Peking University , colloquially known in Chinese as
Beida (北大,
Běidà), is a major research university located in
BeijingBeijing is a metropolis in northern China and the capital of the People's Republic of China...
, China. It is the first formally established modern research university in and the first national university of China. It was founded as
Imperial Capital University in 1898 as a replacement of the ancient
GuozijianThe Guozijian , the School of the Sons of State sometimes called the Imperial Central School, Imperial Academy or Imperial College was the national central institute of learning in Chinese dynasties after the Sui...
(國子監 guózǐjiàn). By 1920 it had become a center for progressive thought. Today, most national and international rankings frequently place Peking University as one of the best universities in China. In addition to its academics, Peking University is especially renowned for the beauty of its traditional Chinese architecture at its campus grounds.
Throughout its history, the university has distinguished itself from its peers in terms of intellectual freedom and has produced and hosted many of modern China's top thinkers, including
Lu XunLu Xun or Lu Hsün , was the pen name of Zhou Shuren is one of the major Chinese writers of the 20th century. Considered by many to be the founder of modern Chinese literature, he wrote in baihua as well as classical Chinese...
,
Mao ZedongMao Zedong was a Chinese revolutionary, political theorist and Communist leader. He led the People's Republic of China from its establishment in 1949 until his death in 1976...
,
Hu ShihHu Shih , born Hu Hung-hsing , was a Chinese philosopher and essayist. His courtesy name was Shih-chih . Hu is widely recognized today as a key contributor to Chinese liberalism and language reform in his advocacy for the use of vernacular Chinese...
,
Li DazhaoLi Dazhao was a Chinese intellectual who co-founded the Communist Party of China with Chen Duxiu in 1921.-Early life:Li was born in Laoting , Hebei province to a peasant family...
,
Gu HongmingGu Hongming was an Malaysian Chinese man of letters...
, and
Chen DuxiuChen Duxiu played many different roles in Chinese history. He was a leading figure in the anti-imperial Xinhai Revolution and the May Fourth Movement for Science and Democracy. Along with Li Dazhao, Chen was a co-founder of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921. He was its first Chairman and first...
. The Peking University was among the birth places for China's
New Culture MovementThe New Culture Movement of the mid 1910s and 1920s sprang from the disillusionment with traditional Chinese culture following the failure of the Chinese Republic founded in 1912 to address China’s problems. Scholars like Chen Duxiu, Cai Yuanpei, Li Dazhao, Lu Xun, and Hu Shi, had classical...
,
May Fourth MovementThe May Fourth Movement was an anti-imperialist, cultural, and political movement growing out of student demonstrations in Beijing on May 4, 1919 protesting the Chinese government's weak response to the Treaty of Versailles, especially the Shandong Problem...
, the Tiananmen Square protest of 1989 and many other significant events.
History
Peking University was established in Beijing in December 1898 during the Hundred Days Reform and was originally known as the Imperial Capital University to replace the ancient
GuozijianThe Guozijian , the School of the Sons of State sometimes called the Imperial Central School, Imperial Academy or Imperial College was the national central institute of learning in Chinese dynasties after the Sui...
(國子監 guózǐjiàn). In 1902, the Imperial Capital University's Faculty of Education was spun off to become today's
Beijing Normal UniversityBeijing Normal University , colloqiually known as 北师大 Běishīdà), is a university located in Beijing, People's Republic of China.- History :...
, the best teacher's college in China. In 1912, following the Xinhai Revolution, the Imperial University was renamed
National Peking University . The famous scholar
Cai YuanpeiCài Yuánpéi was a Chinese educator and the chancellor of Peking University, known for his critical evaluation of the Chinese culture that led to the influential May Fourth Movement...
was appointed president on January 4, 1917, and helped transform the university into the country's largest institution of higher learning, with 14 departments and an enrollment of more than 2,000 students. Cai, inspired by the German model of academic freedom, recruited an intellectually diverse faculty that included Hu Shi,
Chen DuxiuChen Duxiu played many different roles in Chinese history. He was a leading figure in the anti-imperial Xinhai Revolution and the May Fourth Movement for Science and Democracy. Along with Li Dazhao, Chen was a co-founder of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921. He was its first Chairman and first...
, and
Lu XunLu Xun or Lu Hsün , was the pen name of Zhou Shuren is one of the major Chinese writers of the 20th century. Considered by many to be the founder of modern Chinese literature, he wrote in baihua as well as classical Chinese...
. In 1919, students of Peking University formed the bulk of the protesters of the
May Fourth MovementThe May Fourth Movement was an anti-imperialist, cultural, and political movement growing out of student demonstrations in Beijing on May 4, 1919 protesting the Chinese government's weak response to the Treaty of Versailles, especially the Shandong Problem...
. Efforts by the Beiyang government to end the protests by sealing off the Peking University campus led to Cai's resignation. In 1920, Peking University became the second Chinese university to accept female students, after
Nanjing UniversityNanjing University is a national comprehensive university located in Nanjing, an ancient capital of China. It is regarded as one of the best and most selective universities in China. Its history dates back to the first year of Yong'an reign , making it one of the oldest higher learning...
.
After the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937 (and the resulting expansion of Japanese territorial control in east China), Peking University moved to
ChangshaChangsha is the capital city of Hunan, a province of south-central China, located on the lower reaches of Xiang river, a branch of the Yangtze River. It covers an area of 11,819 sq. kilometers and has a population of 6,017,600 ....
and formed the Changsha Temporary University along with
Tsinghua UniversityTsinghua University , is a university in Beijing, People's Republic of China. Tsinghua University was established in 1911, originally under the name “Tsinghua Xuetang”. The school was renamed the "Tsinghua School" in 1912. The university section was founded in 1925 and the name “National Tsinghua...
and
Nankai UniversityNankai University is a public university in Tianjin, P.R. China. It is among the most famous universities in China and has a great reputation....
. In 1938, the three schools moved again, this time to
KunmingKunming is a prefecture-level city and capital of Yunnan province, in southwestern China. Because of its year-round temperate climate, Kunming is often called the "Spring City" or "City of Eternal Spring" ....
, and formed the
National Southwestern Associated UniversityWhen the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out between China and Japan in 1937, Tsinghua University, Peking University and Nankai University, merged to form Changsha Temporary University in Changsha, and later National Southwestern Associated University in Kunming...
. In 1946, after World War II, Peking University moved back to Beijing. At that time, the university comprised six schools (Arts, Science, Law, Medicine, Engineering, and Agriculture), and a research institute for humanities. The total student enrollment grew up to 3,000.
In 1952, three years after the People's Republic of China was established,
Yenching UniversityYenching University was a notable university in Beijing, China. It integrated three Christian colleges in the city in 1919. Yenching is an alternative name of Beijing - derived from its status as capital of Yan state, one of the seven Warring States from 5th century BC to 3rd century BC.*...
was merged into Peking University and Peking University lost its "national" appellation to reflect the fact that all universities under the new socialist state would be public. In 1952 Peking University moved from downtown Beijing to the former Yenching campus. The first disturbances of the Cultural Revolution began at Peking University in 1966; education there ceased between 1966 and 1970. Since then, the university has reasserted its position as one of the leading universities of China.
In 2000, Beijing Medical University was merged into Peking University and became the Peking University Health Science Campus. Beida now has eight affiliated hospitals and 12 teaching hospitals.
In 2001, Peking University set up a satellite campus in Shenzhen. The university's second business school was launched on this campus in 2004, and was renamed Beida HSBC School of Business in 2008.
Academic reputation
Most national and international rankings of Chinese universities place Peking University amongst top universities in China.
The Times Higher Education SupplementTimes Higher Education , formerly The Times Higher Education Supplement , is a magazine based in London reporting specifically on news and other issues related to higher education.-Publication history:...
in 2006 ranked Peking University as the 14
th best university in the world, taking the highest spot in Asia; the same ranking in 2007 placed the University at 36
th, and in 2008, it was ranked at the 50
th. The Academic Ranking of World Universities 2008 placed the University between 201 and 300.
Peking University is a comprehensive and national key university
全国重点大学. The University consists of 30 colleges and 12 departments, with 93 specialties for undergraduates, 2 specialties for the second
Bachelor's degreeA bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for four years, but can range from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, 199 specialties for
Master's degreeA master's degree is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
candidates and 173 specialties for
Doctoral candidatesA doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries represents the highest level of formal study or research in a given field. In some countries it also refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to practice in a specific profession . The best-known example...
. While in a leading position of basic sciences research and teaching, the university has gained itself very successful development of applied sciences.
At present, Peking university has 216 research institutions and research centres, including 2 national engineering research centres, 81 key national disciplines, 12 national key laboratories. With 4.5 million holdings, the university
libraryA library is a collection of sources, resources, and services, and the structure in which it is housed; it is organized for use and maintained by a public body, an institution, or a private individual. In the more traditional sense, a library is a collection of books. It can mean the collection,...
is the largest of its kind in Asia.
The university has made an effort to combine the research on fundamental scientific issues with the training of personnel with high level specialized knowledge and professional skill as demanded by the country's modernization. It strives not only for the simultaneous improvements in teaching and research work, but also for the promotion of interaction and mutual promotion among various subjects.
Teaching also has been emphasized. It aims to cultivate the students' practical ability and creative power. As a result, the teaching of core courses is strengthened, the content of courses is enriched and renewed and favourable conditions have been created, for the students to develop themselves in extracurricular activities.
Peking University has been becoming a center for teaching and research, consisting of diverse branches of learning such as pure and applied sciences,
social sciencesThe social sciences are the fields of scientific knowledge and academic scholarship that study social groups and, more generally, human society. The social sciences initially were constituted of five fields: Jurisprudence and Amendment of the Law; Education; Health; Economy and Trade; Art...
and the
humanitiesThe humanities are academic disciplines which study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytic, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural and social sciences....
, and sciences of
managementManagement in all business and human organization activity is simply the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leading, directing, facilitating and controlling or manipulating an organization or effort for...
and
educationEducation in its broadest sense is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character or physical ability of an individual...
. Its aim is to rank among the world's best universities in the next couple of decades, with the school's leadership placing great emphasis on developing bilateral relationships with prominent American universities for student and faculty exchanges.
Over the past century, more than 400 Peking University alumni had become presidents of other major Chinese universities, including former
TsinghuaTsinghua University , is a university in Beijing, People's Republic of China. Tsinghua University was established in 1911, originally under the name “Tsinghua Xuetang”. The school was renamed the "Tsinghua School" in 1912. The university section was founded in 1925 and the name “National Tsinghua...
President Luo Jialun, Renmin University President Yuan Baohua,
Zhejiang UniversityZhejiang University , sometimes referred to as Zheda, is a national university in China. Founded in 1897, Zhejiang University is one of China's oldest and most prestigious institutions of higher education....
President Qian Sanqiang,
Fudan UniversityFudan University , located in Shanghai, China, is one of the oldest, most prestigious and most selectiveuniversities in the People's Republic of China. Its institutional predecessor was founded in 1905, shortly before the end of China's imperial Qing dynasty. Fudan University is composed of four...
President Zhang Zhirang,
Nankai UniversityNankai University is a public university in Tianjin, P.R. China. It is among the most famous universities in China and has a great reputation....
President Teng Weizao, Chinese University of Science and Technology President Guan Weiyan and many others.
Campus, art and culture
The campus of Peking University was originally located north of
Forbidden CityThe Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum...
in the center of Beijing, and was later moved to the former campus of
Yenching UniversityYenching University was a notable university in Beijing, China. It integrated three Christian colleges in the city in 1919. Yenching is an alternative name of Beijing - derived from its status as capital of Yan state, one of the seven Warring States from 5th century BC to 3rd century BC.*...
in 1952. The current campus is located in northwest Beijing, in the Haidian district, which was concentrated with many well known colleges and universities.
The Peking University's campus site is also situated near the
Summer PalaceThe Summer Palace or Yihe yuan is a palace in Beijing, China.The Summer Palace is mainly dominated by Longevity Hill and the Kunming Lake. It covers an expanse of 2.9 square kilometers, three quarters of which is water. The central Kunming Lake covering 2.2 square kilometers was entirely man made...
and the
Old Summer PalaceThe Old Summer Palace, known in China as the Gardens of Perfect Brightness , and originally called the Imperial Gardens , was a complex of palaces and gardens northwest of the walls of the Imperial City in Beijing, built in the 18th and early 19th century, where the emperors of the Qing Dynasty...
; the area is traditionally where many of Beijing's most renowned gardens and palaces were built.
The university campus is located in the former site of
Qing DynastyThe Qing Dynasty , also known as the Manchu Dynasty, was the last ruling dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912...
royal gardens and it retains traditional Chinese-style landscaping including traditional houses, gardens, pagodas as well as many notable historical buildings and structures. There are several gates that lead into campus - East, West and South gates, with the West Gate being the most well known for the painted murals on its ceiling. The Peking University is known throughout China, along with its neighbour,
Tsinghua UniversityTsinghua University , is a university in Beijing, People's Republic of China. Tsinghua University was established in 1911, originally under the name “Tsinghua Xuetang”. The school was renamed the "Tsinghua School" in 1912. The university section was founded in 1925 and the name “National Tsinghua...
, for their beautiful campuses. The university campus is surrounded by the Weiming lake.
The university also contains many museums, such as the "Museum of University History" and the "
Arthur M. SacklerArthur M. Sackler was an American psychiatrist, entrepreneur and philanthropist....
Museum of Art and Archaeology". Notable items in these museums include funerary objects that were excavated in Beijing and date back thousands of years from the graves of royalties of the
Warring States periodThe Warring States Period , also known as the Era of Warring States, covers the period from 476 BCE to the unification of China by the Qin Dynasty in 221 BCE...
. There are ritual pottery vessels as well as elaborate pieces of jewelry on display. There are also bones of human remains set up in the traditional burial style of that period.
Beyond its main campus,
Peking University Health Science CenterPeking University Health Science Campus is a top medical school in China attached to Peking University.- History :Established by the central government of China on October 26, 1912 in the city of Beijing, it was the first of the kind in China to teach western medicine and train medical professionals...
(PKUHSC) is located in Xue Yuan Rd. where the country's most distinguished colleges are located. The PKUHSC's campus is less aesthetically appealing than the main Peking University campus, but is nonetheless a fitting site for academics and research.
In 2001, Peking University's
ShenzhenShenzhen is a city of sub-provincial administrative status in southern China's Guangdong province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong...
campus, Shenzhen Graduate School, opened its doors. The campus is located in the northwest part of Shenzhen City.
In 2008, the
Times Higher Education (THE) ranked the Peking University as the 23
rd best universities in the world in
artArt is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music, literature, film, sculpture, and paintings...
s and
humanitiesThe humanities are academic disciplines which study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytic, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural and social sciences....
; it is also the highest ranked university from Asia in this field. The Peking University was previously ranked as the 18
th (2007 rankings), 10
th (2006 rankings), 6
th (2005 rankings), and 7
th (2004 rankings) best arts and humanities universities in the world.
The Peking University is well-known for its contribution to modern Chinese literature, poetry and art, and for the publications of groundbreaking modern Chinese books such as
Hong ZichengHong Zicheng was a Chinese philosopher who lived during the end of the Ming Dynasty.Zicheng 自誠 was Hong's zi 字 "courtesy name", his given name was Hong Yingming 洪應明, and his hao 號 "pseudonym" was Huanchu Daoren 還初道人 "Daoist Adept who Returns to the Origin".Hong Zicheng wrote the Caigentan, the...
's
A History of Contemporary Chinese Literature. The Peking University has been participating in many art-research projects, such as the Center for the Art of East Asia (CAEA) with the
University of ChicagoThe University of Chicago is a private, coeducational research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by oil magnate and benefactor John D...
, and developing the "Peking University, Deptartment of Digital Art and Design" with
UNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on 16 November 1945...
. The Peking University also partners with the
Stanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university located in Stanford, California, United States...
for its Asian cultural studies programs such as "The Stanford Program in Beijing" and "The Stanford-Peking University Summer Program", which encourages Stanford students interested in exploring Chinese language, history, culture, and society to study on campus at Peking University.
National Economic Research Institute
The Director of the National Institute of Economic Research, Professor of Economics of the Peking University and Professor of the graduate school of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences is Prof. Fan Gang. Dr. Fan had more than 100 academic papers published in both Chinese and English academic journals, more than 200 articles in newspapers and magazines and had also published several books.
Justin Lin, the founding director of the institute, is the
World BankThe World Bank is an international financial institution that provides leveraged loans to poorer countries for capital programs, tied to neoliberal market restructurings...
's chief economist, the first time the post has gone to a candidate outside Europe and the United States.
International students
Peking University has one of the largest pools of international students in China. The dormitories for international students are located at "Shao Yuan" (Spoon Garden). Every year, Peking University has approximately 2,000 international students studying on campus. Its international students are made up of students from most countries in the world including most of Western Europe, North America, South America, all parts of Asia, Australia as well as many countries in Africa.
In 2005, Peking University and
Cornell UniversityCornell University is a private university located in Ithaca, New York, USA, that is a member of the Ivy League.Cornell counts more than 255,000 living alumni, 28 Rhodes Scholars and 41 Nobel laureates affiliated with the university as faculty or students...
signed an agreement formally establishing the China and Asia-Pacific Studies major at Cornell, which requires students to spend a semester studying at Peking University while working at internships. One year later, Peking University launched a joint undergraduate program with the
Yale UniversityYale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut, and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. Yale has produced many notable alumni, including five...
; students will spend a semester overseas, living and studying together with the host institute's students. Peking University's School of International Studies also launched joint degree programs with
London School of EconomicsThe London School of Economics and Political Science, commonly referred to as the London School of Economics or LSE, is a specialist constituent college of the University of London in London, England....
and
Waseda University, abbreviated as , is a leading private university located in Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902...
.
Notable alumni, administrators, and faculty
Peking University has produced many notable people, especially lead thinkers in modern China. These include Hu Shi, Li Dazhao and Lu Xun. Beida also has two Nobel Prize winners, Tsung-Dao Lee and Yang Chen Ning, although both conducted their Nobel winning work at Universities in the US. Since the year 1948, 586 Peking University alumni have been selected into the renowned Academic Division of the Chinese Academy of Science (两院院士), overshadowing any other universities in China.
Peking University is the home both to communist, nationalist and liberal thoughts in modern China.
Mao ZedongMao Zedong was a Chinese revolutionary, political theorist and Communist leader. He led the People's Republic of China from its establishment in 1949 until his death in 1976...
,
Chen DuxiuChen Duxiu played many different roles in Chinese history. He was a leading figure in the anti-imperial Xinhai Revolution and the May Fourth Movement for Science and Democracy. Along with Li Dazhao, Chen was a co-founder of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921. He was its first Chairman and first...
and
Li DazhaoLi Dazhao was a Chinese intellectual who co-founded the Communist Party of China with Chen Duxiu in 1921.-Early life:Li was born in Laoting , Hebei province to a peasant family...
, all founders of the Communist Party of China, either taught or held offices in the university.
Lu XunLu Xun or Lu Hsün , was the pen name of Zhou Shuren is one of the major Chinese writers of the 20th century. Considered by many to be the founder of modern Chinese literature, he wrote in baihua as well as classical Chinese...
, a great contemporary writer, thinker and influential figure of the Chinese New-Culture Movement, which took place in 1919 and sparked China’s anti-imperialism and anti-feudalism march, was also attached to the university. During the
Cultural RevolutionThe Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution was a period of widespread social and political upheaval in the People’s Republic of China between 1966 and 1976, resulting in nation-wide chaos and economic disarray.It was launched by Mao Zedong, the chairman of the Communist Party of China, on May 16,...
, Peking University philosophy faculty
Nie YuanziNie Yuanzi 聂元梓 is a Chinese academic who taught philosophy at Peking University. She is primarily known for her May 25, 1966 "Big-character poster" criticizing Peking University for being controlled by the "bourgeoise." This was a factor in the Cultural Revolution...
notoriously published the first
Big-character posterTo learn more information, read the book Red Scarf Girl. She was in the cultural revolution at age 12, when Mao Ze-dong started the cultural revolution, torturing the people from the "5 Black Catagries" like landlords or rightests....
. Peking University students also led at the
Tiananmen Square ProtestThe Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, referred to in most of the Western world as the Tiananmen Square massacre and in the People's Republic of China as the June Fourth Incident , were a series of demonstrations in and near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the PRC beginning on 14 April...
of 1989 for democracy.
Faculty
- Hu Shih
Hu Shih , born Hu Hung-hsing , was a Chinese philosopher and essayist. His courtesy name was Shih-chih . Hu is widely recognized today as a key contributor to Chinese liberalism and language reform in his advocacy for the use of vernacular Chinese...
胡适- philosopher, writer and the leader of China's New Culture MovementThe New Culture Movement of the mid 1910s and 1920s sprang from the disillusionment with traditional Chinese culture following the failure of the Chinese Republic founded in 1912 to address China’s problems. Scholars like Chen Duxiu, Cai Yuanpei, Li Dazhao, Lu Xun, and Hu Shi, had classical...
- Lu Xun
Lu Xun or Lu Hsün , was the pen name of Zhou Shuren is one of the major Chinese writers of the 20th century. Considered by many to be the founder of modern Chinese literature, he wrote in baihua as well as classical Chinese...
鲁迅- writer, a spiritual leader of modern Chinese nationalism
- Chen Duxiu
Chen Duxiu played many different roles in Chinese history. He was a leading figure in the anti-imperial Xinhai Revolution and the May Fourth Movement for Science and Democracy. Along with Li Dazhao, Chen was a co-founder of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921. He was its first Chairman and first...
陈独秀- dean of letters, later co-founder of Communist Party of China
- Gu Hongming
Gu Hongming was an Malaysian Chinese man of letters...
辜鸿铭- writer, advocate of monarchy and Confucian values. Gu preserved his plait even after the overthrow of Qing Dynasty
- Liu Shipei 刘师培 - historian and philosopher, advocate of monarchy and traditional Chinese value
- Shen Congwen
Shen Congwen was the pen name of a Miao Chinese writer from the May Fourth Movement. He was known for combining the vernacular style of writing with classical Chinese writing techniques, and his writing also reflects a strong influence from western literature...
沈从文- writer
- Qian Xuantong
Qian Xuantong Qian Xuantong Qian Xuantong ( (1887—January 17 1939) was a Chinese linguist. Born as Qian Xia (钱夏), he had the courtesy name Deqian (德潜).Born in Huzhou, Zhejiang, Qian was trained in traditional Chinese philology. After receiving his university education in Japan, Qian held a number...
錢玄同 - linguist
- Lin Yutang
Lin Yutang was a Chinese writer and inventor. His informal but polished style in both Chinese and English made him one of the most influential writers of his generation, and his compilations and translations of classic Chinese texts into English were bestsellers in the West.-Youth:Lin was born in...
林语堂 - writer, inventor of the first Chinese typewriter and a new method of romanizing the Chinese language
- Qian Mu 钱穆- historian, philosopher and confucian. One of the founders of New Asia College
New Asia College is one of the four constituent colleges of the Chinese University of Hong Kong .- History :New Asia College has its origin in the Asia Evening College of Arts and Commerce established in September 1949 by Ch'ien Mu and several other scholars from mainland China...
and Chinese University of Hong KongThe Chinese University of Hong Kong, commonly referred to as CUHK, is the second oldest university in Hong Kong; it is campus-based and also the only collegiate university in the territory...
.
- Liang Shuming
Liang Shuming , born Liang Huanding , courtesy name Shouming , was a philosopher, teacher, and leader in the Rural Reconstruction Movement in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican eras of Chinese history....
梁漱溟 - modern neo-Confucianist. Liang was most famous for his critique of Marxist class theory, stating that, despite obvious disparities of wealth, Chinese rural society could not be unambiguously classified along class lines. One and the same family (particularly the large patriarchal lineages found in many regions) would commonly have some members among the "haves" and others among the "have-nots". The class struggle advocated by the Maoists would necessitate kinsmen attacking each other.
- Ma Yinchu
Ma Yinchu was a prominent Chinese economist.-Early life:Ma Yinchu was born in a family at now Shengzhou City, a county-level city that is administered by Shaoxing, in northeastern Zhejiang province. He was the fifth child of the owner of a small distillery that specialized in fermented rice liquor...
马寅初 - a prominent population economist, whose New Population Theory was criticized by Mao since 1957 for two decades. Having examined trends of the early 1950s, Ma argued that further population growth at such high rates would be detrimental to China's development. Therefore, he advocated government control of fertility. In 1979, the Communist Party formally apologies to Ma, stating that "erroneously criticized one person, population mistakenly increased 300,000,000".
- Jiang Menglin
Jiang Menglin , was a notable Chinese educator, writer, and paramount politician. Jiang also was the President of Peking University, served in 1919-1927. He later became the president of National Chekiang University.-Biography:Jiang was born in Yuyao, Ningbo, Zhejiang Province on 20 Jan 1886...
蒋梦麟 - a prominent education reformer in China and former President of Peking University and Zhejiang University
- Xu Beihong
Xu Beihong was born in Yixing, China. He was primarily known for his shuimohua of horses and birds and one of the first Chinese artists to articulate the need for artistic expressions that reflected a new modern China at the beginning of the 20th century...
徐悲鴻 - the most famous Chinese artist, dean of Beida School of Arts, President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and chairman of the Chinese Artists' Association.
- Ta-You Wu
Ta-You Wu was a Chinese-born atomic and nuclear theoretical physicist who worked in the United States, Canada, mainland China, and Taiwan. He has been called the "Father of Chinese Physics."...
吴大猷: the "Father of Chinese Physics". His many illustrious students include Chen Ning Yang and Tsung-Dao Lee, co-winners of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1957, Yuan Tseh Lee, the co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1986.
- Yu Dafu
Yu Dafu . Born in Fuyang, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, was a modern Chinese short story writer and poet.-Early years:...
郁達夫 - modern Chinese short story writer and poet, author of Ch'en-lun "Sinking" (1921)
- Wang Xiaobo
Wang Xiaobo was a Chinese writer who became famous after his death.Wang was born in an intellectual family in Beijing in 1952. He was sent to a farm in Yunnan province as an "intellectual youth" at the beginning of the Cultural Revolution in 1968. In 1971, he was sent to the countryside of...
王小波 - writer
- He Weifang
He Weifang is a professor at Peking University of China and an activist striving to reform the Chinese judicial system.He earned a B.A. at Southwest University of Political Science & Law, and an LL.M at Peking College of Political Science and Law .He was an associate professor in China University...
贺卫方 - judicial reformist
- Wang Tieya
Wang Tieya was an eminent Chinese jurist and former Judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.Wang Tieya was educated at Tsinghua University and the London School of Economics....
王鐵崖 - jurist, Judge of International Criminal Court
- Li Haopei
Li Haopei was a Chinese jurist, diplomat and academic. He was a leading authority on international law....
李浩培 - jurist, Judge of International Criminal Court
- Fei Xiaotong
Fei Xiaotong, or Fei Hsiao-Tung was a pioneering Chinese researcher and professor of sociology and anthropology; he was also noted for his studies in the study of China's ethnic groups as well as a social activist...
费孝通 - researcher of sociology and anthropology; chairman of China Democratic Alliance.
- Jian Bozan
Jian Bozan was a prominent Chinese Marxist historian.-Early years and education:...
翦伯贊 - historian
Administrators
- Cai Yuanpei
Cài Yuánpéi was a Chinese educator and the chancellor of Peking University, known for his critical evaluation of the Chinese culture that led to the influential May Fourth Movement...
蔡元培 - early University Chancellor
- Yan Fu
Yan Fu was a Chinese scholar and translator, most famous for introducing western ideas, including Darwin's "natural selection," to China in the late 19th century.-Life:...
严复 - early University Chancellor
- Li Dazhao
Li Dazhao was a Chinese intellectual who co-founded the Communist Party of China with Chen Duxiu in 1921.-Early life:Li was born in Laoting , Hebei province to a peasant family...
李大钊 - head librarian, later co-founder of Communist Party of China
Writers
- Fan Changjiang - journalist and writer
- Feng Youlan
Feng Youlan or Fung Yu-Lan was a Chinese philosopher who was important for reintroducing the study of Chinese philosophy.-Early life, education, & career:...
冯友兰 - philosopher
- Mao Dun
Mao Dun was the pen name of Shen Dehong , a 20th century Chinese novelist, cultural critic, and journalist. He was also the Minister of Culture of China from 1949 to 1965. He is currently renowned as one of the best realist novelists in the history of modern China...
茅盾- writer and journalist
- Xu Zhimo
Xu Zhimo was an early 20th century Chinese poet. He was given the name of Zhangxu and the courtesy name of Yousen . He later changed his courtesy name to Zhimo ....
徐志摩 - poet
- Zhang Chengzhi - writer
- Zhu Ziqing
Zhu Ziqing was a renowned Chinese poet and essayist. Zhu studied at Peking University, and during the May Fourth Movement became one of several pioneers of modernism in China during the 1920s. Later, he was appointed professor of Chinese Literature at Tsinghua University in 1925...
朱自清- poet
- Dolma Kyab
Dolma Kyab , born in 1976, is a writer and teacher in his native Tibet. He is currently imprisoned at Chushur Prison, which is located in a rural area south-west of his native home, Lhasa, Tibet...
- writer (currently political prisoner)
- Jan Wong - writer (one of the first western students permitted to study aboard.)
- Qian Xuantong
Qian Xuantong Qian Xuantong Qian Xuantong ( (1887—January 17 1939) was a Chinese linguist. Born as Qian Xia (钱夏), he had the courtesy name Deqian (德潜).Born in Huzhou, Zhejiang, Qian was trained in traditional Chinese philology. After receiving his university education in Japan, Qian held a number...
钱玄同 and Liu BannongLiu Bannong or Liu Fu was a Chinese linguist and poet.A native of Jiangsu, he was an important contributor to the influential magazine La Jeunesse during the May Fourth Movement. He began writing poetry in vernacular Chinese in 1917, and was credited with having coined the Chinese feminine...
刘半农 - writers and promotioners of the New Culture Movement
- Shen Qing
Shen Qing is a lifestyle and fashion publisher in China, writing weekly, monthly magazine or blog articles with some following in a number of Chinese foreign joint venture publications before taking the job as publisher of the Chinese edition of the monthly How to Spend It of the Financial Times...
沈清 - Publisher of RuiRui may refer to:-People:*Rui - Egyptian high priest during reign of Ramses II*Rui Almeida Monteiro, a Dutch footballer*Rui Campos, a Brazilian footballer*Rui Correia, a former Portuguese football goalkeeper...
, monthly magazine of Financial TimesThe Financial Times is a British international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and is printed at 22 sites...
Academics
- Michael Halliday
Michael Alexander Kirkwood Halliday is an Australian linguist who developed an internationally influential grammar model, the systemic functional grammar .Halliday was born and raised in England...
- developed systemic functional grammar
- Tian Gang 田刚- mathematician
- Li Yining 厉以宁- economist
- Tsung-Dao Lee
Tsung-Dao Lee is a Chinese-born American physicist, well known for his work on parity violation, the Lee Model, particle physics, relativistic heavy ion physics, nontopological solitons and soliton stars....
(Li Zhengdao) 李政道 - Honorary professor, physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (physics, 1957)
- Yang Zhenning 杨振宁 - Honorary professor (at Tsinghua as well), physicist, Nobel Prize laureate, 1957
- Justin Yifu Lin
Justin Yifu Lin is a Chinese economist and Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of the World Bank....
林毅夫 - economist (now the chief economist of World Bank)
- Yu Jie - First house church leader to meet an American president (May 2006, meeting George W Bush in the White House)
- Yu Min
Yu Min may refer to:*Yu Min , Chinese nuclear physicist*Yuko Fueki, Japanese Actress...
- physicist, Father of Chinese H-bombs
- Luo Jialun
Luo Jialun was a Chinese educator, historian and political activist. He was one of the leaders of the May Fourth Movement in 1919....
罗家伦 - leader of the May Fourth MovementThe May Fourth Movement was an anti-imperialist, cultural, and political movement growing out of student demonstrations in Beijing on May 4, 1919 protesting the Chinese government's weak response to the Treaty of Versailles, especially the Shandong Problem...
, president of Tsinghua UniversityTsinghua University , is a university in Beijing, People's Republic of China. Tsinghua University was established in 1911, originally under the name “Tsinghua Xuetang”. The school was renamed the "Tsinghua School" in 1912. The university section was founded in 1925 and the name “National Tsinghua...
- Fu Sinian
Fù Sīnián , was a famous Chinese educator and linguist, and one of the leaders of the May Fourth Movement in 1919. He was also one of the creators of the Academia Sinica, and was named director of the Institute of History and Philology upon its founding in 1928...
傅斯年 - educator and linguist; leader of the May Fourth MovementThe May Fourth Movement was an anti-imperialist, cultural, and political movement growing out of student demonstrations in Beijing on May 4, 1919 protesting the Chinese government's weak response to the Treaty of Versailles, especially the Shandong Problem...
, creators of the Academia SinicaThe Academia Sinica , headquartered in the Nangang District of Taipei, is the national academy of the Republic of China...
, former president of National Taiwan UniversityNational Taiwan University is a national co-educational university located in Taipei City, Taiwan. In Taiwan, it is colloquially known as "Taida" . Its main campus is set upon 1,086,167 square meters in Taipei's Da'an District. In addition, the university has 6 other campuses in Taiwan, occupying...
- Gu Jiegang
Gu Jiegang was a Chinese historian who is known best for his seven volume work Gushi Bian . He was a leading force in the Doubting Antiquity school.-Biography:...
顾颉刚 - a Chinese historian; the founder of the Skeptical school of early Chinese history, known as yigupaiThe Yigupai refers to a group of scholars and writers who show doubts and uncertainty of antiquity in the Chinese academia starting during the New Culture Movement. Most of their criticism concerns the authenticity of pre-Qin texts and deals with questions put forward by the past dynastic writers,...
; best known for the seven volume work Gushi Bian (古史辨 "Debates on Ancient History").
- Ren Jiyu
Ren Jiyu in Pingyuan County, Shandong Province was a philosopher, scholar in religious studies, historian, member of the Chinese Communist Party, and honorary director of the National Library of China...
任继愈 - Chinese historian and philosopher, former director of the National Library.
- Deng Jiaxian
Deng Jiaxian was born on June 25, 1924, in Huaining, Anhui province, and died on July 29th, 1986 in Beijing. He was a nuclear physics expert and academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences . He was a leading organizer and key contributor to the Chinese nuclear weapon programs.-External links:* * * *...
邓稼先 - a nuclear physics expert; a leading organizer and key contributor to the Chinese nuclear weapon programs.
- Qian Sanqiang
Qian Sanqiang was a Chinese nuclear physicist.-Biography:A native of Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, Qian was born in Shaoxing, attending Peking University and Tsinghua University. His father is Qian Xuantong. Qian went for France in 1937...
钱三强 - a nuclear physicist and education administrator; a leading organizer and key contributor to the Chinese nuclear weapon programs; former president of Zhejiang UniversityZhejiang University , sometimes referred to as Zheda, is a national university in China. Founded in 1897, Zhejiang University is one of China's oldest and most prestigious institutions of higher education....
- Zhu Guangya
Zhu Guangya is a renowned nuclear physicist of China, and an academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences. He served as the vice chairman of 8th and 9th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference ....
朱光亚 - a renowned nuclear physicist of China, key contributor to China's "Two Bombs, One Satellite" projects.
- Zhou Guangzhao
Zhou Guangzhao is a Chinese physicist.-Early life and education:Zhou Guangzhao was born on May 15, 1929 in Changsha, the capital of Hunan province. He was the 5th child of the civil engineer Zhou Fengjiu, and the younger brother of Chinese biochemist/geneticist Zhou Guangyu...
周光召 - expert on particle physics, discoverer of PCAC (partial conservation of axial current), an important step toward the understanding of symmetry breaking; former director of the Chinese Nuclear Weapons Research Institute and president of the Academica Sinica.
In politics
- Bo Xilai
Bo Xilai , is the current CPC Chongqing Committee Secretary, first-in-charge of the Western interior municipality. Between 2004 and November 2007 he was Minister of Commerce of the People's Republic of China...
薄熙來 - Mayor of Chongqing, Former Minister of Commerce
- Cai Wu
Cai Wu is the current head of the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China.-Biography:...
蔡武- Minister of Culture
- Deng Nan
Deng Nan is the second daughter of Deng Xiaoping and his third wife Zhuo Lin.She was vice minister of the State Science and Technology Commission of the People's Republic of China ....
邓楠- Former Vice minister of the State Science and Technology Commission
- Deng Pufang
Deng Pufang is the first son of former China's Paramount leader Deng Xiaoping. He is mostly known for being crippled by the Red Guards, and becoming a paraplegic. He has since dedicated his life to improving the rights of handicapped people.-Biography:Deng Pufang was born to Deng Xiaoping and...
鄧朴方 - founder and Chairman of China Disabled Persons' Federation
- Guo Gengmao
Guo Gengmao is a politician of the People's Republic of China. He is currently the governor of Henan Province.-Biography:...
郭庚茂 - Governor of Henan Province
- Hu Chunhua
Hu Chunhua is a politician of the People's Republic of China. He currently serves as governor of Hebei Province and deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China Hunan Provincial Committee...
胡春華 - Youngerst governor in China, former First Secretary of the Communist Youth League
- Hu Deping 胡德平- vice chairman of All-China General Chamber of Industry & Commerce Party, Secretary of National Association of Industry and Commerce, and vice minister of the Propaganda Department
- Li Keqiang
Li Keqiang is currently the First Vice-Premier of China and the 7th ranked member of the powerful Politburo Standing Committee, the People's Republic of China's de facto top power organ...
李克强 - Politburo Standing Committee member, First Deputy Prime Minister
- Li Yuanchao
Li Yuanchao is a prominent politician in the People's Republic of China, serving on the Politburo of the Communist Party of China and as the head of its Organization Department...
李源潮 - Politburo member and Minister for the Organization Department of the Chinese Communist Party
- Li Zhaoxing 李肇星 - minister of foreign affairs
- Lu Hao
Lu Hao may refer to:*Lu Hao , official of the People's Republic of China*Lu Hao , official of the People's Republic of China, First Secretary of Communist Youth League of China...
陆昊- First Secretary of Communist Youth League of China
- Yuan Chunqing
Yuan Chunqing is the current governor of Shaanxi Province in the People's Republic of China, and the vice secretary of the Communist Party of China Shaanxi committee.Yuan was born in Hanzhou, Hunan Province...
袁纯清- Governor of Shaanxi Province, Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party
- K. Natwar Singh - India politician
- Chen Duxiu
Chen Duxiu played many different roles in Chinese history. He was a leading figure in the anti-imperial Xinhai Revolution and the May Fourth Movement for Science and Democracy. Along with Li Dazhao, Chen was a co-founder of the Chinese Communist Party in 1921. He was its first Chairman and first...
陳獨秀 - founding member and leader in the Communist Party of China
- Zhang Guotao
Zhang Guotao was a founding member and leader of the Chinese Communist Party during the late 1920s and 1930s. He wrote several memoirs on the CCP that provide valuable information on its early history....
張國燾 - founding member and leader in the Communist Party of China
- Li Dazhao
Li Dazhao was a Chinese intellectual who co-founded the Communist Party of China with Chen Duxiu in 1921.-Early life:Li was born in Laoting , Hebei province to a peasant family...
李大釗 - founding member and leader in the Communist Party of China
- Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong was a Chinese revolutionary, political theorist and Communist leader. He led the People's Republic of China from its establishment in 1949 until his death in 1976...
毛澤東 - founding member and leader in the Communist Party of China
- Deng Zhongxia 鄧中夏 - founding member and leader in the Communist Party of China
- Wang Dan 王丹 - Leader of the Tiananmen protests in 1989
- Fang Lizhi
Fang Lizhi was a professor of astrophysics and vice president of the University of Science and Technology of China whose liberal ideas inspired the pro-democracy student movement of 1986-87 and, finally, the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989...
方励之- Spiritual leader of the Tiananmen Protests in 1989
- Shen Tong
Shen Tong is a Chinese dissident who was one of the student leaders in the democracy movement at Tiananmen Square in 1989 One of the People of the Year by Newsweek 1989, Shen Tong became a media and software entrepreneur in late 1990s.-Personal Background:Shen Tong was born in 1968, in Beijing...
沈彤- Author, Pro-democracy activist
In commerce and media
Among the "top 300 richest in China" 27 graduated from Beida, much higher than any other Chinese university. The second ranking school is Zhejiang University, with 17 alumni on the list .
- Li Yanhong 李彦宏 - founder of Baidu
Baidu, Inc. , incorporated on January 18, 2000, is a Chinese search engine for websites, audio files, and images. Baidu offers 57 search and community services including Baidu Baike, an online collaboratively-built encyclopedia, and a searchable keyword-based discussion forum. In October 2008,...
.com
- Wang Xuan 王選 - founder of Founder Co.
- Wang Zhidong 王志東 - founder of Sina.com
Sina.com is the largest Chinese-language infotainment web portal. It is run by SINA Corporation which was founded in 1999. The company was founded in Mainland China, and its global financial headquarters have been based in Shanghai since October 1, 2001....
- Yu Minhong 俞敏洪 - founder of New Oriental
New Oriental Education & Technology Group Inc. , more commonly New Oriental is a provider of private educational services in China.-History:...
Education Group
- Peggy Yu
Peggy Yu is the founder of dangdang.com, the largest online retailer in simplified Chinese language....
俞渝 - founder of dangdang.com, the largest online retailor in Chinese language.
- Yan Yan -- Founding Partner of SoftBank China
- Li Ning
Li Ning is a well-known Chinese gymnast and entrepreneur. He was born in a Zhuang family.-Personal:...
李寧 - founder of Li Ning Group
- Huang Nubo 黄怒波 - founder of Zhongkun Real Estate Group
- James Jian Ding - founder of Asiainfo, founding partner of Golden Sand River Venture Capital
- Yu Liang - CEO of China Vanke
China Vanke Company Limited is the largest residential real estate developer in the People’s Republic of China. It is engaged in developing, managing and selling of the properties across 20 cities in Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta and Bohai-Rim Region, with the provision of investment...
Group
- Shen Tong
Shen Tong is a Chinese dissident who was one of the student leaders in the democracy movement at Tiananmen Square in 1989 One of the People of the Year by Newsweek 1989, Shen Tong became a media and software entrepreneur in late 1990s.-Personal Background:Shen Tong was born in 1968, in Beijing...
沈彤 - founder and president of VFinityVFinity is a privately held software company based in New York City. It was founded by former Chinese democracy leader Shen Tong in 2000.VFinity creates and sells web-based enterprise systems for digital asset management...
Former employees
- Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong was a Chinese revolutionary, political theorist and Communist leader. He led the People's Republic of China from its establishment in 1949 until his death in 1976...
- staff librarian, leader of Communist Party of China
- Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS was an English philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, and social critic. Although he spent the majority of his life in England, he was born in Wales, where he also died.Russell led the British "revolt against idealism" in the...
- Lecturer in Philosophy (1920-21)
- Alexander von Staël-Holstein
Baron Alexander von Staël-Holstein ; was a Russian and Estonian orientalist, sinologist, sanskritologist, specializing in Buddhist texts....
- (1918-1937 in Beijing), - Lecturer and Professor in Indology, Tibetology, Sinology and Phonetics
See also
- 7072 Beijingdaxue
7072 Beijingdaxue is an asteroid named after Peking University.The asteroid was discovered on February 3, 1996 by the Beijing Schmidt CCD Asteroid Program at Xinglong, China....
- asteroid named after Peking University
- List of universities in Mainland China
- Beijing Medical University
- High School of Peking University
The High School of Peking University , abbreviated as Běidàfùzhōng , is the high school affiliated to Peking University.Its geographic location, Zhongguancun, endows it with high-technology academic atmosphere, and the bloodline it has inherited from Peking University imprints the school with...
- Chinese Family Panel Studies
Chinese Family Panel Studies is designed by representative experts from all social sciences departments, schools, and institutes in Peking University, PKU. It’s funded by the national 985 program and started in the early of 2007....
Program
External links