BISU aims to achieve excellence in research and ensure that its research contributes to the well-being of society. The University is home to 7 provincial and ministerial humanities and social sciences research centers and 4 think tanks. The University also establishes 9 Institutes of Regional and Country Studies. Accordingly, a platform of fundamental research has been built through a triad of research bases. In recent years, BISU has undertaken more than 100 research projects at both national and provincial levels, and its academic publications include Journal of Beijing International Studies University, Tourism Analysis, Journal of Chinese Economics, etc..
Research Bases
Research Center for Beijing Tourism Development
In 2004, the Research Center for Beijing Tourism Development was established at BISU, funded by the Education Commission, the Tourism Development Commission, and the Planning Office of Philosophy and Social Science (BJPOPSS) of the Beijing government. The center is one of the first BJPOPSS-accredited research institutions and is positioned as the government’s think tank, which facilitates the city’s tourism planning and development. The Center actively engages itself in theoretical research, policy consultancy, tourism development planning, and academic cooperation and exchanges, and endeavors to transfer research achievements into marketable products. These efforts have generated impressive benefits for the society.
Arab Research Center
Arab Research Center is one of the three university-based Arab study institutions selected into the MOE Project of International Research institutes in China. The Center conducts comprehensive studies on the Arab world in order to provide intellectual support for the national development strategies and policies, and strengthen Sino-Arab relations. The research force of the Center is primarily drawn from research fellows and academic staff of the Department of Arabic Language, joint by multidisciplinary professionals and distinguished experts. The Center is positioned to be both the think tank and the information base in the fields of academics, personnel development, decision-making, consulting and international communication.
National and Regional Research Institutions
China Academy of “One Belt One Road” Strategy
China Academy of "One Belt One Road" Strategy (abbr. CAOBORS, the Academy hereinafter), embedded in Beijing International Studies University, serves directly for national strategies of the New Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The Academy exerts academic disciplinary advantages of BISU to full display, such as foreign languages, tourism, culture, international trade, business administration and international relations. In this manner, the Academy establishes a widely-renowned international platform to serve for "One Belt One Road" strategy research, shape and color a professional Chinese think tank.
China Academy for Tourism Talent Development
China Academy for Tourism Talent Development, co-established by China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) and BISU, was formally set up in June 30th, 2010. The functions of this research institute include studying the needs and development of China’s tourism talents, providing tourism sectors in government organs, institutions and enterprises with tourism talent-cultivation strategies and policy consultant services, undertaking projects entrusted by tourism authorities at both national and provincial levels, and taking on the responsibility for training high-level tourism talents.
The Secretariat of China Steering Committee for Tourism Vocational Education is based in China Academy for Tourism Talent Development, and BISU arranges professional staff members to undertake relevant work. Established in March, 2011 and supervised by the competent departments of tourism industry, this secretariate is a professional institute entrusted by the Ministry of Education, mainly responsible for offering research and advisory services of tourism vocational education and guidance to vocational training.
National Institute of Cultural Development
National Institute of Cultural Development (NICD) is a joint academic institution constructed by the team of cultural system reform of the Ministry of Culture and BISU. The mission of NICD is to offer an external platform for national cultural development, an information think-tank of global cultural development, a theoretical research center for international cultural trade, and a training-base for international cultural management.
NICD is always in the leading position in terms of research on cultural trade. Furthermore, NICD makes great contribution to the theoretical and practical research on public cultural undertakings, cultural exchanges, cultural inheritance and other fields. Actively working on theoretical and practical issues in the course of the national cultural development, NICD has completed about 10 research projects at the national, provincial and ministerial levels, and submitted more than 20 proposals. Based on previous accumulation, NICD has established China Institute for Cultural Trade Research, Expert Committee of Cultural Trade of Beijing International Association for Trade in Services, Beijing Collaborative Innovation Center for International Cultural Trade and Cultural Exchange, and takes charge of the three secreariats.
The Institute of China Translation Development
The Institute of China Translation Development (ICTD) is a professional research institution of China translation industry co-established by BISU and Translators Association of China (TAC). ICTD is based in BISU under the instruction of TAC. BISU is in charge of its administrative affairs. Aiming to optimize and integrate China’s translation resources and build a platform for enterprises, institutes and colleges to better their cooperation and communication. ICTD endeavors to assist them to carry out activities related to research, practice, teaching, social service and consultation, and international communication on translation.
The three main functions of ICTD are: researching on the development characteristics of China’s translation sector and developing international cooperation to provide academic support to the practices and teaching of translation; studying the demands and dynamics of translation industry to promote an effective industry-university-research collaboration and build a communication platform; providing translation services and consultation and organizing translation training programs.