In 1941, BFSU was first built as the Russian Language Team in the Third Branch of Chinese People’s Anti-Japanese Military and Political College. It was later renamed as Yan’an Foreign Languages School under the direct leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. 

Today, BFSU teaches 101 foreign languages, more than any other Chinese universities. It is the first in China to offer courses in some less commonly taught European, Asian and African languages. BFSU has 121 bachelor’s programs, 44 of which are found exclusively at BFSU in China. 

BFSU now has about 5,600 undergraduate students, about 3,100 graduate students ( master’s and doctor’s candidates), and about 1,600 international students.

Today BFSU has 33 teaching and research institutions, many of which were newly launched in recent years. These new institutions include an international graduate school jointly run by BFSU and the University of Nottingham (UK), BFSU Academy of Language Sciences, BFSU Academy of Foreign Literature Studies, BFSU Academy of Regional and Global Governance, BFSU Academy of Comparative Civilization and Intercultural Communication, Beiwai College, School of Global Governance, and Graduate School of Education.