A view of the SISU campus in Shanghai. [Photo/en.shisu.edu.cn]

Shanghai International Studies University (SISU) was founded in December 1949 and is China's top university for linguistics, modern languages, intercultural studies, and global and area studies.

It is a member of the United Nations MoU network and the Double First Class and Project 211 Universities identified by China's Ministry of Education.

SISU is ranked highly among Chinese institutions in the QS World University Rankings, and it received an A+ rating (in the category of foreign languages and literature) in the Ministry of Education's academic evaluation, tying for first place in China.

The university currently offers courses in 52 languages, including 38 modern languages and 14 classical and constructed languages.

Ninety percent of its faculty has international experience, with over 340 foreign academics on staff.

SISU has also compiled and published a series of Mandarin Chinese textbooks to be used by non-Chinese speakers. Over the past five years, around 4,000 international students have been enrolled each year in its Chinese language programs or other degree schemes, and 10 Confucius Institutes have been established in Asia, Africa, Europe, and North and South America.

SISU has established partnerships with more than 440 universities and institutions from 62 countries and regions and has maintained close connections with international organizations, including the United Nations and the European Union.

SISU is divided into two campuses: Hongkou Campus and Songjiang Campus, covering a total area of 74.7 hectares.

(Statistics as of October 2023)

SISU's pioneering Museum of World Languages is one of the few language museums in the world and the first in China featuring global linguistic diversity. [Photo/en.shisu.edu.cn]