Nanjing University is one of the top nine universities (C9 League) in China, and also one of the first universities to enroll and cultivate international students in China. It has hosted more than 20,000 international students from over 120 countries since from 1955, with prominent international alumni in politics, business, academia and other fields.

The Institute for International Students is an academic institution that conducts teaching and researches in the fields of Chinese language & culture and international Chinese language teaching. It is also a public Chinese-teaching school to all the international students at Nanjing University.

The Institute comprises of such academic units as Department of Chinese Language, Department of Teaching Chinese as Foreign Language (TCFL), Department of Public Chinese Teaching, and Research Center for Teacher Development & Pedagogics. A comprehensive system has been thus developed on Chinese language and culture teaching, offering all-level degree and training programs to both international and domestic students.

The Institute boasts a team of experienced and devoted faculty and instructors. Currently there are 34 full-time faculty members, 23 of whom are professors or associate professors, and nearly 30 adjunct faculty and instructors who are experienced in teaching Chinese as foreign language.

The Institute has established a wide range of international cooperation with overseas and domestic governments, business companies, diplomatic circles, armies, and educational institutions including primary schools, secondary schools, colleges, and universities. It serves as a training base for such diverse organizations as the Chinese Department of UN, the Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE), the Chinese Teaching Association of New York Area, the American National Chinese Flagship Program, and Tokyo University of Japan.

The Institute is designated as a National Center for Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK), the Test of Practical Chinese (C. Test), and the TCFL Capability Test.

With its first-rate faculty, excellent quality of instruction, rich variety of courses, wide range of majors and abundant research opportunities, the Institute warmly welcomes students and scholars from all over the world.