2025 marks a year of fruitful achievements for Jilin International Studies University (JISU) and a pivotal milestone celebrating its 30th anniversary. Upholding the fundamental mission of fostering talents for the Party and the nation and adhering to the core task of moral education, all faculty and students in JISU have forged ahead with resolve. Carrying forward the spirit of the “second venture” and striving to build six key development highlands, JISU successfully completed the new round of undergraduate education and teaching accreditation review, delivering outstanding achievements in Party building and ideological education, disciplinary research, teaching and education, talent cultivation, and international exchanges. Over the past three decades, JISU has remained steadfast in its original aspiration and kept forging ahead. Its remarkable accomplishments in 2025 stem from countless inspiring moments. This article reviews the top ten major events in JISU’s development throughout the year, recording its sense of responsibility and dedication reflected in the efforts of faculty and students, and witnessing its solid strides and fruitful outcomes on the path of high-quality development.
I. Visit to JISU by Cai Dafeng, Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress & Chairman of the Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy, and Huai Jinpeng, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Minister of Education
On October 14, the Celebration Conference Marking the 40th Anniversary of the Jilin Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy (CAPD) was held at JISU. Cai Dafeng attended and addressed the conference. After the event, President Qin He accompanied Cai Dafeng on his tour of JISU.
Cai Dafeng at JISU-based Jilin Provincial CAPD History - Learning and Education Base
From June 11 to 12, Huai Jinpeng, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Minister of Education, conducted an inspection tour in Jilin Province. At JISU, Huai visited the Red Imprint Party History Museum and the Experience Hall of Forging a Strong Sense of Community for the Chinese Nation, learning about JISU’s efforts in Party-building and ideological-political education.
Huai Jinpeng at JISU’s Library
II. Convening of JISU’s High-Quality Development Promotion Conference and the 30th Anniversary Celebration Assembly
On September 20, JISU’s High-Quality Development Promotion Conference and the 30th Anniversary Celebration Assembly took place at the stadium. Over its 30-year history, JISU has secured multiple first-of-its-kind and one-of-a-kind achievements among private universities nationwide. It is China’s first private university founded through donation, the only provincially prioritized private university, the sole private university designated by the General Office of the State Council for national education system reform pilot tasks, the first private university authorized to grant master’s degrees, and the first private university upgraded to university status. JISU has also been listed as a construction institution for Jilin’s Characteristic High-Level Application-Oriented University (Category A) and an A+ project-supported university for doctoral degree authorization.
JISU’s High-Quality Development Promotion Conference and the 30th Anniversary Celebration Assembly in session
III. JISU’s Recognition as a National Civilized Campus
On May 23, the National Conference on Spiritual Civilization Commendation was held in Beijing. JISU became one of the four private universities awarded the title of National Civilized Campus in the first batch. As the highest honor conferred by the Central Commission for Spiritual Civilization Construction on educational institutions, the title recognizes outstanding performance in public-participatory spiritual civilization initiatives.
IV. Completion of JISU’s New-Round Undergraduate Education and Teaching Accreditation Review
On November 21, the exchange meeting for expert feedback on JISU’s undergraduate education and teaching accreditation review was held in the lecture hall of the International Exchange Center. On behalf of the expert panel, Qu Zhenyuan commended JISU with the summaries of “Seven Improvements,” “Six Major Highlights” and “Five Distinct Strengths,” affirming that JISU stands as a banner for non-government universities across China.
Expert feedback exchange meeting for JISU’s undergraduate education and teaching accreditation review
V. JISU’s Sixth Consecutive Year Top Placement on ShanghaiRanking Best Chinese Non-government Universities Ranking
On April 15, ShanghaiRanking, a specialized higher-education evaluation institution, officially released the 2025 ShanghaiRanking Best Chinese Universities Ranking. JISU claimed the No.1 spot in both the 2025 Best Chinese Non-government Universities Ranking (Overall List) and the 2025 Best Chinese Non-government Language-focused Universities Ranking, marking its sixth consecutive year at the top.
VI. New Breakthroughs in JISU’s Scientific Research and Disciplinary Development
A consultation report Proposals on Promptly Launching the Collation and Research of Japanese-Invasion-of-China Archives, completed by President Qin He and Professor Shen Haitao, won the First Prize of the 15th Jilin Provincial Outstanding Social-Science Achievements Award. An academic book translation project A Pictorial History of New-China Comic Strips (1949-1999), led by Professor Zhang Mi from the Italian Department of the School of Occidental Languages, was selected for the Chinese Academic Translation Project funded by the National Social Science Fund of China. Collation and Research of Historical Materials on the Liaoyuan World War II Allied POW Camp, presided over by Professor Shen Haitao, was approved as a major project of Jilin Provincial Philosophy and Social Sciences, marking dual breakthroughs in national‑level and provincial high-level research projects. The Jilin Provincial Research Base for Translation and Studies of Northeast-Asian Country-and-Region-Specific Literature was accredited as one of the first batch of construction entities for 2025 Jilin Provincial Philosophy and Social Sciences Research Bases, filling JISU’s gap in provincial-level social-science research bases.
On October 15, ShanghaiRanking, a specialized higher-education evaluation institution, officially released the 2025 ShanghaiRanking’s Best Chinese Subjects Rankings. JISU’s Foreign Languages and Literature discipline made it onto the list, making JISU the first non-government university nationwide to achieve this feat. In addition, JISU obtained approval for five provincial-level high-level characteristic disciplines (discipline clusters) construction projects.
VII. Remarkable Achievements in JISU’s Program Development
Five courses were recognized as National First-Class Undergraduate Courses, and five program clusters were approved for Jilin Provincial High-Level Characteristic Program Cluster construction. JISU was selected as one of the first batch of National Global Language Service Internship and Practice Bases and accredited as a Jilin Provincial pilot institution for AI general education courses. Six courses were awarded Jilin Provincial Model Courses for Ideological and Political Education, and one school was approved as a construction entity for the second batch of Jilin Provincial Characteristic Specialty Schools.
VIII. New Heights in JISU’s International Education
In partnership with Saint Peter’s University of the United States, JISU established the first local Chinese language teacher training and development center in the U.S., accredited by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC) of the Ministry of Education, filling a gap in localized teacher training for Chinese language education in the United States. For the first time, JISU obtained approval for the Jilin Provincial High-End Country and Region Talent Cultivation Program under the China Scholarship Council (CSC) and a Jilin Provincial Foreign Experts Program. JISU signed a strategic cooperation agreement with China International Communications Group (CICG), successfully hosted the Sino-Foreign University Presidents Forum, and added six new Sino-foreign cooperative research platforms, continuously enhancing its international brand image.
CLEC accreditation ceremony for the first U.S.-based local Chinese language teacher training center jointly built by JISU and Saint Peter’s University
JISU’s strategic cooperation agreement signing with CICG to forge a new landscape of international communication collaboration
JISU-hosted Sino-Foreign University Presidents Forum
IX. Improved Quality and Fruitful Outcomes in JISU’s Moral Education and Talent-Cultivation Work
JISU has achieved remarkable results in Party-building and ideological-political work. The School of Marxism was designated as one of the second-batch key-construction Schools of Marxism in Jilin Province. As one of four non-government universities, JISU delivered a keynote speech for experience-sharing at the National Conference on Advancing Party-Building in Non-government Universities and Sino-foreign Cooperative-run Universities convened by the Ministry of Education. Its relevant ideological-political work practices were publicized and promoted twice on the National University Ideological-Political Work Network. Faculty and students have won a total of 1,016 awards at the provincial level and above. One faculty member was honored as one of the 2025 Jilin Provincial “Influential University Ideological-Political Theory Teachers.” Teachers also secured two provincial first prizes at the 5th Jilin Provincial Undergraduate University Teaching Innovation Competition (Superstar Cup). Undergraduates claimed the Grand Prize in the 2025 National English Competition for College Students and the Grand Prize in the 8th National College Students’ Foreign Language Proficiency Competition. Postgraduate students in Subject Teaching (English) won the championship for the first time at the national “Tian Jiabing Cup” Full-time Master of Education Teaching Skills Competition. MBA postgraduates took home the first-place prize in the final round of the 4th CMAU National University Student Market Research and Business Planning Competition for the first time. The total number of student awards reached nearly 500. Furthermore, JISU won its first national gold prize, together with two silver and three bronze prizes, at the 2nd University Student New Liberal Arts Practice and Innovation Competition, and was awarded the title of “Excellent Organizing Unit.” At the China International College Students’ Innovation Competition (2025), JISU obtained 48 awards at provincial level and above. The JISU Student Union was elected as a group member of the 28th Committee of the All-China Students’ Federation.
X. Commissioning of the Newly-Built Student Activity Center
JISU has kept increasing investment in campus facility upgrading. The newly-built Student Activity Center (new gymnasium), with a construction area of over 8,000 square meters, was completed and put into use. A Hongqiao Bridge and its supporting landscape belt were constructed in the East Hill area, expanding the effective usable campus area by approximately 140,000 square meters and greatly improving the campus spatial layout and cultural taste.
Exterior view of the Student Activity Center
Source: Publicity Department
