chinese Language Teaching. It also has a library, a publishing house and a Center of Internet Information and Educational Technology. The TCFL Center, which bears a number of scientific research projects of state and provincial level, is the only research base of state level in the field of Teaching Chinese as Foreign Language in China.

BLCU has established extensive cooperative relations with over 280 universities and educational institutions in 50 countries and regions worldwide. Annually, more than 300 students are exchanged to study abroad. Overseas training offices have been set up in Korea and Thailand. The university has also established joint teaching centers in Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, and Macao.

The academic journals of BLCU such as Language Teaching and Linguistic Studies, Chinese Teaching in the World and Chinese Culture Research are rated Level A in China and they are very influential both at home and abroad.

Hjemmeside: http://english.blcu.edu.cn/