page_title: Beijing International Studies University
section_title: 1977–1990: Post-Revolution recovery
hierarchical_section_title: Beijing International Studies University / History / Timeline / 1977–1990: Post-Revolution recovery
caption_attribution_description: 中文: 美国一家电视台采访二外学生English: BISU students being interviewed by American journalists
context_page_description: The Beijing International Studies University is a public teaching and research university based in the city of Beijing, China. Founded in 1964, it was part of the national initiative to promote tertiary foreign language education. The institute grew out of a 1956-established subsidiary of Xinhua News Agency and has developed into one of the most notable universities of foreign languages and cultural studies in China. Today, the University pioneers in the fields of tourism studies, hospitality management and international trade. It maintains links with national institutions including the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the National Tourism Administration. In addition, it holds formal collaborative agreements with more than 140 universities and academic institutions of about 40 countries spanning the continents, providing a wide range of study opportunities for inbound and outbound students alike. According to the China Education and Research Network, the University is ranked fourth for the most satisfactory international admissions and services among Chinese universities.
context_section_description: February 1978: The first 226 student commenced after the resumption of Gaokao, China's National College Entrance Examination.
  February 17, 1978: The State Council turned over the University to the Ministry of Education. It was co-administered by the Beijing Government in the meantime.
  February 1979: A new college was built up as the branch campus of BISU. It was later taken over by the Beijing Union University and renamed Beijing Tourism School in 1983.
  October 1978: Foreign Language Teaching (Chinese: 外语教学), the first academic journal of BISU, was founded. It was renamed Paper (Chinese: 学丛) in April 1980 and eventually Journal of Beijing International Studies University (Chinese: 北京第二外国语学院学报) in January 1986.
  1979: The rock band Wan Li Ma Wang was established in winter, formed by BISU students Wan Xing, Li Shichao, Ma Xiaoyi and Wang Xinbo. Wan Li Ma Wang played mainly classic rock and is known to be the oldest rock band from China.
  April 1981: The Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade and the University jointly presented the report for the establishment of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to the Education Ministry; the report was subsequently approved on the 1st of July. In September 1982, the Department admitted its first 51 students.
  June 4, 1981: The University signed the exchange agreement with Kyoto University of Foreign Studies. This is the first formal agreement signed with a foreign university by BISU. 26 students from Kyoto University of Foreign Studies commenced studying Chinese in July, who were the first short-term international exchange student admitted to BISU. The first long-term international students enrolled in September.
  July 1, 1981: UniLife resumed publication.
  July 1981: The National Tourism Administration set up the Department of Tourism Management in BISU, making it the earliest shaper of Chinese tourism education. The new established majors included tourism management and tourism translation (English, German and Japanese); in 1981 and 1982, 3100 students enrolled in the two majors.
  September 1981: The Center for Foreign Language Teaching was established, in charge of the training programs initiated by the United Nations.
  January 1982: The University became one of the first universities entitled by the State Council Academic Degrees Committee to award bachelor's degrees. The 362 graduating students of the same year were the first with undergraduate degrees awarded.
  March 1982: The University signed the exchange agreement with Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.
  March 29, 1983: The University became officially affiliated with the National Tourism Administration.
  March 1984: The Research Institute for Tourism Sciences was established. In 2003, the Institute was renamed Research Institute of Tourism Development.
  April 11, 1984: The University became one of the first universities entitled to award master's degrees. Later in June, the first 2 postgraduate students were admitted to the University.
  October 1985: China Tourism Institute (Chinese: 中国旅游学院) became the alternative name of BISU. It coexisted with the original Beijing International Studies University in the 1980s and 1990s.
  April 10, 1986 – April 23, 1986: The play Timon of Athens was performed at China's first Shakespeare Festival. It was one of the only two English plays; the other one was The Merchant of Venice presented by People's Liberation Army Art Theatre.
caption: BISU students being interviewed by American journalists, 1989.
exif: {}