About
About Zhejiang International Studies University
Zhejiang International Studies University traces its history to 1955, when it was established as the Zhejiang Training School for Middle School Teachers. It became Zhejiang College for Teacher Training in 1956, Zhejiang Wenjiao College in 1958 and Zhejiang College of Education in 1960; it began enrolling full-time degree students in 1994 in partnership with Zhejiang Normal University, was accredited as Zhejiang University of Education in 2002, and was renamed Zhejiang International Studies University by the Ministry of Education and the Zhejiang Provincial Government in 2010. In 2024 it gained authority to confer master’s degrees. Its official English name is Zhejiang International Studies University, although some Chinese-to-English pages on its own sites render it as "Zhejiang Foreign Studies University" — they are the same institution.
The university is run by Zhejiang Province rather than the Ministry of Education and is not part of the national Double First-Class initiative. Its Introducing ZISU page describes 13 teaching schools, 36 undergraduate programs — 16 of them in foreign languages, from English, Japanese, Spanish and French to Czech, Turkish, Polish, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Thai — and 3 master’s degree programs, with seven national first-class and seven provincial first-class undergraduate programs. It enrols more than 10,000 students and employs more than 900 faculty and staff, over 60% of whom hold doctorates. International students study, live and are served on the Xiaoheshan Campus at 299 Liuhe Road, Xihu District, in the western part of Hangzhou.
International student numbers are growing, and the university’s own figures differ by page. The Introducing ZISU page states "400+ international students from 50+ countries" on campus; a university news report of 13 March 2026 on the spring 2026 intake counts 132 new international students and 545 international students in total, from 62 countries, calling both figures record highs. The International College’s own introduction states that more than 1,200 international students from about 100 countries have studied at ZISU since 2010. Use the March 2026 figure as the most recent.
Plus seven provincial first-class programs, per Introducing ZISU
Undergraduate foreign-language programs, per Introducing ZISU
One of China’s public foreign-studies universities; the university does not appear in the national Double First-Class list
A language university
Sixteen foreign-language undergraduate programs sit alongside business, education, tourism and the arts — which means a campus full of Chinese students learning your language and plenty of language-exchange partners.
Small and teaching-focused
The International College runs small classes, a buddy scheme, city tours and monthly cultural activities, and has a regular "Exploring Beautiful Zhejiang" series of field trips across the province.
English-taught business degrees
Four-year bachelor’s programs in International Economics and Trade, Tourism Management and Business English are taught in English — an unusual option at a provincial language university.
Hangzhou
The provincial capital, home to UNESCO World Heritage sites and host of the G20 Summit and the Asian Games — ZISU students volunteered at both, according to the university.
Admission
Admission, programs & tuition
ZISU admits international students to four-year bachelor’s degrees and to non-degree Chinese language and exchange study, all through the International College (also called the Belt and Road College / College of International Education) and the online system at zisu.at0086.cn. Master’s and doctoral study is not offered to international applicants: the university only gained master’s degree-awarding status in 2024, has no doctoral programs, and none of its international admission pages lists a postgraduate route. A word of caution about the sources: the current annual brochure (the 2025 International Students Recruitment Handbook and the 2025 Exchange Students brochure, in Chinese and English) is published only as a download on the International College site, and no 2026 or 2027 edition had been posted by late September 2026. The detailed fee, requirement and housing pages the university still hosts sit on its older admissions site (cie.zisu.edu.cn), which carries no date, and some of their details — such as the payee address on Wensan Road — look older than the current handbook. Treat every figure below as indicative and confirm it with study@zisu.edu.cn before you pay anything. The standing rules on those pages: applicants must be non-Chinese citizens with a valid passport, in good health, normally 18 or over and no older than 30 for degree programs; Chinese-taught degrees need HSK 4 or equivalent and English-taught degrees need TOEFL iBT 80 or IELTS 6.0. Review takes about four weeks, and a RMB 500 fee is paid after you receive the electronic admission letter, before the original letter and JW202 visa form are posted to you.
Degree programs
Select a degree level to see tuition, duration and entry requirements.
Bachelor’s degreeUndergraduate
Four-year bachelor’s degrees starting in the autumn semester. The older admissions site lists five majors at one flat tuition rate: Tourism Management, International Economics and Trade and Business English (Chinese business environment) taught in English, and Cross-border E-commerce and Chinese International Education taught in Chinese. The university’s current International Education page lists the English-taught curricula as International Economics and Trade, Tourism Management, Business English (Chinese Business Environment) and Cross-border E-commerce — so the two official pages disagree on whether Cross-border E-commerce is taught in English or Chinese. The Chinese International Education program allows a flexible study period of 3–6 years and requires 160 credits; the Tourism Management and International Economics and Trade programs advertise paid internship opportunities.
- All bachelor’s programs (English- or Chinese-taught)
- RMB 18,000 / year
Application requirements
- Non-Chinese citizen holding a valid passport, in good health, willing to comply with Chinese law and university regulations.
- Normally aged 18 or over; the maximum age for degree programs is 30.
- Chinese-taught programs: HSK 4 or an equivalent level.
- English-taught programs: TOEFL iBT 80 or above, or IELTS 6.0 or above.
- Copy of the highest diploma and academic transcripts; applicants transferring from another Chinese university also need a transfer letter from that university.
- Health examination report and a certificate of no criminal record.
Non-degree programs
Intensive Chinese (long-term)
Beginner-level intensive Chinese built around comprehensive Chinese, listening and speaking, and reading and writing, with Chinese culture experience classes, tai chi, calligraphy and one-to-one tutoring. The International College states that ZISU is a designated host institution for the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship.
Fee · RMB 7,000 / semester
Business Chinese (in China / international)
A one-year non-degree course developing business communication skills and cross-cultural competence for international commerce, taught in English.
Fee · RMB 7,000 / semester
Cross-border E-commerce (non-degree)
A one-year non-degree version of the cross-border e-commerce curriculum, taught in Chinese.
Fee · RMB 9,000 / semester
Short-term Chinese courses
Two options with rolling start dates: a general short-term Chinese course priced by the week, and a one-month elementary or intermediate HSK course, both aimed at conversational ability and an understanding of Chinese society.
Fee · RMB 600 / week, or RMB 3,750 / month for the HSK course
Exchange students
For students nominated by partner universities; ZISU has exchange agreements with about 150 universities in more than 50 countries. The terms are published in a separate 2025 Exchange Students brochure (Chinese and English editions) on the International College’s Recruitment Handbook page; the university does not restate them on its web pages, so request the brochure from study@zisu.edu.cn or your home university’s exchange office.
Fee · Set out in the 2025 Exchange Students brochure — ask the International College
Documents to prepare
- Electronic passport-style photo.
- Copy of the passport information page.
- Certificate of no criminal record.
- Health examination report.
- Copy of your academic transcripts.
- Copy of your highest diploma or degree certificate.
- Language proficiency proof: IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 80 for English-taught programs; HSK 4 for Chinese-taught programs.
- Transfer letter from your current university, if you are already studying at another institution in China.
- Zhejiang Provincial Government Scholarship applicants additionally submit notarized diploma copies and recommendation letters; ZISU scholarship applicants use the Scholarship Application Form from the International College’s download centre.
Application timeline
These are the dates Zhejiang International Studies University published for the 2026 intake. That cycle has closed. Use them as a guide to when each step falls in the year, and check the official pages for the 2027 dates before you plan around them.
- 1
Zhejiang Government Scholarship applications
Jan–May 2026ZISU normally accepts provincial scholarship applications from January to May each year, through the online application system.
- 2
Review and electronic admission letter
About 4 weeks after submittingApplications are reviewed on a rolling basis; if your materials meet the requirements you receive an electronic admission letter, then pay the RMB 500 fee, after which the original letter and JW202 form are posted to you. The university does not publish a single closing date for self-funded degree applications on its web pages, so ask the International College for the 2026 deadline.
- 3
ZISU scholarship deadline (new students)
By 1 Jun 2026Deadline for the university’s new-student and tuition-reduction scholarships. Excellence and single-item awards for current students have two rounds, 1 June and 1 December.
- 4
Zhejiang Government Scholarship results
By 30 Jun 2026Results of the provincial scholarship are normally announced by 30 June.
- 5
Registration and start of the autumn semester
Autumn 2026Degree programs and the one-year non-degree courses start in the autumn semester. Fees are due within 30 days of arrival. The university does not publish the 2026 registration dates on its web pages; they arrive with your admission package.
One flat bachelor’s tuition applies to every major on the university’s fee page: RMB 18,000 per year, English- or Chinese-taught. Long-term Chinese courses cost RMB 7,000 a semester (RMB 9,000 for the Chinese-taught cross-border e-commerce course) and short courses RMB 600 a week or RMB 3,750 a month for the HSK course. On top of tuition, budget for the RMB 500 fee paid after pre-admission (the application-procedure page calls it an application fee, the fee page a registration fee), insurance at RMB 300 per half year or RMB 600 per year, and housing. Tuition and accommodation are paid after arrival — by overseas bank transfer or on campus — and must be settled within 30 days of arrival to complete registration and the residence permit. These figures come from the university’s older, undated admissions pages; the current 2025 handbook is a separate download, so confirm them with the International College before paying.
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Funding
Scholarships
Scholarships at ZISU come from two places: the Zhejiang Provincial Government, for which ZISU has been an approved host institution since 2011, and the university itself. The International College’s current scholarship page names just these two families — the Zhejiang Provincial Government Scholarship (categories B and C) and a new-student tuition-reduction scholarship — while the older admissions site sets out ZISU’s own awards in more detail, including a full scholarship for new students that the current page no longer mentions. The university does not list any Chinese Government (CSC) Scholarship channel on its international pages, so do not plan on one. Scholarships are applied for in the same online system as admission; ZISU’s own awards need the Scholarship Application Form from the download centre.
Zhejiang Provincial Government Scholarship — Category B (undergraduate)
RMB 10,000–20,000 per year.
Eligibility: Foreign nationals with a valid passport, good conduct, the Chinese proficiency their program needs (HSK certificate or equivalent) and excellent grades, aged 30 or under, applying for bachelor’s study. Applications are normally accepted from January to May, with results announced by 30 June; notarized diploma copies, recommendation letters, a health certificate, language proof and a criminal-record clearance are required.
Zhejiang Provincial Government Scholarship — Category C (long-term non-degree)
RMB 6,000 per year.
Eligibility: Long-term non-degree students enrolled for at least one academic year, on the same nationality, age (30 or under), conduct and language conditions and the same January–May application window as Category B.
ZISU Full Scholarship for New Students
Waives first-year tuition, accommodation, registration and textbook fees, and reimburses one round-trip air ticket up to RMB 8,000.
Eligibility: New degree students only, with a GPA of at least 3.5 and, for Chinese-taught programs, HSK 5. Deadline 1 June. This award appears only on the older admissions site; the International College’s current scholarship page lists the tuition-reduction scholarship but not this one, so ask whether it is still offered.
ZISU New Student Tuition Reduction Scholarship
100%, 50% or 25% of the year’s tuition, depending on the tier awarded.
Eligibility: Degree students need a GPA of at least 3.0 and, for Chinese-taught programs, HSK 4. The older admissions site also lists a non-degree category, for which a semester already completed at ZISU is required. Deadline 1 June.
ZISU Excellence Award
Degree students: RMB 8,000, 5,000 or 2,000 per year. Non-degree students: RMB 1,500, 1,000 or 800 per semester.
Eligibility: Current students with strong academic records; non-degree students must have completed at least one semester. Two rounds a year, 1 June and 1 December — this is an award for students already enrolled, not an entry scholarship.
ZISU Single-Item Awards
RMB 300.
Eligibility: Current students recognised for HSK results, cultural or sporting achievement, or social service. Deadlines 1 June and 1 December.
International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship
Terms are set by the scholarship scheme, not by ZISU; the university does not restate them on its pages.
Eligibility: The International College states that ZISU is a designated host institution for this Ministry of Education scholarship, which funds Chinese language study; ask the International College which programs it accepts at ZISU.
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Research at the university
ZISU is a teaching-led university rather than a research university, and its research is concentrated on languages, regional and country studies, cultural exchange and international education. The Introducing ZISU page counts nine provincial or ministerial research institutes and eight international collaboration platforms focused on regional studies, cultural exchange and sustainable development. The International College itself has a Research section and had a course selected in 2024 as a provincial-level online undergraduate internationalisation course. International students here are undergraduates and language learners, so research matters mainly as the backdrop to teaching.
Regional and country studies
Research on the countries whose languages ZISU teaches, including Belt and Road and Latin American partners — the focus behind its "regional-international studies" profile.
Languages and translation
Sixteen foreign-language programs from English and Japanese to Polish, Turkish and Thai underpin research in linguistics, translation and language teaching.
International Chinese education
Teaching Chinese as a foreign language, through the International College, the Confucius Institutes and more than ten online Chinese-language bridge projects run with the Ministry of Education since 2020.
Education and teacher training
The university’s historical core — it was a teacher-training institution from 1955 until 2010 — continues in its School of Education.
- Nine provincial or ministerial research institutes and eight international collaboration platforms, per Introducing ZISU.
- Master’s degree-awarding status granted in 2024, with three master’s degree programs.
- Seven national first-class and seven provincial first-class undergraduate programs.
- Sixteen national-level leading talents among the faculty, and more than half of faculty with overseas research experience.
Global engagement
Global engagement
Internationalisation is central to ZISU’s identity. The Introducing ZISU page reports exchange agreements with about 150 universities in more than 50 countries, more than 160 long-term student exchange programs, and more than 500 ZISU students going abroad each year. The university runs three Confucius Institutes and describes its strategy as "localized internationalization" — bringing international students, teachers and programs onto its Hangzhou campus. For international students this translates into plenty of Chinese classmates studying their language and an active exchange-student intake.
Confucius Institute at the National University of Equatorial Guinea
Established in 2016, ZISU’s first Confucius Institute.
Confucius Institute of Antigua and Barbuda
Established in 2019.
Confucius Institute at Francisco Morazán National Pedagogical University
Established in Honduras in 2025; the spring 2026 intake included ZISU’s first students from Honduras.
Exchange and scholarship programs
The International Exchange and Cooperation Office lists partner exchanges in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania, including 2026 exchange scholarship programs with Poland and the Czech Republic for ZISU students.
Career
Career & alumni
ZISU does not publish employment or further-study statistics for its international graduates. What it offers instead is a graduate network: the International College runs an Alumni section profiling former international students, and at the July 2026 graduation ceremony it introduced a "ZISU Ambassador" program asking graduates to keep acting as bridges between China and their home countries. The English-taught tourism and trade programs advertise paid internship opportunities. The university’s employment network (jy.zisu.edu.cn) is linked from its international recruitment page; it is in Chinese.
Career support
- Paid internship opportunities advertised for the Tourism Management and International Economics and Trade bachelor’s programs.
- The university employment network, jy.zisu.edu.cn (in Chinese).
- The International College’s Alumni section and "ZISU Ambassador" program for graduates.
Notable alumni
Campus life
Campus life
International students live and study on the Xiaoheshan Campus at 299 Liuhe Road in Xihu District, on the western side of Hangzhou; Pingfeng station on Metro Line 3 (exit D) and the Toushanmen bus stops serve the campus. The international student residence has 80 rooms and 160 beds, each room with air-conditioning, a balcony and free 24-hour Wi-Fi, plus shared study rooms, laundry, a communal kitchen and refrigerators, with staff on duty 24 hours a day. Beyond the classroom the International College runs a buddy scheme, city tours and monthly cultural activities — calligraphy, traditional music, painting, tai chi, paper-cutting and cooking classes — a Chinese Corner, film nights, a dragon-boat team and the "Exploring Beautiful Zhejiang" series of trips around the province.
Accommodation
International student residence — Xiaoheshan Campus
RMB 1,200 / month (single); RMB 600 / month (double)
Hot water and electricity are not included. Pay for your whole study period upfront — monthly instalments are not accepted; a stay of 15 days or less in a month is not charged and a longer one counts as a full month. The fee page gives a different yearly figure — RMB 6,000 for a one-year program, or RMB 600 a month for semester students — so confirm the rate for your room type.
Dining
International students can cook in the communal kitchen in the residence. The university does not publish canteen locations or meal prices for international students on its English or international pages, so budget for food separately.
Facilities
Residence facilities
Air-conditioned rooms with balconies and free Wi-Fi, shared study rooms, laundry, a communal kitchen and refrigerators, and 24-hour on-duty staff.
Cultural programme
Buddy partners, city tours, monthly culture classes (calligraphy, painting, tai chi, paper-cutting, traditional music, cooking), a Chinese Corner, film nights and province-wide field trips.
Insurance and health
Insurance is RMB 300 per half year or RMB 600 per year. New students have a physical examination and apply for the residence permit during orientation week.
Getting there
Metro Line 3 to Pingfeng station, exit D, or buses 136, 193, 236, 310, 436, 467, 521M, 596 and others to Toushanmen.
Campus
Zhejiang International Studies University in photos
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How much is tuition at Zhejiang International Studies University?+
The university’s fee page lists one flat rate for all bachelor’s programs, English- or Chinese-taught: RMB 18,000 per year. Long-term Chinese language study is RMB 7,000 per semester (RMB 9,000 for the one-year Chinese-taught cross-border e-commerce course), and short courses are RMB 600 per week or RMB 3,750 per month for the HSK course. Add the RMB 500 fee paid after pre-admission, insurance at RMB 600 per year, and housing from RMB 600 a month. These figures come from the university’s older, undated admissions pages, so confirm them with study@zisu.edu.cn.
Can I study a bachelor’s degree in English at ZISU?+
Yes. International Economics and Trade, Tourism Management and Business English (Chinese business environment) are taught in English and need TOEFL iBT 80 or IELTS 6.0. Cross-border E-commerce is listed as English-taught on the university’s International Education page but as Chinese-taught on its older admissions site, so check before you apply. Chinese International Education is taught in Chinese and needs HSK 4.
Does ZISU accept international master’s or PhD students?+
No. The university only gained master’s degree-awarding status in 2024, has no doctoral programs, and its international admission pages list bachelor’s degrees and non-degree study only.
What are the language requirements?+
HSK 4 or equivalent for Chinese-taught degree programs, and TOEFL iBT 80 or IELTS 6.0 for English-taught ones. Scholarships raise the bar: the Zhejiang Government Scholarship requires an HSK certificate or equivalent, and the university’s full scholarship for new students expects HSK 5 for Chinese-taught programs, the tuition-reduction scholarship HSK 4.
Is there an age limit?+
Yes. Applicants are normally 18 or over, and the maximum age for degree programs is 30. The Zhejiang Provincial Government Scholarship uses the same limit: applicants must be 30 or under.
What scholarships can international students get?+
The Zhejiang Provincial Government Scholarship pays RMB 10,000–20,000 a year for undergraduates (Category B) or RMB 6,000 a year for long-term non-degree students (Category C); applications normally run from January to May and results come out by 30 June. ZISU’s own new-student tuition reduction covers 100%, 50% or 25% of tuition, with a 1 June deadline. Current students can win excellence awards of up to RMB 8,000 a year. ZISU does not list any Chinese Government (CSC) Scholarship channel.
Where do international students live and how much does it cost?+
In the international student residence on the Xiaoheshan Campus: RMB 1,200 per month for a single room or RMB 600 per month for a double, excluding hot water and electricity, paid upfront for the whole study period. The fee page also quotes RMB 6,000 for a one-year program, so confirm the rate for your room type.
Contact
Contact the admissions offices
Reach the International College (Belt and Road College / College of International Education), Zhejiang International Studies University — international student recruitment office for questions about applications, documents, scholarships and arrival. Type university programs and offices are based on campus in Hangzhou.
- Office
- International College (Belt and Road College / College of International Education), Zhejiang International Studies University — international student recruitment office
- Address
- Rooms D219 and D221, Wangyuan Building, Xiaoheshan Campus, 299 Liuhe Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310023, China
- study@zisu.edu.cn — international student admissions and scholarship enquiriesydyl@zisu.edu.cn — International College general enquirieshqxy@zisu.edu.cn — International College (Overseas Chinese College) general enquiriesinternational@zisu.edu.cn — International Exchange and Cooperation Office (partnerships and exchanges)
Verified from official sources · last checked 2026-09-28
Tuition, fees and deadlines change every intake. Always confirm the current figures on the official Zhejiang International Studies University pages before applying.
- International College homepage
- International College — About
- International College — Recruitment Handbook (2025)
- International College — Scholarship
- International College — Contact
- International College — Download centre
- International College — CIE news
- 2026 international student graduation ceremony
- International education (university site)
- International student recruitment (university site)
- Introducing ZISU
- History
- Schools and Departments
- Confucius Institutes
- Spring 2026 international student enrolment (news, 13 March 2026)
- International Exchange and Cooperation Office
- Study at ZISU — application steps
- Admission requirements
- Application materials
- Application procedure
- Fee information
- On-campus accommodation
- Why choose ZISU
- Degree programs
- Long-term non-degree courses
- Short-term courses
- Zhejiang Provincial Government Scholarship
- ZISU International Student Scholarship
- Contact (older admissions site)