The inauguration ceremony of the BFSU SOAS Joint Institute was held on Sept 19.

Established by Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) and SOAS University of London, it is China's first Sino-foreign cooperative education institution in the field of area studies, and BFSU's first such institution.

BFSU SOAS Joint Institute is unveiled in Beijing. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

The ceremony was attended by leaders of BFSU, Adam Habib, vice-chancellor of SOAS, as well as representatives of renowned universities at home and abroad.

Li Hai delivers a speech at the unveiling ceremony. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

In his address, Li Hai, secretary of the CPC BFSU Committee, said the joint institute is a major step in aligning BFSU with world-class educational models. He pledged that it would build a distinctive academic system, explore new models for high-quality talent cultivation, establish platforms for close scholarly collaboration and embrace the digital and intelligent transformation now reshaping higher education, with the aim of becoming a benchmark for Sino-foreign cooperation.

Adam Habib highlights the importance of the joint institute. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

Habib called the launch a historic milestone for both universities, recalling the institute's path from concept to reality. He said a deeply interconnected world facing shared challenges urgently needs area studies professionals with interdisciplinary training and genuine command of the languages and cultures of different regions, adding that the two universities would uphold the spirit of the humanities in nurturing future talent and contributing ideas to the world.

Yang Dan expresses his hope for the joint institute. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

Yang Dan, director of the Ministry of Education's Department of International Cooperation and Exchange, expressed hopes that the institute would become a replicable model for the discipline nationwide.

Jia Wenjian, BFSU's president and chair of the Joint Management Committee, and Habib, its vice-chair, unveiled the BFSU SOAS Joint Institute and presented appointment letters to committee members and the leadership team.

Jia Wenjian (right) and Adam Habib unveil the joint institute. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

A president's forum on "discipline building in area studies and high-quality development of Sino-Foreign cooperative education" followed, where participants discussed interdisciplinarity, the transition of foreign language universities, the role of artificial intelligence and the cultivation of critical thinking.

Approved by the Ministry of Education in May 2026, the BFSU SOAS Joint Institute will be included in China's national higher education enrollment plan and will offer an undergraduate program in area studies, together with master's programs in area studies and in Asian and African studies. Its total enrollment is expected to reach 480 students, with enrollment starting in 2027.