University Name: Beijing University ( 北京大学 )

Rank: 2

Address: Beijing University , No. 38, Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083 China (北京市海淀区学院路38号北京大学(100083) )

President: Yu Zhihong

Telephone: (86) 010-62751407 62754145

Fax: (86) 010-62554332

Total staff: 7265

Full Professors / Associate Professors: 2691

Number of teachers: 4574

Members of Chinese Academy of Science: 49

Members of Chinese Academy of Engineering: 8

Number of Undergraduate Students: 15,001

Master ' s Students: 8,119

PH.D. Candidates: 3,956

website: www.pku.edu.cn

History of Peking University

Peking University, the former Jing Shi Da Xue Tang(the Metropolitan University) of the Qing Dynasty, opened in December 1898. The Metropolitan University was then not only the most prestigious institution of higher learning but also the highest administrative organization of education in China. In May 1912, the Metropolitan University was renamed "Peking University". In 1917, its presidency was taken up by Mr.Cai Yuanpei, an outstanding scientist, educationist and democratic revolutionary, who played an active role in the reform and development of the university. By 1919, the university developed into the country's largest institution of higher learning, with 14 departments and an enrollment of more than 2,000 students.

Peking University has a glorious revolutionary tradition. In 1919, the anti-imperialist and anti-feudal May 4th Movement was initiated from the university, which had been the centre of the Chinese New-Culture Movement and the earliest base for the dissemination of Marxism in China. Chen Duxiu, Li Dazhao and Mao Zedong, founders of the Chinese communist Party, as well as Lu Xun, a great writer, thinker and chief leader of the Chinese New-Culture Movement, all either taught or held offices in the university. In order to carry on the revolutionary tradition of the May 4th Movement, the university decided, after the new China was founded, that the 4th of May be set as the date on which to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of the university.

During the War of Resistance Against Japan, Peking University moved to Kunming, a city in Yunnan Province, together with Tsinghua University and Nankai University, formed the National Southwestern Associated University. In 1946, after the victory of the war, Peking University moved back to Beiping (then the name of Beijing). At that time, the university comprised six schools (Arts, Science, Law, Medicine, Engineering and Agriculture), and a research institute for the humanities. The total enrollment of student grew to 3,000.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the government carried out, in 1952, a nationwide readjustment of colleges and universities with the aim to promote higher education and quicken the training of personnel with specialized knowledge and skill by pooling the country's manpower and material resourses. After the readjustment, Peking University became a university comprising departments of both liberal Arts and Sciences and emphasizing the teaching and research of basic sciences. By 1962, the total enrollment grew to 10,671 undergraduate students and 280 graduate students. Since 1949, Peking University has trained for the country 73,000 undergraduates and specialty students, 10,000 postgraduates and 20,000 adult-education students, and many of them have become the backbones on all fronts in China.

Schools and Departments

College of Mathematics Science
Dept. of Mechanics
Dept. of Physics
Dept. of Geophysics
Dept. of Technical Physics
School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science
College of Chemistry & Molecular Engineering
College of Life Science
Dept. of Geology
Dept. of Geography
Dept. of Psychology
Dept. of Chinese Language & Literature
Dept. of History
Dept. of Archaeology
Dept. of Philosophy
School of International Studies
School of Journalism and Communication
College of Economics
Guang Hua School of Management
Dept. of Law
Dept. of Library & Information Science
Dept. of Sociology
Dept. of Political science & Public Administration
Dept. of Oriental
College of Marxism
Dept. of Western Language & Literature
Dept. of Russian Language & Literature
Dept. of English Language & Literature Teaching & Research Section of Art

Administration

Min Weifang: is the Executive Vice President and the Chairman of University Council of Peking University (Beijing University), one of the national leading universities in China. He has been responsible for a wide range of operations of the university since 1995, including academic affairs, faculty development, personnel, finance, and university high-tech industry programs.

Min Weifang also is a faculty member in economics of education of the university. He received his Ph.D. in Economics of Education from Stanford University in 1987. He joined the faculty of the university in 1988. He is currently also serving as Director and Professor of the Institute of Higher Education of Peking University. Concurrently, Dr. Min serves as the President of the China National Association for Research on Study Abroad, Vice President of China Higher Education Research Association; Vice President of China National Association of Economics of Education; Senior Research Fellow of National Education Development Research Center of the Ministry of Education of China; Member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the international journal HIGHER EDUCATION. He served as principal investigator for more than ten national and international research projects, authored or co-authored many publications in education.

Min Weifang has also served as the Chairman of the Expert Panel for the implementation of World Bank Education Development in Poor Provinces Project in China since 1992. The Project covers 114 counties with schools, colleges and universities for teacher and management training，construction, equipment, and the computerized education management information system development. Dr. Min worked full-time at the Headquarter of the World Bank in Washington DC during 1991-92 as a higher education specialist. He joined more than 30 World Bank Missions to East Europe, South Asia, Southeast Asia and China since early 1990s for higher education development projects.