Beijing Normal University (BNU) is a key university under the administration of the Ministry of Education, is a renowned institution of higher education known for teacher education, education science and basic learning in both the arts and the sciences. BNU is a predecessor of the Normal College of the Imperial University of Peking was founded in 1920. Beijing Normal University is now on the list of high learning institution supported by communist Party of china to be among world class universities. Over the Tenth Five-Year Plan period, the university was listed on the nation’s “985 Project” Construction program. Currently, the university offers 58 different undergraduate majors, 189 Master’s degree programs, 132 Doctoral degree programs, 25 different rotating post-doctoral posts. To date the university has registered 1,860 long term international students.
(1) History
Beijing Normal University (BNU) is the predecessor of the Normal College of the Imperial University of Peking founded in 1902. In 1908, the school name was changed to Advanced Normal College of the Imperial University and the school became independent. The Faculty of Education of the Capital Metropolitan University was founded in 1920 on the initiative of the Emperor of Qing Dynasty. It was the first university in Chinese history with the main mission of training excellent teachers and specialists. In 1908 the faculty of education was named as the capital Metropolitan School of supreme teacher training, and was separated from the capital Metropolitan University. The capital Metropolitan school of supreme teacher training in 1912 was named Peking Normal College, in the same years the university establish her own affiliated primary and secondary school. After 19 years training of supreme teachers, the university didn’t recruit any female student, the first female students were recruited 1921. In 1923, the name changed yet again to Beijing Normal University, the first Normal University in Chinese history. In 1931 and 1952, respectively, Peking Women’s Normal University and Fu Jen Catholic University combined together to form Beijing Normal University. Over the years, the university has been home to large group of renowned worldwide intellectuals and scholars, who have promoted culture and stimulated education.
(2) Discipline and programs
Beijing Normal University is one of the first six privileged institutions approved by the Ministry of Education to construct their own undergraduate majors and programs. The University has 1 education faculty, 22 schools and colleges, and 2 departments: Faculty of education, school of Chinese language and literature, school of management, school of foreign language and literatures, law school, school of life sciences, college of resources sciences and technology, college of physical education and sports, school of history, business school, school of art and communication, school of mathematical sciences, school of geography, college of information science and technology, school of continuing education and teacher training, college of philosophy and sociology, school of psychology, school of Marxism, college of chine language and culture, college of chemistry, college of nuclear science and technology, department of physics, department of Astronomy and school of social development and public policy.
Currently, the university offers 55 undergraduate majors, 189 Master’s degree programs, 132 PhD programs, and 25 post doctoral-research rotating stations. 16 primary disciplines have been authorized to confer Master’s and doctoral degrees, and the number of disciplines authorized to confer doctoral degree ranks among the highest in universities throughout the country. Beijing Normal University now has 39 national key disciplines, and 13 municipal key disciplines of Beijing City either in terms of research achievements or in terms of talent cultivation, these disciplines enjoy a high national reputation and exercise a significant influence
(3) Academic facilities and Scientific research
Beijing Normal University has constructed 8 key research bases, 7 of which are Ministry of Education Key Research Bases for Humanities and Social Sciences, and 1 of which is a Beijing Municipal Key Research Base for Philosophy and Social Sciences. The university is among the top institutions of higher learning throughout the nation in the number of the Ministry of Education Key Research Bases for Humanities and Social Sciences. Through years of construction and development these key research bases have effectively spurred on the development of the university’s philosophy and social sciences, turning into the university’s “benchmark” of academic innovation, and “a flagship” for enhancing quality.
Beijing Normal University has established 24 state and ministerial key laboratories and engineering centers. In addition, the university also has 47 key laboratories of its own. The university has 22,000 full-time students, including 8,900 undergraduates, 11,300 graduates and 1,860 international students. The library boasts over 4.1 million volumes and some 17,300 GB of digital resources, with 1,400 GB e-books.
(4) Beijing Normal University Achievement
Ministry of education 2012 academic assessment results ranked BNU disciplines in the first 20 positions. There are 10 first-level disciplines in the top 5; 17 in the top 10; and 24 in the top 20 in China. As per the 2012 World University Rankings BNU ranks 252, and it is number 8 among universities on mainland China. In the last few years, BNU has got national and international awards including 32 winners of the China National Foundation awards for distinguished young scientists, 154 winners of Inter-millennium and New Century Talents awards supported by the Ministry of Education, 7 winners of the National Famous Teachers awards.
(5) Communication and international cooperation
Beijing Normal University promotes international cooperation and exchange, having signed cooperative agreements with nearly three hundred universities and research institutes from more than thirty nations and regions and exchanging students through cooperative programs with over fifty universities from places that include the United States, the UK, Japan, South Korea and Canada. Moreover, BNU has co-established 7 Confucius Institutes, with: the University of Manchester (UK), San Francisco State University (US), the University of Oklahoma (US), Dawson University (Canada), Sherbrooke University (Canada), Aalborg University, Denmark, University of Macerata, (Italy) and the College of William and Mary (US). Long-term and short-term international students from over 94 countries and regions are studying at BNU, with 1,800 registered long-term international students, of whom 76% are pursuing academic degrees
The final information is subject to the University If there is any discrepancy!