The School of International Studies (SIS) of Peking University is the first such school set up in Chinese universities. It is an important teaching and research platform devoted to the training of specialized talents in international studies, international political economy and diplomacy. SIS was officially founded in 1996. However, the origins of SIS can be

Traced back to decades earlier. In 1960, the Department of Political Science was set up in Peking University. Three years later, the Department was renamed the Department of International Politics. From 1996 to 1998, the Department of International Politics, the Institute of International Relations and the Institute of Afro Asian Studies merged successively, and SIS was the final product of this merging process.

SIS is organized into three departments and three institutes, namely, the Department of International Studies, the Department of Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs Management, the Department of International Political Economy, the Institute of International Relations, the Institute of Afro Asian Studies, and the Institute of World Socialism. In addition, SIS is also the host of more than twenty research centers. On the administrative side, SIS has a general office, an office for student affairs, a center for development and exchanges, and an editorial office for the journal of International Politics Quarterly.

Currently, SIS conducts three B.A. programs, seven M.A. programs, and five Ph.D. programs. The three B.A. programs are: international politics, diplomacy, and international political economy. The seven M.A, programs are: international politics. diplomacy, international relations, international political economy, comparative political systems, history of the Chinese Communist Party, and scientific socialism and international communist movement. The five Ph.D. programs are: international relations, international politics, diplomacy, scientific socialism and international communist movement, and comparative political systems. Among those Ph.D. programs, international politics, and scientific socialism and international communist movement are state designated key programs.

Currently, SIS has 51 faculty members, of whom 21 are full professors. It also has 26 associate professors and 4 lecturers. In the fall semester 2005, SIS enrolls 1226 students, of whom 554 are in regular undergraduate programs, 225 in double major undergraduate programs, and 447 in graduate programs. Among the students, 219 are from overseas.

For more details of SIS, please refer to: http://www.sis.pku.edu.cn