1　Introduction

This paper elaborates on how higher foreign language education, as an important component of higher education, plays a key supporting role in building a strong educational nation. Facing new requirements for building a strong educational nation, the value, function, connotation and focus of higher foreign language education are undergoing significant transformation. Taking Beijing Foreign Studies University's "Double First-Class" construction practice as an example, this paper explores how higher foreign language education in the new era can uphold fundamental principles and innovate, reconstruct the disciplinary development pattern, enhance capacity to serve national strategies, contribute to China's participation in global governance and construction of autonomous knowledge systems, and promote mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations.

2　Major Transformation of Value Functions of Higher Foreign Language Education in the New Era

This section discusses three major transformations that the core value functions of higher foreign language education need to achieve in the new era. First, serving international communication: shifting from introducing the world to China to introducing China to the world better through multiple languages, breaking Western linguistic hegemony, telling stories of Chinese modernization in target countries' languages, and winning recognition from Global South countries. Second, serving China's participation in global governance: shifting from cultivating single foreign language talents to cultivating compound internationalized talents, addressing the current situation where Chinese employees account for a relatively low proportion in international organizations such as the United Nations, cultivating high-end talents familiar with national conditions, well-versed in international rules, and proficient in international negotiations, and providing talent support for Belt and Road construction and building a community with a shared future for mankind. Third, serving the construction of China's autonomous knowledge system in philosophy and social sciences: shifting from introducing and learning foreign foreign language education theories to autonomously constructing foreign language education disciplinary systems, academic systems and discourse systems with Chinese characteristics, promoting interdisciplinary integration led by new liberal arts construction, strengthening research on foreign language education and teaching empowered by artificial intelligence, and constructing discourse systems for multi-language international communication of Chinese culture.

3　Concepts and Practices Leading the Transformation of Value Functions of Higher Foreign Language Education

This section studies the concepts and practical explorations of Beijing Foreign Studies University in leading the transformation of value functions of higher foreign language education during its "Double First-Class" construction, with specific elaboration around the three major transformations. In building a new pattern for foreign language disciplines and serving international communication capacity building, BFSU has deeply promoted the "Three Entry" work of multi-language versions of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, regarding it as the soul project for deepening foreign language education reform; taken the lead in compiling and publishing 46 Understanding Contemporary China series textbooks in 11 languages; planned and held the "FLTRP•ETIC Cup" "Understanding Contemporary China" National College Students' Foreign Language Ability Competition; implemented the National Language Strategy "101 Project," adopting a classified development strategy of "strengthening major languages, optimizing medium languages, and improving minor languages," and strengthening the construction of strategically needed languages; innovatively developed multi-language international communication talent cultivation, established the "Journalism—International Journalism and Communication Master's" program and Xinhua News Agency "Multi-language International Communication Experimental Class," and jointly opened the "Spanish + International Journalism and Communication" program with Renmin University of China to cultivate multi-language compound and interdisciplinary international communication talents. In advancing educational opening to the outside world and enhancing proactive capacity to serve China's participation in global governance, BFSU implemented the CREATE Global Action Plan, establishing cooperative relations with more than 300 universities in over 80 countries and regions through the Global Partnership Cooperation Plan, and carrying out various forms of joint cultivation and overseas practice; conducted global academic exchange and cooperation, jointly conducting research and publishing results with international scholars; initiated and established a series of international academic alliances including the Global Community of Area Studies and the Global Alliance of Foreign Studies Universities; strengthened global governance talent cultivation and characteristic research, jointly opening interdisciplinary cultivation programs with multiple domestic universities, innovatively proposed the concept of "Building Indices to View the World," and constructed the Global Indices Network data platform. In conducting organized scientific research and promoting the construction of China's autonomous knowledge system in foreign language education, BFSU created locally characteristic education and teaching theories such as "Production-Oriented Approach" and "Intercultural Critical Thinking Teaching"; constructed China's national language capacity system, developed the "National Language Capacity Index," and built the "Global Language Service Platform"; explored the construction of international discourse systems for cultural communication, conducted overseas China studies, and participated in major projects such as the Chinese Thought and Culture Terminology Communication Project.

4　Conclusion

This section elaborates on the timeliness and transformative nature of the value functions of higher foreign language education, using Beijing Foreign Studies University as an example to illustrate its practical experience in consistently serving national strategies, leading disciplinary development, and courageously shouldering historical missions; points out that facing the three major transformations of value functions, it is necessary to go beyond language based on language, open up new fields and new tracks from the logic of "global language," "global culture," and "global governance," reconstruct new functions, and highlight new values; clarifies that in the future, it will be oriented toward serving national strategies and make unique contributions in cultivating high-end compound internationalized talents, researching and interpreting Chinese and foreign cultures, constructing Chinese discourse and narrative systems, participating in global governance, and promoting mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations.