Shanghai International Studies University (SISU; ) is China's leading university in linguistics, cultural studies, and global and area studies. Established in December 1949, SISU is known for being one of the earliest institutions where China's higher education in foreign languages took shape. It was listed in the Double First Class University identified by the Ministry of Education and former Project 211. As of 2021, Shanghai International Studies University ranked no.3 nationwide among universities specialized on languages teaching and research in the widely recognized Best Chinese Universities Ranking.

History

After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the East China office of the

Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, officially the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is a political body that comprises the top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It is currently composed of 205 fu ...

() and the government of the Shanghai Municipality decided to establish an institute for higher education in Russian studies to cultivate qualified diplomats and translators for international affairs. With the support of Mayor Chen Yi, the Shanghai Russian School () was officially established in December 1949.

Jiang Chunfang Jiang Chunfang (, –) was a Chinese translator, educationist, and one of the founders of the Encyclopedia of China. He was born in Changzhou, Jiangsu. He had a number of aliases, including Lin Ling (), Shi Yun (), and Cai Yun (). Biography Jia ...

, one of the most famous Russian translators in China and the first chief editor of the '' Encyclopedia of China'', was appointed the school's first president. In 1950, the department of English was established and the college was incorporated as the foreign language school affiliated to the East China People's Revolution University (). The department of oriental language and literature was founded in April, 1951 and languages as

Burmese Burmese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Myanmar, a country in Southeast Asia * Burmese people * Burmese language * Burmese alphabet * Burmese cuisine * Burmese culture Animals * Burmese cat * Burmese chicken * Burmese (hor ...

, Vietnamese,

Indonesian Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to: * Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia ** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago ** Indonesian ...

had respectively been introduced to teaching. Later in 1952, a nationwide restructuring of institutes of higher education began in China, and the department of oriental language and literature was incorporated into

Peking University Peking University (PKU; ) is a public research university in Beijing, China. The university is funded by the Ministry of Education. Peking University was established as the Imperial University of Peking in 1898 when it received its royal charter ...

. The college was renamed as Shanghai Russian College that specialise in teaching

Russian language Russian (russian: русский язык, russkij jazyk, link=no, ) is an East Slavic languages, East Slavic language mainly spoken in Russia. It is the First language, native language of the Russians, and belongs to the Indo-European langua ...

. The university was used to be widely known as Shanghai Foreign Language Institute () since its expansion in 1956 and became a national key university approved by the State Council in 1963 with the department of Russian, English (re-established),

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, Japanese, Arabic and Spanish. Approved by the Ministry of Education in 1994, it was officially renamed as Shanghai International Studies University (). In the same year, it was listed as one of the first colleges and universities jointly supervised by the national Ministry of Education and the Municipality of Shanghai. In 1996, SISU passed the evaluation process of former Project 211 directed by the Ministry of Education, and then, SISU was included in the Double First Class University Plan designed by the Chinese central government.

Academics

Schools and Departments

Ranking

Shanghai International studies university is ranked the 76th in the QS BRICS 2016, the 142nd in the QS Asian University Rankings, and its linguistics is ranked 151–200 in the QS ranking by subject. As of 2021, Shanghai International Studies University ranked no.3 nationwide among universities specialized on languages teaching and research in the widely recognized Best Chinese Universities Ranking.

Graduate Education

There are 33 Master's Programs:(30 research programs) Adult Education, Ancient Chinese Literature, Arabic Language and Literature, Asian-African Languages and Literatures, Chinese and Foreign Political Institution, Chinese Linguistics and Philology, Communication, Comparative Literature and World Literature, Corporate Management, Curriculum and Teaching Methodology, Diplomacy, Education in Ideology and Politics, Educational Technology, English Language and Literature, European Languages and Literatures, Finance, French Language and Literature, Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, German Language and Literature, International Politics, International Relations, International Trade, Japanese Language and Literature, Journalism, Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Modern and Contemporary Chinese Literature, Russian Language and Literature, Spanish Language and Literature, Technology Economy and Management, Translation Studies; (3 taught programs) Translation and Interpreting (MTI), Business Administration (MBA), Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (MTCSOL). There are 12 Doctoral Programs: English Language and Literature, Russian Language and Literature, French Language and Literature, German Language and Literature, Japanese Language and Literature, Arabic Language and Literature, Asian and African Languages and Literatures, Translation Studies, International Relations, Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, International Politics, Diplomacy. The Graduate Institute of Interpretation and Translation (GIIT) of SISU is awarded the highest ranking by AIIC, the

International Association of Conference Interpreters The International Association of Conference Interpreters - AIIC (AIIC – Association Internationale des Interprètes de Conférence) was founded in 1953. It represents over 3,000 members present in over 100 countries. Overview AIIC is the only ...

, as the only Asian university among the 15 top professional conference interpreting schools in the world.

Global Presence

The University has entered into partnerships with 286 universities and institutions in 55 countries and regions.(en)

Campus

SISU has two campuses, one in Hongkou District and one in Songjiang District.

Hongkou Campus

The Hongkou campus is located in the center of Shanghai, covering 16.9 hectares.

Songjiang Campus

The Songjiang campus is in Shanghai's Songjiang New District, covering an area of 53.3 hectares.

Notable people

Notable alumni

Wang Yeping Wang Yeping (, born 12 February 1928) is a Chinese politician who is the widow of Jiang Zemin, former General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (''de facto'' paramount leader) and President of the People's Republic of China (''de jure'' ...

- Former First Lady of China (wife of Jiang Zemin) *

Li Linsi Li Linsi (; 1896 – 1970); birth name Li Jiaxiang (), was a modern Chinese educator, diplomat and scholar, who has been recognized as one of the key figures in modern Chinese cultural and diplomatic history. Hailed as China's Mahatma Gandhi, ...

- Former diplomatic consultant to

Chiang Kai-shek Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...

* Yang Chao - Former Chairman of China Life Insurance Company, Fortune Global 500 and China's biggest insurance corporation * Zhou Zhongshu - President of

China Minmetals Corporation China Minmetals Corporation is a Chinese metals and mineral trading company headquartered in Beijing. It is a state-owned corporation under direct supervision of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC). China Minm ...

, ranked 192 among Fortune Global 500 *

Li Jinjun Li Jinjun (; born May 1956) is a Chinese diplomat who has served as Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar, the Philippines, and North Korea. Life and career Li was born and raised in Jiangyin, Jiangsu. He entered Shanghai International Studies Universit ...

- Chinese Ambassador to the

Democratic People's Republic of Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and ...

, former Vice Minister of

International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party The International Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (ID; ), better known as the International Liaison Department (ILD), is an agency under the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in charge of establ ...

* Joan Chen -

Chinese American Chinese Americans are Americans of Han Chinese ancestry. Chinese Americans constitute a subgroup of East Asian Americans which also constitute a subgroup of Asian Americans. Many Chinese Americans along with their ancestors trace lineage from ...

actress, film director,

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

, and

film producer A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...

Zhang Hanhui Zhang Hanhui (; born October 1963) is a Chinese politician and diplomat currently serving as the List of ambassadors of China to Russia, Chinese Ambassador to Russia. Previously he served as deputy minister of Foreign Affairs and List of ambassad ...

- Ambassador of China to Russia and formerly Kazakhstan *

Chen Chen Chen Chen (born March 9, 1989) is a Chinese-American poet. His book, ''When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities'', has been longlisted for the 2017 National Book Awards. Chen has served as the Jacob Ziskind Poet-in-Residence at ...

- television presenter and host

References

External links

Shanghai International Studies University

Shanghai International Studies University (English Homepage)

Shanghai International Studies University School of Chinese Studies and Exchange
* {{Coord, 31.277157, N, 121.482911, E, display=title Project 211 Universities and colleges in Shanghai Language education in China Hongkou District 1949 establishments in China Educational institutions established in 1949