The Department of Diplomacy is the first department among Chinese colleges and universities conducting research on diplomacy and China’s foreign relations. The excellent tradition of its teaching and academic research makes it distinctive in the study of diplomacy. The department grants a bachelor’s degree for students majoring in diplomacy. The diplomacy major is under the National and Beijing City’s Distinctive Construction Program. It was approved as a Key Discipline of Beijing in 2008 and a National Key Discipline by the Ministry of Education in September 2012.
The department has five sub-sections -- Diplomacy, Chinese Foreign Relations, Political Science and Public Management, Public Diplomacy, and Consular Studies. The department has 25 teachers, including 7 professors and 12 associate professors. It has 10 teachers (6 professors and 4 associate professors) from the Institute of International Relations at China Foreign Affairs University teaching diplomacy.
Diplomacy Major
The length of schooling is four years. The major has two subsidiaries, Foreign Affairs Management and International Organizations. The objective is to train inter-disciplinary talents in diplomacy and foreign affairs who possess proficiency in foreign languages, diplomatic theory and practice, and have an all-round development in terms of morality, intelligence and physical qualities. The two subsidiaries have different classes, but both retain the features of the diplomacy major: political qualification, professional proficiency, foreign language proficiency, and extensive views. Political qualification emphasizes upbringing and education, especially patriotism, collectivism, socialism, the sense of national conditions and discipline. Professional proficiency means making the students understand the evolution of China’s foreign relations, learning about the key theories and policies, and grasping the basic etiquette and knowledge of diplomacy. Foreign language proficiency requires undergraduates to make English a working language in order to communicate effectively in written and oral forms. The department also creates more and more opportunities for students to participate in diplomatic practices by setting up extensive selective courses, taking advantage of CFAU’s affiliation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and inviting personages from all circles to deliver lectures to arm the students with global views and expansive thoughts.
Curriculum
The main courses of the diplomacy major curriculum include An Introduction to Diplomatic Studies, Contemporary Chinese Foreign Relations, Contemporary International Politics, The Diplomatic History of Modern China, Post-War History of International Relations, Theories of International Relations, An Introduction to International Organizations, System of Modern International Civil Service, International Political Economy, Diplomatic Strategy and Security, Case Studies in Diplomacy, Multilateral Diplomacy, Foreign Policy Analysis, Crisis Management, Chinese and Foreign Political Systems, Sino-U.S. relations, Sino-Japanese Relations, Sino-European Relations, Foreign Etiquette, and Contemporary Chinese Consular Studies. One third of the classes and some main courses are taught in English. Extra-curricular practices, such as the Model UN, Knowledge Contest of Diplomatic Protocol and Social Etiquette, play a significant part in the students’ learning process. The department places great emphasis on broadening the knowledge of the students, and CFAU organizes all kinds of interdisciplinary courses in the humanities. Sophomores could minor in the majors of English, International Economy and Trade etc., and obtain a degree after they have earned enough credits.
Extra-curricular Activities
The department has a range of colorful extra-curricular activities that form a “second classroom” to supplement the curricular knowledge of the students and improve their abilities. The Contest of Diplomatic Negotiations by the Department of Diplomacy has met with great success and has been extended to other universities. Freshmen have appreciated the annual Contest of Diplomatic Knowledge, providing them with a solid foundation for their further study. The half-semester Culture Salon is organized by the students, and they choose the topics. It has become an important part of the extra-curricular activities. Visits to, and activities with, foreign embassies in China also feature prominently.
Employment
Majors in diplomacy emerge from CFAU with foreign language proficiency, a solid professional foundation, and extensive knowledge. These attributes enable the graduates to find employment with governmental agencies, institutions and enterprises carrying out work in foreign affairs. In the past three years, undergraduates have had three options after graduation: studying for a master’s degree, going overseas to study, or taking up a job working in foreign affairs. Each option accounted for roughly one-third of all undergraduates. Those deciding to study for a master’s degree chose famous domestic universities such as Peking University, China Foreign Affairs University, Renmin University of China, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Those deciding to continue their studies overseas chose universities such as the London School of Economics, Durham University, University of Edinburgh, Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University, New York University, HEC Paris, and The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. Others found jobs with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the World Service Department of Xinhua News Agency, diplomatic services, state-owned enterprises, foreign enterprises and the foreign affairs offices at city and provincial levels. The graduate employment rate reached 94 percent.
