School of Foreign Languages is a diversified, multi-level, and all-round hub for foreign language education and talent cultivation, offering undergraduate, master’s, doctoral, postdoctoral, and international student programs. Its origins trace back to 1937 with the establishment of the Russian Department at Public School of Northern Shaanxi, later evolving into the Russian Department of North China United University and North China University. Since 1951, it had seen the successive establishment of the Russian Teaching and Research Office, Foreign Language Teaching and Research Office (covering English, French, Japanese), and Translation and Compilation Office. In 1984, the School further evolved into the Foreign Language Department, comprising Russian Teaching and Research Office, Undergraduate English Teaching and Research Office, Graduate English Teaching and Research Office, Japanese, German, and French Teaching and Research Office, and English Training Teaching and Research Office. In 1988, the Foreign Language Department was upgraded to the Faculty of Foreign Languages, and in 2001, the School of Foreign Languages was officially established.

School of Foreign Languages boasts a robust faculty structure with nine teaching departments, including English Language and Literature, Russian Language and Literature, Japanese Language and Literature, German Language and Literature, French Language and Literature, Spanish Language and Literature, MTI Education Center, College English Teaching and Research Office, and Graduate English Teaching and Research Office. These departments are dedicated to nurturing undergraduate and graduate students in foreign language majors and spearheading public foreign language education throughout the university. Additionally, the school houses three research institutions: the Australian Research Center, the German Research Center, and the Japanese Humanities and Social Sciences Research Center, fostering cross-cultural and cross-national academic dialogues and exchanges. Presently, the school comprises 121 full-time teachers, including 18 professors and 53 associate professors, supplemented by over 50 foreign experts and scholars from various countries, enriching the academic landscape with their expertise.

School of Foreign Languages at Renmin University of China offers a comprehensive disciplinary framework, with six undergraduate majors in English, Japanese, Russian, German, French, and Spanish. It holds the authority to confer doctoral and master’s degrees in the first-level discipline of foreign language and literature. The school conducts academic doctoral or master's programs in five majors of language and literature: English, Japanese, German, Russian, and French. Additionally, it has the authorization for Master of Translation and Interpreting(MTI), carrying out the corresponding personnel training and degree conferment work. School of Foreign Languages focuses its research on foreign literature, culture, linguistics, and translation theories and practice.

School of Foreign Languages has a long-standing commitment to international exchanges and collaborations with overseas universities and academic institutions. It has established cooperative relationships in academic, teacher, and student exchanges with prestigious universities worldwide, including the University of Massachusetts Boston, the Monterey Institute of International Studies School of Advanced Translation and Interpretation, the University of Auckland in New Zealand, Hiroshima University in Japan, the University of Cologne in Germany, Complutense University of Madrid in Spain, and Lomonosov Moscow State University in Russia. These collaborations have sparked impactful projects and facilitated the organization of high-profile international academic conferences, markedly elevating the quality of talent cultivation and bolstering the university’s global presence.