Beijing Union University (BUU) takes the academic education of international students as an important part of the international development of the university, actively encourages international students to enter BUU, adopts similar standards for foreign and Chinese students in teaching, strives to overcome the adverse effects brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, gives full play to the initiative of each college, insists on making each college has its own characteristics, and develops joint undergraduate dual degree programs with international partner institutions.

The colleges of BUU attach great importance to the new mode of international student cultivation. They have launched several programs including 2+2 dual degree program in International Economics and Trade taught in English at the College of Business of BUU, in cooperation with the Russian University of Transport and the All-Russian Academy of Foreign Trade; the 2+2 undergraduate program in Bioengineering taught in English at the College of Biochemistry and Engineering of BUU, in cooperation with the Moscow University of Food Technology; the 2+2 dual degree program in Chinese Language (Teacher Training) at the Normal College of BUU， in cooperation with Thailand Burapha University.

Meanwhile, in order to do a good job in teaching management for international students in the transition stage of reform, Management College, Business College, Tourism College, and College of Arts and Sciences have taken up the task of training students for the undergraduate program of international economics and trade, the master’s program of business administration, the undergraduate and master’s programs of tourism management and the undergraduate program of journalism.

In the fall semester of 2020, BUU has admitted 66 new international students in academic education, accounting for 48% of the international students in academic education in the university. There are 20 students who have been enrolled in the colleges in Beijing and enjoy similar teaching management standards as Chinese students. The enrollment of international students coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. The International Exchange & Cooperation Department of BUU collaborated with the colleges to overcome difficulties in personnel and environment and completed together the registration, entrance education, insurance application and visa management of international students.

International students entering the College of Tourism

Due to the entry restrictions, most of the international students are temporarily attending the online courses offered by BUU from abroad. Each college has selected excellent tutors and teaching assistants for international students and has actively adopted new technologies for teaching. Overcoming the adverse effects of time difference, language and internet speed, the teachers use a variety of internet resources to carry out teaching and tutoring with full enthusiasm and profound knowledge, striving to ensure the quality of courses and learning for international students. In addition to the daily courses, the colleges of BUU have invited famous professors from Renmin University of China, Beijing Normal University and BUU to hold academic lectures for international students, so as to broaden their academic horizons and to help them better pursue their professional study and complete the topic selection and writing of their dissertations. In order to keep abreast of the quality and effect of the courses for international students, the International Exchange & Cooperation Department of BUU has created a mini program to survey the effect of classroom teaching and off-course tutoring. According to the feedback, the satisfaction rate of international students on the effectiveness of teaching programs has reached 90%. For international students who live and study on campus, BUU provides them with one-on-one tutoring as much as possible. For international students who have difficulties in life, the university also provides them with the work-study opportunities.

A teacher at the Management College is tutoring an international graduate student

The reform of the teaching and management system for international students in BUU is a pioneering and innovative effort under the new requirements for the development of international student education in the new era. The International Exchange & Cooperation Department of BUU will work closely with all colleges to continuously improve the educational and teaching management for international students, develop internationalized courses with characteristics of Beijing and the spirit of BUU, and make more contributions to the opening up of education to the outside world.