The School of International Relations of Jilin International Studies University was established in July 2021 to meet the demand for legal and diplomatic talent in the context of international and domestic economic and social development. The school encompasses one discipline of Law, and offers two law-related programs: International Economics and Trade Rules, and Credit Risk Management and Legal Prevention. It also offers one political science program: International Affairs and International Relations. The International Economics and Trade Rules program began enrollment in 2021, while the International Affairs and International Relations program and the Credit Risk Management and Legal Prevention program started enrollment in 2023. In 2023, the School of International Relations was listed in the provincial-level specialized colleges (the first batch) in Jilin Province.

The School of International Relations adheres to JISU’s “major + foreign language” educational mode and actively explores distinctive training models that highlight the school’s characteristics. With the support of the JISU’s strengths in foreign languages and other disciplines, the school aims to cultivate high-quality legal talent for international affairs, focusing on the international legal services industry. Supported by the Jilin Provincial Department of Justice, Jilin Provincial Lawyers Association, Changchun Municipal Bureau of Justice, Changchun Lawyers Association, and Changchun Smart Legal Services District Management Office, the school has collaborated with nationally renowned law firms such as Jilin Gongcheng Law Firm, Beijing Dacheng (Changchun) Law Firm, Beijing JunZeJun (Changchun) Law Firm, Guangdong Huashang (Changchun) Law Firm, Jilin Yingqing Law Firm, Jilin Jida Law Firm, and Yingke (Changchun) Law Firm to establish the first International Lawyers Industry Academy in Northeast China. This initiative promotes the cultivation of interdisciplinary legal talent for international affairs. Through a deeply integrated industry-education talent cultivation model, the school aims to train politically loyal, linguistically proficient, theoretically solid, highly skilled, and ethically committed interdisciplinary legal talent for national and Northeast Asian development, providing talent and intellectual support for the comprehensive revitalization of Jilin Province.

The school places great emphasis on cultivating students’ academic, practical, and critical thinking abilities beyond the classroom. It actively develops second classroom activities and utilizes venues such as mock courtrooms to host high-level academic lectures, inviting renowned domestic legal scholars and outstanding legal professionals to introduce students to cutting-edge legal theories, professional skills, and career planning topics. The school also has the comprehensive practice studio, which integrates JISU and professional resources to specifically support student innovation and entrepreneurship projects such as legal aid simulations, professional competition training, and cross-domain project incubation, providing a dedicated platform for students to enhance their practical abilities.

The school adheres to the ethos of “Clarifying Law and Upholding Virtue, Seeking Truth and Pursuing Excellence,” embracing a serious and pragmatic academic attitude. It has gathered a group of senior law professors and young doctoral talent who are passionate about teaching, well-versed in educational principles, rigorous in scholarship, and dedicated to academic advancement. Many faculty members hold recognized academic and social positions in the field, including standing council members of the Legal English Teaching and Testing Committee of the China Arbitration Law Research Association, council members of the International Competence Development Committee of the China Education Development Strategy Society, standing council members of the Jilin Provincial Entrepreneurship and Employment Foundation, vice president of the Jilin Provincial Law Society’s Research Committee on Foreign-related Rule of Law, deputy secretary-general of the Jilin Provincial Law Society’s Research Committee on Jurisprudence, standing council members of the Jilin Provincial Law Society’s Research Committee on Economic Law, and arbitrators of the Changchun Arbitration Commission. Among the full-time faculty, 63% have overseas study or research experience, possessing international perspectives and high teaching and research standards. They have published numerous CSSCI-indexed papers and books, and have led or participated in multiple national and provincial key research projects, earning a certain reputation in the academic field. This provides a solid foundation for cultivating high-quality legal talent who will engage in international affairs. The school has also recruited a group of renowned lawyers and senior legal professionals with extensive practical experience from both domestic and international backgrounds, forming a high-level practical teaching and external mentor team and joining in teaching, research, and talent cultivation. The establishment of the Northeast Asia Foreign-related Rule of Law Research Center as an industry-academia-research platform has made significant contributions to the training of applied, interdisciplinary, and high-level legal talent for international trade and economic affairs.