University of International Business and Economics (Beijing)

History

The university was founded in 1951 as the Beijing Institute of Foreign Trade. It provided education and training for government officials responsible for China’s economic and international business administration under the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation and Ministry of Education. It was first designated as a key university by the Chinese government as early as 1960 for its outstanding academic programs, and then designated as a national key university in 1978 after suspension in the Cultural Revolution. Following the onset of Chinese economic reform under Deng Xiaoping, UIBE witnessed unprecedented development and expansion, and in 1984 was renamed the current name, University of International Business and Economics. In May 1997 UIBE was put on the list of "Project 211" universities of the first batch, a governmental program aimed at turning about 100 Chinese universities into exceptionally world-renowned high-quality academic institutions in the 21st century. In the year of 2000, UIBE has become one of the state universities under the leadership of the Ministry of Education, and in June of the same year it merged with China Institute of Finance, from then on, it has become one of the leaders not only in the studies of economics, business management and law, but also in finance.

Faculty

The university offer a range of courses in international business, economics, international trade, finance, management, commercial law, foreign languages and related fields.

The university has traditionally had a reputation as a training ground for top civil servants in the Ministry of Commerce (previously known as Ministry of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade and Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation) under the government of the People's Republic of China. Until 1989, graduates went to work either for the Ministry or the many state-owned import/export companies throughout the country.

UIBE is the home of The Beijing Center, a program for mainly American students studying in China who reside at UIBE and take Chinese language courses, as well as other courses taught in English, by a vast array of professors from Beijing's top universities.

Academic ranking

UIBE ranked no. 2 among universities specialized on finance and economics in the two most recent editions of the widely recognized Netbig Chinese university ranking. The institution is typically on first or second place in the fields of economics, finance, and international business in a ranking among 200 Chinese universities according to the Ministry of Education.

In 2010 Forbes China ranked 45 Chinese business schools, many of them part of the country's top universities receiving substantial governmental support, according to salary performance and return on investment of graduates of their MBA and Executive MBA programs. UIBE's EMBA program reached rank 10, while its full-time MBA program rounded out the top 15. In a similar rating of part-time MBA programs conducted by the magazine in 2012, UIBE reached rank 13.

Entry standards ranking

UIBE is one of the most competitive and selective universities to enter for undergraduate education in China after students passed the National Higher Education Entrance Examination. In 2013 the institution ranked 14th both in comprehensive measurement and for admission into science study programs, and 8th for liberal arts (which in China traditionally include economics-related subjects), according to the Center for Higher Education Studies of Renmin University of China.

Schools and departments

School of International Trade and Economics

The School of International Trade and Economics is one of China's leading centers for the study and research of international trade and finance. The School is an established, research-intensive institution including seven departments and ten research centers.

School of Banking and Finance

In 2001, the School of Banking and Finance in UIBE merged with the former China Institution of Finance which was widely known as the undergraduate school of the Peoples' Bank of China and received endorsement from the Chinese central government. Currently, about 1500 students are studying in SBF, with 950 being undergraduates, 179 graduates, and 33 doctoral graduates, including more than 100 foreign students. The school also has roughly 300 graduate students, specialized in finance, studying as part-time students.

School of Business

The Business School at the University of International Business Economics (hereafter UIBEBS) was established in 1982 as Department of International Business Management. It is now the second largest among 16 schools on the campus in terms of enrollment and faculty team. Teaching and research at UIBEBS covers virtually all facets of business management with programmes in accounting, finance, marketing, business management and human resource management. UIBEBS uses textbooks and teaching materials from the United States in courses taught in English. The business school is currently [as of May 2014] a member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). By the end of 2013, UIBEBS has 87 full-time and 31 part-time faculties, 2499 full-time and 1060 part-time students. Of the total number, 597 are international students.

School of Law

Founded in 1984, the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) School of Law features a State-approved key discipline of international law and has around 50 full-time faculty members. Half of the full-time faculty have served as arbitrators of various domestic and foreign arbitration institutions. In 2010, UIBE ranks second in China’s National Higher Education Institution Rankings by Employment Rate. The university has enrolled many foreign students.

School of Foreign Studies

The School of Foreign Studies (SFS), originally the second Department of the Beijing Foreign Trade College founded in 1954, is composed of eight departments and one centre, namely, Departments of Arabic, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Russian, and Vietnamese, as well as the Sino-Italian Language Training Centre. In its history of half a century, there appeared many known scholars and professors: Chen Tao, Song Wenjun, Shen Daming, Zhang Xiongwu, Zhao Run, Jiang Xindao, Xiao Tianyou, among others. Up till now, the school has produced about 1,000 undergraduates and 100 post graduates. Prominent among them: Shi Guangsheng as the ex-minister of Foreign Trades, Song Hai, now the vice provincial governor of Guangdong Province, Cao Weizhou, the deputy Secretary-General of the National Standing Committee of People’s Congress of China, Guo Li, the deputy director of the Hong Kong Liaison Office of China. The eight departments of the School are all members and/or standing members of their separate National Teaching Associations and Literature Societies. The faculty consists of 21 full professors and 33 associate professors. Among them, 34 are graduate supervisors, 21 have obtained PhD degrees. The SFS also employs some foreign teachers. There are 700 undergraduate and 100 postgraduate students enrolled. The school has exchange programs with 20 overseas universities.

School of International Studies

School of International Education (SIE) of UIBE is engaged in recruiting international students for UIBE’s degree and non-degree study programs, and provides related services. SIE offers language training programs, including the Chinese Language and Business Chinese at different levels, and Advance Studies on Chinese Economy and Culture.

Currently, there are more than 3,100 foreign students from 126 countries and regions studying at the University of International Business and Economics. Over 2,300 of them are taking degree courses and over 800 students are taking Chinese language courses and non-degree courses.

School of International Education has Dean's Office, Admissions Office, Office for Degree Education, Office for Non-Degree Education, Department of Students' Affairs, Department of Teaching and Service Center.

School of Information Technology and Management Engineering

School of International Relations

School of Public Administration

School of Insurance and Economics

School of Chinese and Literature

Sino-French International Management School

Zhuoyue International School

China Institute for WTO Studies

Institute of International Economics

School of Distance Education

School of Executive Development

Buildings

The campus has been nicknamed "Hui Garden" (惠园). Seven buildings are either dormitories or classroom buildings. There is a major academic building at the northwest of the site, which used to belong to the China Institute of Finance, named Boxue (博学楼). Another modern teaching building is located in the southeastern corner, named Ningyuan (宁远楼). There is also an imposing structure in the middle of the campus, named Chengxin (诚信楼). A new library building was opened in October 2008.

Apart from the sports areas, there is a Chinese garden (south side), a bird cage, and a pond dubbed the "Back Sea" (see Houhai) by students.

The University recently hired a foreign branding expert – Alexander Goldsborough – as Director of International Marketing and Communications, to revisit the brand image of the University.

Alumni

Foreign students

UIBE was one of the first Chinese universities to admit foreign students, with the first group enrolling in 1954.

Over 70% of the foreign student population hails from the Republic of Korea (South Korea). Students from the DPRK, (North Korea), however, despite that country's proximity to China, are very rare. Recently, there has been an influx of Western European (Finland, France, Germany, Italy) and North American students. Japanese, Indonesian, Vietnamese and Thai students also account for a sizable proportion of foreign students.

Since 1998, the UIBE and Reims Management School have created a Franco-Chinese undergraduate program CESEM. It also has an exchange agreement for Spanish students with the Comillas Pontifical University. Other dual diplomas partners are Paris-based business school ESCE and Cardiff University.

UIBE is one of the first universities in China to launch an international student program taught entirely in English. This program has become very popular among foreign students both in China and outside.