BSU was founded in 1953 as the Central Institute of Physical Education, and was renamed the Beijing Institute of Physical Education in 1956 then Beijing Sport University (BSU) in 1993. It is one of the National Key Universities and also a “Project 211” University under direct leadership of the General Administration of Sport of China, and is among the first batch of “Double First-Class”（world-class universities and first-class disciplines）project. It enjoys a high reputation both at home and abroad for its glorious history, profound deposit of culture and solid schooling foundation. Situated on the Xinxi Road, Haidian District of Beijing, BSU covers a total area of 755 thousand square meters, with a total construction area of approximately 450 thousand square meters and nearly 100 indoor and outdoor training grounds.

BSU currently consists of four divisions: Physical Education and Health Division, Humanities and Social Sciences Division, Olympic Sports Division and Sports Engineering Division. The Physical Education and Health Division has seven schools (colleges): School of Education, School of Psychology, School of Sport Science, School of Sport Medicine and Physical Therapy, School of Strength and Conditioning, China Wushu School (Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Sports) and the School of Leisure Sports and Tourism; the Humanities and Social Sciences Division has eight schools (colleges): School of Marxism, School of Management, Business School of Sports, School of Journalism and Communication, School of International Sports Organizations (Foreign Languages School), School of Art, International Culture School and School of Continuing Education (Training School of Winter Olympic Sports); the Olympic Sports Division has 11 schools (colleges): China Football College, China Basketball College, China Volleyball College, China Ice Hockey College (China Curling College), China Swimming College, China Athletics College, China Extreme Sports College, China Equestrianism College, China Coaches College, Sports Coaching College and Competitive Sports School Affiliated to Beijing Sport University; and the Sports Engineering Division has School of Sports Engineering. In addition, the Party School of the CPC Committee of the General Administration of Sport of China, Sports Officials Training Center of General Administration of Sport of China, and the Coach College of the General Administration of Sport of China are also located at the University.

The University currently has four national key disciplines, 13 provincial and ministerial-level key disciplines, two provincial and ministerial-level excellent key disciplines, five provincial and ministerial-level key laboratories such as Key Laboratory of Exercise and Physical Fitness of Ministry of Education and Key Laboratory of Performance Training and Body Function Recovery of General Administration of Sports of China, one Beijing Higher Institution Engineering Research Center, one National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center and two Experimental Teaching Demonstration Centers of Beijing Higher Institutions. It is also home to more than 1.2 million books in its library.

The University focuses on postgraduate education on the basis of its undergraduate programs. Today, we offer 27 undergraduate majors: physical education, sports training, guidance and management of social sports, sports science, Wushu and traditional sports, public service administration, sports economy and management, journalism, advertisement, applied psychology, English, performance, dance performance, sports rehabilitation, leisure sports, Chinese international education, education science, economics, network and new media, German, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, tourism management, Theory of Marxism and physical training. There are nine discipline categories: education science, law, economics, literature, science, engineering, medicine, management, and art. Our physical education is rated as both a National Key Discipline and First Class Discipline, with one of its sub-disciplines rated as a Key Second Class Discipline of the Beijing Municipality. The discipline of physical education came at the top in all the three rounds in the national assessment of disciplines and ranked as Grade A+ in the 4th round of the national assessment. We have the authorization to grant doctorate degrees in physical education and the authorization to grant master's degree for the following First Class Disciplines: Theory of Marxism, education science, psychology, clinical medicine and public management. We also offer master's degree programs for sports, art, journalism and communications; and we have a center for post-doctoral studies in physical education.

The University now has more than 10,000 students in different classes, including more than 9,000 undergraduates and nearly 3,000 postgraduate students. Initial employment rate of graduates has exceeded the average rate of all college and universities in Beijing for 5 consecutive years.

BSU has been committed to our top mission of cultivating talents and insisting on a global vision, international standards, Chinese characteristics and high-end positioning, and the combination of education, training and scientific research. We embrace the idea of interdisciplinary and internationalized education from a high starting point in cultivating talents. We work to strengthen the deeper integration of sports, education, science, technology and culture in a bid to provide high-quality and new-type sports talents for turning China into a strong country in sports and higher learning and promoting the “Healthy China” campaign. Since its establishment, the University has cultivated nearly 100,000 outstanding talented graduates for the country in areas of physical education, competitive sports and sports industry, as well as a large number of outstanding experts, scholars, teachers, coaches, athletes, and management professionals in sports who are well-known both at home and abroad. They’ve made prominent contributions to the development of sports, higher learning, the Olympics and the socio-economic development of China. All this is highly recognized by the Party and the government, all walks of life, and the international community. The University has been honored with multiple titles, such as “Advanced Collective of the Beijing Olympic Games and Paralympic Games” given by the Central Committee of the CPC and State Council, the Prize for “Sports and Social Responsibility” awarded by the IOC. Three former presidents of the University also received IOC awards: Zhong Shitong was awarded “Silver Olympic Order”, Ma Qiwei the IOC “Sports and Study Trophy”, and Jin Jichun the IOC “Sport and Education Trophy”.

The University has been committed to the implementation of a national strategy for development and remains focused on the academic frontier. It has carried out more than 150 research projects at provincial and ministerial level and above, including national key technology research projects and key projects in philosophy and social sciences in China. The University has also won 28 prizes at provincial and ministerial level and above, such as the second prize of National Science and Technology Progress Award and the Ministry of Education Outstanding Achievements Prize. Journal of Beijing Sport University is rated as a Core Periodical in Chinese for Sports, Core Periodical for Humanities and Social Science in China, Source Periodical of Chinese Social Sciences Citation Index (CSSCI), Periodical sponsored by NSSF and the only Periodical in Chinese for sports elected in The Highest International Impact Academic Journals of China every year since 2012.

As one of the major places welcoming foreign visits in Beijing since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing Sport University serves as an important window for showcasing China’s achievements in sports. So far, the University has established relations with 157 higher education institutions in 52 countries and regions in the world and has trained more than 15,000 foreign students from 106 countries. Among them, Dr. Oleg Matytsin was elected the president of International University Sports Federation in 2015. Former Croatian Prime Minister and President of the Croatian Olympic Committee Zlatko Mateša was awarded a doctoral degree here. The University also awarded honorary doctoral degrees to eight international notables including former IOC President Jacques Rogge. Furthermore, the following figures have accepted the honorary professorship from the University: Thomas Bach, President of the IOC, Gian-Franco Kasper, President of the International Ski Federation, Kate Caithness, President of the World Curling Federation, Ivo Ferriani, President of the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, Sarah Lewis, Secretary General of the International Ski Federation, Patrick Baumann, FIBA Secretary General, Walter Mengisen, Deputy Director of Swiss Federal Office of Sport and Co-Director of Swiss Federal Institute of Sport, and Thomas Wu, IIHF Vice President. Through its international platform, the University has been integrating high-quality international educational resources and has set up an international cooperation mechanism in cultivating undergraduate and postgraduate students. The University will continue to make progress in cultivating international talents.