[Editor's note] In 2018, in order to rescue and excavate valuable school history materials, the Propaganda Department of the Party Committee organized the launch of the school history "oral history" collection project, and entrusted the library with the specific implementation。Over the past two years, the collection project recorded and saved 15,058 minutes of oral history data of 80 retired teachers, forming 1.6 million words of written data。In order to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the school, the Propaganda department of the Party Committee and the library combined with the collection of "oral history", carefully planned and produced, and launched the "Beili Story" series。It is hoped that teachers, students and alumni can draw strength from the wonderful stories, inherit the red gene, and work hard to build a world-class university with Chinese characteristics!

　　

　　1978年，The Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee made a historic decision to shift the focus of work to economic construction to carry out reform and opening up，In this context of The Times，Beijing Institute of Technology (now Beijing Institute of Technology) earnestly implements the spirit of the Central Government，Actively implemented the "Five historic changes"，One of them is the transition from "closed" to "open" schools，This has also become the starting point of the school's internationalization。In the spring breeze of reform and opening up, the school has taken the step of going to the world。

Narrator: He Zhongyi

Professor, Beijing Institute of Technology

Former Director of the International Exchange and Cooperation Department

　　1978年，He Zhongyi, a teacher in the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Department of the Basic Department of Beijing Institute of Technology, received a "special" task - to participate in the reception of the upcoming visit of the American engineering education delegation，This is also the first foreign delegation to visit the school since the reform and opening up，The school attaches great importance to，He Zhongyi, who graduated from English major, was transferred to participate in reception work，He also served as an interpreter for the delegation。

On September 12, 1978, after the reform and opening up, our school received the first foreign delegation - the American Engineering Education delegation

　　In the reception work, He Zhongyi gave full play to his professional strengths and successfully completed the task. After that, he participated in the international exchange work of the school and became an eyewitness and witness of the school to the world stage。

"Please come in" and "Send out"

　　"The international exchange and cooperation of the school has taken a great step from the beginning", in He Zhongyi's memory, the school has made great efforts for international exchange work, only from 1978 to 1980, two or three years, he participated in receiving dozens of foreign affairs activities, visiting delegations and experts and scholars。

　　With the deepening of reform and opening up, the international exchange work of the school has also been continuously developed。In 1978, Beijing Institute of Technology set up the Foreign Affairs Office (deputy department level unit) under the President's office, Pan Hundhang became the first director of the Foreign Affairs Office, and two other staff members were Niu Zhizheng and Gong Jianguo, and He Zhongyi became the fourth member later。"Send, invite in" was the main work of the foreign affairs Office at that time, and the work of "invite in" was specifically responsible for He Zhongyi。

　　Now walking on the campus of Beijing Institute of Technology，Foreign teachers and students from different countries can be seen everywhere，The global learning and living atmosphere has long become the daily life of the campus，But for the Beijing Institute of Technology, which had just begun to run an international school at that time，Even when it comes to finding foreign teachers for a new undergraduate English program，Also let responsible for "please come in" in order to difficult。In 1978, in order to meet the demand for foreign language talents in the reform and opening up, the university applied to the Ministry of Education for the establishment of an English undergraduate major, which was officially included in the enrollment plan after being approved。Foreign teachers are indispensable for the construction of high-level foreign language majors, which has become a "compulsory course" for international schools.。

　　"Where to look？How to find？"Can foreign teachers adapt to the local environment of the school？"Can professional construction meet the personal development of foreign teachers?？A series of questions followed。Through repeated communication and research with the Teaching Affairs Office and the teaching and Research Office, the direction of hiring foreign teachers was determined。Subsequently, after many investigations and comparisons, in 1979, Ms. Catherine Wang from the United States became the first foreign teacher hired by Beijing Institute of Technology after the reform and opening up. As the wife of a Chinese-American expert, she has an understanding of China, feelings, and a very good business level。In one year, her teaching work has been widely recognized by the school and classmates, and the "please come in" work has won the first battle。Soon, second and third...More and more foreign experts came to the school, from the initial to teach languages, and later to participate in the teaching and research work of various majors and disciplines, playing an active role in the school's door to the world gradually opened。

The first foreign teacher of our school, Catherine Wang (sixth from right in the first row), took a photo with some foreign language teachers and English majors of Grade 78

　　In the 1980s and 1990s, the school hired 46 overseas experts as part-time professors, hired 82 foreign teachers to work in the school for a long time, and invited more than 2,000 people to the school for short-term lectures and exchanges, which laid a good foundation for the school to start international education。

　　At the same time, the pace of school "sending out" is also increasing。During this period, in order to learn advanced overseas knowledge and experience, the Party and the state began to send personnel to study abroad, mainly in the form of "state government", "unit public" and "study abroad at one's own expense". Under this background, schools also began to actively organize teachers to study abroad。

　　"In 1978, 1979 and 1980, the school sent nearly 30 teachers to study abroad。"The United States, Russia, Japan...During this period, the teachers of the school also ushered in more and more opportunities to go abroad for exchange and study, and many of the teachers who studied abroad later grew into the backbone of teaching and research in various disciplines。From 1978 to 1999, the University has sent more than 2,000 visiting or studying teachers to 20 countries or regions, which not only effectively promoted the improvement of teaching and scientific research level, but also laid the academic leading position in some disciplines, and expanded the international influence of the university。

Join the World University "Circle of Friends"

　　During the period of reform and opening up, with the in-depth development of international exchanges, the international exchange work of the school has become more rich and diversified, and the establishment of inter-school cooperation is an important one。In 1981, Beijing Institute of Technology and California Northridge State University established the first intercollegiate cooperative relationship。

　　"The specific connection is Professor Zhou Chuanjun, a professor in the physics department of California Northridge State University, and his uncle Zhou Lunqi is the head of the first department of Beijing Institute of Technology。In order to facilitate this cooperation, in 1981, California Northridge State University sent a delegation of nearly 20 people led by the president and attended by the deans of the School of Science and the School of Engineering, including many Chinese professors who were very friendly to China, and they played a positive role in promoting the final cooperation between the two schools。In the inter-school cooperation, California Northridge State University donated a lot of books and materials to our school, and the two schools also sent personnel to exchange many times。

　　After this successful intercollegiate collaboration，The school also opened its doors to the world，Actively establish a new chapter of intercollegiate cooperation with universities in the world and overseas，From reform and opening up to the beginning of the new millennium，The university has signed agreements with more than 20 countries in 6 continents and 45 universities in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan，Establish an inter-school cooperative relationship，Cooperation in personnel exchange, student training and scientific research projects has been carried out。

　　In June 1985, in order to meet the growing needs of international education, the Foreign Affairs Office of the University was independently set as a departmental-level unit。

Welcome, international student

　　In the 1990s, with the continuous expansion of the scale of the school and the continuous expansion of the subject areas, the international exchange and cooperation of the school began to develop in a deeper level, and the leaders of the school and all units in the school attached increasing importance to the international exchange and cooperation work。

　　"From 1978 to 1994, basically can not be called international students, can only be called short-term Chinese students.。At that time, the report was officially approved, saying that Beijing Institute of Technology was approved to recruit foreign students。In 1995, Beijing Institute of Technology officially began to recruit foreign students, which also marked a major breakthrough in the internationalization of the school。It is accompanied by the regularization construction of the national management of international students，1997年，Beijing Institute of Technology has successfully passed the review of the universities accepting foreign students by the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, Beijing Municipal Foreign Affairs Office and Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau，Obtained the "Qualification Certificate for Accepting Foreign Students" issued by Beijing Municipal Education Commission，The international students are allowed to enroll in nine categories: undergraduate students, junior college students, master's students, doctoral students, ordinary students, senior students, research scholars, language students, short-term students, etc。In May 1998, the International Student Center was established。

In 1991, the Chinese class from Beihai University of Japan took a group photo in front of the main building

　　Facing the world, the start and all-round development of the training of international students has not only rapidly expanded the international influence of the university, but also vigorously promoted the improvement of the international level of the university。

Cooperative education, a new leap

　　"For the cooperation of formal education, our school is still relatively early。In February 1993, the Outline of China's Education Reform and Development proposed for the first time that "international cooperation in running schools within the scope of relevant national laws and regulations".。Beijing Institute of Technology responded quickly. Since 1995, it has set up Sino-German MBA class, Sino-British Electronic Undergraduate class, Sino-British Master of International Business Program and other cooperative programs, which provide students with a combination of domestic and foreign training modes. For example, Sino-German MBA class requires students to study in school 2.5 years, study in Germany for half a year, Chinese-English electronic undergraduate course requires 2 years in school, study in the UK for 1 year。This form of "X+Y" innovates the school's talent training mode, and also provides rich experience for the later international cooperation in running schools。

In 1993, our school and Japan Office Automation Association held the Sino-Japanese OA International conference

In 1995, the opening ceremony of the Sino-German MBA class was held

　　"Through these international conferences, school teachers can present papers, and foreign people come to China to participate in exchanges, further expanding relations, especially cooperation in scientific research.。"He Zhongyi introduced。In addition to cooperative education, extensive and in-depth international exchanges and cooperation also provide high-level international scientific research and academic resources for teachers。

　　In 1999, the Foreign Affairs Office was renamed the International Exchange and Cooperation Office。In September 2006, the University officially established the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Office, co-located with the International Exchange and Cooperation Office。

　　Entering the new century, facing the construction of a world-class university, the university takes the first-class international school-running ability as the construction goal。By 2020，Beijing Institute of Technology has established 28 undergraduate and graduate programs teaching in English，It has established cooperative relations with 346 universities，It has established student exchange programs with 85 famous universities in the world，Established a double degree program for undergraduates with 12 famous universities，Each year, more than 42% of undergraduate students go abroad for study visits and graduation projects。

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　　At present, the university actively promotes global cooperation in education, closely cooperates with world-class universities, continuously expands its international platform, establishes international academic journals, steadily promotes the construction of Shenzhen Beili Moscow University and Confucius Institute, and has more than 2,560 international students on campus, and has initially built a diverse and integrated international community。

Chinese and foreign directors and teachers of the Confucius Institute in Lagos during the Spring Festival 2019

　　"Under the correct policy of the central government and the correct leadership of the University Party Committee, the international exchange and cooperation work of the university will definitely develop faster and better than before.。Looking back on the past years of struggle and seeing the rapid development and progress of the school, He Zhongyi is very pleased as a pioneer in international exchanges and cooperation of the older generation of the school。

 

　　To build first-class international school-running ability, Beili workers will always be on the road;Facing the future and building a world-class university with Chinese characteristics, BEILI workers will always struggle!