The School of Western Languages, established in 2012, offers undergraduate programs of French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Greek, German (Sino-foreign cooperative program), Spanish (Sino-foreign cooperative program), English (English-German B), English (English-French), and English (English-Spanish), as well as six Master degrees of Translation and Interpreting (MTI) specializations: French Interpreting, French Translation, German Interpreting, German Translation, Spanish Interpreting, and Italian Interpreting. Among these, the French program and the five-year English program are rated national-level first-class undergraduate program construction projects, while the German, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese programs are rated provincial-level first-class undergraduate program construction projects. The school takes moral education as its fundamental mission, adhering to a student-centered, employment-oriented, and quality-driven educational philosophy. It emphasizes the “Minor Language + English + Major” and “Dual Foreign Languages” training models to cultivate applied, interdisciplinary, and globally oriented foreign language talent with firm ideals and beliefs, strong cultural confidence, and broad international perspectives, meeting the needs of the market and enterprises. In recent years, the school has actively explored and practiced foreign language talent cultivation under the New Liberal Arts framework. In 2021, it was approved for the Ministry of Education’s New Liberal Arts research and reform practice projects (first batch) , launching the “French-English-Spanish Multilingual Talent Experimental Class.” In 2022 and 2023, it launched micro-programs of “International Organizations and Cross-Cultural Communication” and “Artistic Italian.”

The school boasts a well-structured faculty with high foreign language proficiency, strong professional capabilities, and exemplary ethics. It includes 1 ministry-level leading talent, 2 nationally renowned senior translators, 1 national outstanding teacher, and 1 provincial-level curriculum ideology and politics Master Teacher. Among the more than 70 full-time faculty members, there are 7 professors, 20 associate professors, and 33 lecturers. Additionally, over 20 foreign experts in various languages are employed, most of whom hold doctoral degrees. The school regularly invites renowned scholars and high-level professionals from both domestic and international backgrounds to teach and deliver lectures.

The school regards the quality of talent cultivation as its lifeline. Over the past three years, it has undertaken more than 50 provincial-level and above teaching and research projects. It has established 2 provincial-level high-quality online open courses, 1 provincial-level curriculum ideology and politics demonstration course, 1 provincial-level high-quality course, 3 provincial-level excellent courses, 1 provincial-level talent cultivation experimental zone, and 1 provincial-level off-campus practical education base. The school has also won 1 first prize in the provincial teaching achievement awards and has been recognized with 1 provincial-level Huang Danian-style teaching team. Both faculty and students have consistently achieved outstanding results in national teaching and academic and professional competitions.

The school adheres to collaborative education, fostering strong partnerships with enterprises, industries, and other universities both domestically and internationally. It has jointly established the “International Engineering Language Services” Modern Industry Academy with China First Highway Engineering Bureau. Additionally, the school has set up over 70 off-campus practice bases, including renowned enterprises, institutions, and industry associations such as the Training Institute for Commerce Ministry Officials, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Jilin Provincial Import and Export Chamber of Commerce, the Shenzhen Cross-Border E-Commerce Association, and FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd., to cultivate students’ comprehensive abilities. The school has also established various forms of cooperation with over 50 prestigious foreign universities, including student exchange programs, dual-degree programs, bachelor-to-master joint programs, Sino-foreign cooperative programs, joint faculty training, and collaborative course development, to nurture students’ international mindset that values both their homeland and the wider world.

The employment prospects for the school’s graduates remain strong, with outstanding graduates securing positions in foreign affairs institutions such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chinese embassies and consulates abroad, and foreign embassies and consulates in China, as well as in renowned domestic and international enterprises like China State Construction Engineering Corporation, FAW-Volkswagen, and China Geo-Engineering Corporation. Its graduates pursue further studies and advanced education which is also encouraging, with some students gaining admission to prestigious domestic universities such as Beijing Foreign Studies University, Shanghai International Studies University, Peking University, Tongji University, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, and City University of Hong Kong. Additionally, the number of students pursuing overseas studies continues to grow each year.