The CNU was established with co-sponsorship by the Beijing Municipal Government and the Ministry of Education in 1954. Its various departments include Literature, Science, Engineering, Management, Education, Foreign Language and Fine Arts. Since its establishment, the CNU has contributed innumerable professionals to various industries. Over the 62 years since its establishment, the CNU has proven to be the ideal base for educating and training teachers for the basic field of education in Beijing and contributing towards the modernization of China.

Advantages

17 primary disciplines which confer doctoral degrees, 97 doctoral programs, 16 postdoctoral research centers

26 primary disciplines which confer master degrees and 147 masters programs

4 National Key Disciplines 

1 National Support for Key Disciplines

8 Beijing Municipal Primary Key Disciplines

6 Beijing Municipal Secondary Key Disciplines

1 Beijing Municipal Primary Discipline (in process)

11 Beijing Municipal Secondary Disciplines (under construction)

4 Beijing Municipal Supported Primary Disciplines 

2 Beijing Municipal Interdisciplinary Disciplines

1 cultivation base for National Key Laboratory co-sponsored by Province and Ministry of Education

2 key laboratories of the Ministry of Education

1 Humanities and Social Science Key College Research Base supervised by the Ministry of Education

1 Science Research Center of the Ministry of Education

1 Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Civil Affairs

1 National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center

1 Teaching Center for Virtual Simulation Experiment (National-level) 

1 National and International Technological Cooperation Base

5 provincial-level and ministry-level research centers and laboratories

1 Beijing Municipal laboratory

10 Beijing Municipal Key laboratories

2 Beijing University Science Research Center

1 research center for engineering technologies of Beijing Municipality

1 engineering lab of Beijing Municipality

4 cultivation bases for Beijing University municipal-level out-school talents

7 Beijing Municipal Experimental Teaching Demonstrating Centers.  

27 colleges and departments 

1 major for junior college education, and 56 majors for undergraduate

775 full-time junior college students, 10,804 undergraduates, 6308 masters, 592 Ph.Ds., 11,146 adult education students and 789 international students 

teaching staff of 2,549 

The CNU has more than 90 research centers and also the Science Park for Beijing Universities. Since the Eleventh Five-year Plan, the CNU has been approved with 22 topics and sub-topics of National Technology Support Program, 1,408 science research projects above the provincial and ministry level, with 427 projects of national natural science fund, 178 projects of national social science fund, 17 key projects of national social science fund, 18 projects of “863 Program” and its sub topic and 26 cooperation projects of “973 Program”. Additionally, the CNU once was the runner-up at the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award, first at the State Technological Progress Award (the second unit), won 12 Beijing Technological Awards and 121 awards above municipal and ministry level. CNU has published Journal of CNU (social science edition and natural science edition), Chinese Herald , Secondary Chinese Teaching , and The Art of Education . 

With 0.77 million square meters of teaching buildings, the entire CNU campus spans 0.88 million square meters. Its total net value including all the assets is estimated to be 11.32 billion. The CNU library which stores 982.2 thousand of books represents one of the national key libraries for documentary reference. Not only that the CNU boasts of a complete digital campus with a stable comprehensive and effective Internet. And there are also artificial turf playgrounds which comply with national standards, gymnasiums, badminton courts, swimming pools and other sports facilities.

The CNU actively participates in international cultural exchange. Its list of exchange and cooperation bonds includes 205 universities from 36 countries and regions. It has founded 6 Confucius Institutes, namely Confucius Institute at Russian St. Petersburg National University, Confucius Institute at the University of Minnesota, Confucius Institute at the University of Venice (Università Ca' Foscari Venezia), Confucius Institute at the University of Piura, Confucius Institute at the State University of New York at Buffalo and the Bremen Confucius Institute in Germany. The CNU has co-cultivated 553 masters of education with Flinders University in Australia. 

The CNU is also among the few universities that accept international students and students from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, and it is the only demonstration base for international students, authorized by the Ministry of Education among all universities that are supervised by the Beijing municipal governments. In addition, the CNU is the base of “Chinese Government Scholarship for International Students’ Pre University Education”. 

The CNU is always accords great importance to the Party construction and ideological and political educational work. In recent years, the CNU was considered as the national and Beijing municipal “Outstanding University on Party Construction and Ideological and Political Educational Work” by the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee, Beijing Municipal Party Committee and Beijing Municipal Government. To add to it, the CNU has won the “Capital Outstanding Unit in Spiritual Civilization Construction”, “Outstanding Unit on Beijing Ideological and Political Educational Work” and other prizes.

In the future, CNU aims for creative and progressive strides towards being a special and excellent normal university.