University of International Relations

University of International Relations

国际关系学院
Former names	Institute of International Relations
Type	National
Established	1949
Officer in charge	Lin Xiaoke
Chairman	Prof. Liu Hui
Vice-president	Prof. Guo Huimin
Location	Beijing,  People's Republic of China
Nickname	国关 Guó Gūan
Website	University of International Relations (Chinese)

University of International Relations (UIR; simplified Chinese: 国际关系学院; traditional Chinese: 國際關係學院; pinyin: Guojì Gūanxì Xúeyuàn) is an institute of higher education located in Beijing that was first established in 1949 to train foreign affairs cadres. The University's role within the bureaucracy of the People's Republic of China is subject to some debate: Chinese government sources and the University's website maintain that it operates under the Ministry of Education, but other sources contend that the University is affiliated with Chinese intelligence agencies along with Jiangnan Social University, namely the Ministry of State Security (MSS), and that its purpose is to train intelligence personnel. According to the private intelligence company Stratfor, the University is where most of the Ministry of State Security's intelligence agents receive their training, having been recruited out of high school on the basis of high test scores, language ability, and a lack of prior international travel or contacts.

The University is located adjacent to the Summer Palace and the Old Summer Palace in Beijing. UIR offers undergraduate and graduate programs in International Politics, International Economics and trade, Law, English, French, Japanese and Public Administration. It currently offers a total of 13 undergraduate programs, and eight master's degree programs. Its former English name is translated as "Institute of International Relations." It is also colloquially known as "Guoguan" (国关 Guó Gūan).

The University of International Relations was founded in 1949 to train foreign affairs cadres for the newly created People’s Republic of China. In 1961, the school merged with the Foreign Affairs College.