Beijing Normal University (BNU) traces its origins to 1902, when the Department of Education of Imperial University of Peking (京师大学堂师范馆) was established under the decree of theQing Dynasty Emperor. As the first institution in Chinese history dedicated primarily to teacher training and educational specialization, it laid the foundation for modern higher education in China.[5] In 1908, the school became independent and was renamed the Supreme Education School of Peking (京师优级师范学堂).[6]
By 1923, the institution had evolved into the National Beijing Normal University (国立北京师范大学校),[6] marking the first use of the "Normal University" designation in China.[7] A significant expansion occurred in 1931 when the Peking Women's Normal University (北平女子师范大学) merged with the university, then known as Peking Normal University (北平师范大学).[6] Following theestablishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the institution was renamed Beijing Normal University.[6]
The university underwent further consolidation in 1952 whenFu Jen Catholic University was merged into BNU as part of a nationwide reorganization of higher education.[6] Seven years later, in 1959, the Chinese Ministry of Education designated BNU as one of China's 20National Key Universities, affirming its leading role in academia.[8]
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, BNU strengthened its position through participation in major national initiatives. It was included inProject 211 (1996), a program aimed at enhancing around 100 universities for 21st-century development, and later inProject 985 (2002), which sought to elevate a select group of institutions to global prominence.[9] The university gained international recognition in 2009 whenThe New York Times described it as "one of the most progressive institutions" in China.[10]
BNU's academic standing was further solidified in 2017 when it was listed among China'sDouble First-Class Construction universities (comprising 36 institutions), with 11 of its disciplines ranking among the nation's best.[11] That same year, BNU expanded its footprint by partnering with theGuangdong Provincial Government and Zhuhai Municipal Government to establish a new campus inZhuhai.[12] The BNU Zhuhai Campus received official approval from theMinistry of Education in April 2019, marking a new phase in the university's development.[13]
The Mu Duo Gilded BellBeijing Campus ViewZhuhai Campus View
Beijing Normal University was among the first Chinese institutions to accept international students. It is particularly popular for itsMandarin Chinese study programs. Among its most prestigious programs isPrinceton in Beijing, a collaboration withPrinceton University in the United States.[17]
Beijing Normal University is the seat of theBRICS Universities League Secretariat with BNU as a leading university in terms ofBRICS higher education and academic cooperation.[19]
As of 2025, BNU was ranked first in China, 2nd in the Asia-Pacific, and 7th in the world by theQS World University Rankings by Subjects for "Education and Training",[31] which are historical strengths for the Faculty of Education that originated as a "normal university".[32]
BNU is ranked 36th among the Global Top 100 Innovative Universities according to the World's Universities with Real Impacts (WURI) Ranking 2021.[33]
The original campus was nearHepingmen andLiulichang in the center of Beijing during theRepublic of China period. After Fu Jen University merged with BNU the Fu Jen campus inShichahai became the Northern Campus of BNU.
Beijing Normal University's current campus was built in 1954. It is located in central northwest Beijing in Haidian district between the second and third ring roads. It is the closest of all Haidian universities toTiananmen Square.
Wang Dezhao or Ouang Te Tchao, prominent Chinese physicist, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, student of French physicist Paul Langevin and founder ofunderwater acoustics in China, Officier of the French National Order of the Legion of Honour.
