Established in 2018 and inaugurated in early 2019, the Language Centre, Tsinghua University (LCTU) is Tsinghua University’s dedicated hub for language education and research. The Centre brings together public foreign language instruction from the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures and the Chinese-as-a-Foreign-Language (CFL) teaching from the School of Humanities.
LCTU is responsible for delivering core language education across the University. It offers public English and second foreign language courses to undergraduate and graduate students from all disciplines, as well as Chinese language courses for international students, including undergraduates, graduates, exchange students, and visiting scholars. Currently, the Centre offers nearly 100 courses in 12 foreign languages—including English, Japanese, Russian, German, French, Italian, Korean, Arabic, Portuguese, Spanish, Greek, and Persian—alongside the CFL program. Each semester, approximately 10,000 students enroll in LCTU courses. Additionally, the Centre leverages its multilingual platform to provide language learning supports and services to faculty and students, and continues to develop signature programs that meet the evolving needs of students and faculty.
As of December 2024, the Centre has a faculty team of 67 members, including four professors, 35 associate professors, 11 lecturers, 11 foreign lecturers, four postdoctoral teaching fellows, and two additional teaching staff. LCTU has consistently achieved exemplary education outcomes based on university-wide teaching evaluations. More than ten LCTU courses are among the top 5%, and more than 40% of LCTU courses reach the top 25% of all Tsinghua courses. The Centre currently hosts 13 courses designated as exemplary by the university, one municipal-level model course, and two nationally recognized online undergraduate courses. Many faculty members have earned prestigious honors such as the Tsinghua New Century Teaching Achievement Award, Annual Excellence in Teaching Award, Young Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, Outstanding Teaching Achievement Award, and have won many national prizes in teaching competitions.
LCTU operates under a collaborative academic and administrative structure, with four teaching divisions—English for Undergraduate Students, English for Graduate Students, Second Foreign Languages, and Chinese as a Foreign Language—and four interdisciplinary platforms focused on educational technology, language services, academic exchange, and cultural studies. Committees such as the Faculty Review Board and the Teaching Committee provide academic oversight and governance.
In alignment with Tsinghua’s mission to build a world-class university, the Language Centre is committed to curriculum reform, pedagogical innovation, and excellence in teaching. Its overarching goal is to strengthen students’ competencies in multilingual communication, intercultural understanding, and global engagement—equipping them to thrive in international academic and professional settings.
The Centre emphasizes both faculty development and international recruitment. Young scholars with strong teaching potential and a passion for education are recruited through a selective hiring process, and international faculty are carefully chosen for their professional expertise, familiarity with Chinese language and culture, and commitment to cross-cultural teaching.
LCTU also actively engages in academic exchange and collaboration with peer institutions in China and abroad, promoting joint teaching initiatives, student and faculty mobility, and resource sharing. Through strong partnerships with educational and professional organizations, the Centre creates a rich environment for language learning, cultural exploration, and global competence.
