Peking University

Peking University (PKU) is a public university in Haidian, Beijing, China. It is affiliated with and funded by the Ministry of Education of China. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Construction. It is also a member in the C9 League.

Founded in 1898 as the Imperial University of Peking by royal charter from the Guangxu Emperor, it is the second-oldest university in China after Tianjin University (established in 1895). In May 1912, the government of the Republic of China ordered the Imperial University of Peking to be renamed Peking University. Then Peking University merged with Yenching University during the nationwide restructuring of universities and academic departments in 1952. In April 2000, the Beijing Medical University merged with the Peking University.

Peking University has eight faculties, namely Sciences, Informatics, Engineering, Humanities, Social Sciences, Economics and Management, Interdisciplinary as well as Health Science. It consists of 55 schools and departments, 24 research entities, and six affiliated hospitals. By 2024, Peking University's staff included 54 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and 20 members of the World Academy of Sciences.

History

File:京师学堂.png

The plaque of the Imperial University of Peking.

Establishment

Following China's defeat in the Sino-Japanese War, intellectuals – including Kang Youwei, Liang Qichao, and Yan Fu – called for reforms to the country's education system. In June 1896, Minister Li Duanfen proposed to create a university in the capital. On 11 June 1898, the Guangxu Emperor, as part of the Hundred Days' Reform, authorised the creation of the Imperial University of Peking (Template:Lang-zh). The Imperial University was formally established on 3 July 1898 when the emperor approved the royal charter written by Liang. Minister Sun Jianai was charged with the implementation. IUP served as the country's foremost institute for higher learning, but also as its highest educational authority. William Alexander Parsons Martin was appointed as the first president. Most of the reforms were abolished when the conservative Empress Dowager Cixi seized power on 21 September. The university survived with altered objectives and reduced scope. It opened on 31 December with 160 students, instead of the planned 500.

Following the Xinhai Revolution, the Imperial University of Peking was renamed "Government University of Peking" in 1912 and then "National University of Peking" in 1919 (Template:Lang-zh).

Early Republic of China period (1916–1927)

The noted scholar Cai Yuanpei was appointed president on December 26, 1917. He helped transform Peking University into the country's largest institution of higher learning, with 14 departments and an enrollment of more than 2,000 students. President Cai, inspired by the German model of academic freedom, introduced faculty governance and democratic management to the university. Cai recruited an intellectually diverse faculty that included some of the most prominent figures in the progressive New Culture Movement, including Hu Shih, Liu Bannong, Ma Yinchu, Li Dazhao, Chen Duxiu, Lu Xun and Liang Shuming. Meanwhile, leading conservatives Gu Hongming and Huang Kan also taught at the university. A firm supporter for freedom of thought, Cai advocated for educational independence and resigned several times protesting the government's policy and interference.

File:Peking University Institue for Chinese Classics.jpg

The faculty of Peking University Institute for Chinese Classics in 1924

File:Beijing students protesting the Treaty of Versailles (May 4, 1919).jpg

Peking University students protesting the Treaty of Versailles in the May Fourth Movement.

On 1 May 1919, some students of Peking University learned that the Treaty of Versailles would allow Japan to receive Germany's colonising rights in Shandong province. An assembly at Peking University that included these students and representatives from other universities in Beijing was quickly organised. On 4 May, students from thirteen universities marched to Tiananmen to protest the terms of Treaty of Versailles, demanded the Beiyang government to refuse to sign the treaty. Demonstrators also demanded the immediate resignation of three officials: Cao Rulin, Minister of the Ministry of Transportation, Zhang Zongxiang, China's Ambassador to Japan and Lu Zongyu, Minister of Currency, who they believed were in cooperation with Japanese. The protest ended up with some protesters being beaten and arrested, and Cao Rulin's house burned by protesters. Following the protest on 4 May, students, workers and merchants from nearly all China's major cities went on strike and boycotted Japanese goods in China. The Beiyang government eventually agreed to release the arrested students and fired the three officials under intense public pressure, China's representatives in Paris refused to sign the Treaty of Versailles.

File:PekingUniversityPic6.jpg

Peking University's West Gate, one of the symbols of the university campus

During the Criticize Lin, Criticize Confucius campaign of 1973 to 1976, critique groups formed at Peking University and Tsinghua University disseminated commentaries under the pseudonym of "Liang Xiao". The pseudonym sounds like a person's name but is a homophone for "two schools".

World War Two (1938–1946)

During the Second World War, Peking University staff joined Tsinghua University and Nankai University staff in establishing the National Southwestern Associated University. Based in Kunming, Yunnan, this institution saw a period of high productivity that would shape the course of Chinese intellectual history and its reconstruction post-war.

21st century (2001–present)

In October 2015, Peking University alumnus and Professor Tu Youyou was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her discovery of artemisinin. Having saved millions of lives, artemisinin has made significant contributions to global health in regard to the fight against malaria.

On 20 February 2017, the university officially signed a contract with the Open University to establish the Oxford Campus of Peking University HSBC Business School, Peking University Oxford Center and Shenzhen Oxford Innovation Center.

On 29 June 2020, the Sino-Russian Mathematics Center was established. The Sino-Russian Mathematics Center is led by Peking University and Moscow State University, and jointly constructed by relevant domestic units and other Russian universities and research institutes such as St. Petersburg University, relying on the "Double First-class" construction alliance in mathematics.

On 2 April 2021, Peking University Nanchang Innovation Research Institute was inaugurated.

On 15 July 2021, Peking University School of Integrated Circuitswas inaugurated.

On 6 September 2021, the new Changping campus of Peking University was officially opened, welcoming the first batch of teachers and students. On 30 September, Peking University Lanyuan Centre was officially launched. The first dean of Lanyuan Centre is Ke Yang, Professor of Peking University School of Clinical Oncology and a foreign academician of the American Academy of Medical Sciences. In October, Peking University officially announced the establishment of Peking University School of Computer Science, which means the computer major of Peking University was officially upgraded from a department to a school. Yang Fuqing, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, served as the honorary president.

In 2022, Peking University and Lancet established a commission on healthy aging in China.Template:Rp The Commission's purpose is to re-focus the debate on aging not just on the risks of China's aging population but on opportunities by "unleashing the intellectual and vocational capacities of the older population and the whole of Chinese society."Template:Rp

In June 2022, the International University Sports Federation (FISU) released the first series of "Healthy Campus" list. Peking University, as the only Chinese university that has obtained platinum certification from the International University Sports Federation, participated in 4 projects and became the only representative from China among 130 projects worldwide.

In March 2025, PKU split its former Faculty of Information and Engineering into two new faculties—Faculty of Informatics and Faculty of Engineering, with the latter having added two newly established schools—School of Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics and School of Mechanics and Engineering Science.

Campus

File:Campus of Peking University.jpg

View of the central campus

The university campus is on the former site of Qing dynasty imperial gardens and it retains traditional Chinese-style landscaping, including traditional houses, gardens, pagodas, and notable historical buildings and structures. American architect and art historian Talbot Hamlin designed some of the university's buildings constructed during the 1919 to 1922 period. 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. Weiming Lake is in the north of the campus and is surrounded by walking paths and small gardens. The university hosts many museums, such as the Museum of University History and the Arthur M. Sackler 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 royals of the Warring States period. There are ritual pottery vessels as well as elaborate pieces of jewelry on display. There are also human bones set up in the traditional burial style of that period.

Beyond its main campus, Peking University Health Science Center (PKUHSC) is on Xueyuan Road where the country's most distinguished colleges are, and is a fitting site for academics and research.

During the Third Front construction, Peking University opened a branch in Hanzhong, Shaanxi.Template:Rp

In 2001, Peking University's Shenzhen campus, the Shenzhen Graduate School, opened its doors. The campus is located in the northwest part of Shenzhen City.

• Peking University during winter. The campus is situated on a former imperial garden.
  Peking University during winter. The campus is situated on a former imperial garden.
• Peking University during the autumn
  Peking University during the autumn
• The College of Architecture and Landscape
  The College of Architecture and Landscape
• Boya Pagoda
  Boya Pagoda
• The Humanities Buildings
  The Humanities Buildings
• A stone bridge inside the campus
  A stone bridge inside the campus
• A gymnasium building
  A gymnasium building
• Peking University West Gate
  Peking University West Gate
• Peking University's Main Library
  Peking University's Main Library
• Weiming Lake occupies the central part of the campus of Peking University
  Weiming Lake occupies the central part of the campus of Peking University
• The old site of the Ciji Temple at the Weiming Lake
  The old site of the Ciji Temple at the Weiming Lake
• Peking University's Science Teaching Building
  Peking University's Science Teaching Building
• School of International Studies
  School of International Studies
• College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering
  College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering
• Peking University during the spring
  Peking University during the spring
• The Daoting, a pavilion on the university campus
  The Daoting, a pavilion on the university campus
• School of Archaeology and Museology
  School of Archaeology and Museology
• Arthur M. Sackler Museum of Arts and Archaeology
  Arthur M. Sackler Museum of Arts and Archaeology
• Department of History
  Department of History
• School of Life Sciences
  School of Life Sciences
• Beijing International Center for Mathematical Research
  Beijing International Center for Mathematical Research
• Department of Chinese Language and Literature
  Department of Chinese Language and Literature

Academics

File:Pku1.JPG

One of the administrative buildings with the huabiao

Peking University consists of 55 schools and departments, with 137 majors for undergraduates, 59 Master's degree programs, and 59 doctoral programs. In addition to basic research, the university also conducts applied research.

At present, Peking University has 420 research institutions, including 7 State Key Laboratories, 5 National Engineering Research Centers, and 1 National Laboratory. With 8 million holdings, the university library is the largest of its kind in Asia.

Peking University, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Emory University jointly administer the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Over the past century, some Peking University alumni have become presidents of other major Chinese universities, including former Tsinghua President Luo Jialun, Renmin University President Yuan Baohua, Zhejiang University President Qian Sanqiang, Fudan University President Zhang Zhirang, Nankai University President Teng Weizao, Chinese University of Science and Technology President Guan Weiyan and many others.

Rankings and reputation

General rankings

Several rankings have placed Peking University among the top universities in mainland China. In 2025, QS Asia University Rankings has put it at the top among all Asian universities.

The 2025 QS Rankings ranked Peking University 14th in the world and first in Asia. As of 2025, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings has ranked Peking University 13th in the world and 2nd in Asia, with its teaching and research environment indicators placing 9th and 6th in the world respectively.

The 2023 QS Rankings ranked Peking University 12th in the world and first in Asia. Template:As of, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranked Peking University 13th in the world, with its teaching and research environment indicators placed at 9th and 7th in the world respectively. Peking University was also ranked 15th in the world and 1st in the Asia-Pacific in The Three University Missions Ranking. The Academic Ranking of World Universities, also known as the "Shanghai Ranking", placed Peking University 23rd in the world and 2nd in the Asia-Pacific. As of 2025, the U.S. News & World Report ranked Peking University 25th in the world, 3rd in the Asia-Pacific and 2nd in China.

In the Times Higher Education Global Employability University Ranking 2025, an annual ranking of university graduates' employability, Peking University was ranked 11th in the world and 2nd in Asia. In 2025, it ranked 11th in world reputation, according to the THE, and 22 of its subjects ranked in the top 1% in the world, according to Essential Science Indicators, which is an analytics database developed by the British-American company Clarivate that identifies top-performing research and emerging trends within the Web of Science Core Collection. It has also been leading the chart of Times Higher Education BRICS & Emerging Economies since its inception in 2014.

Research Performance

The 2024 CWTS Leiden Ranking ranked Peking University at 13th in the world based on their publications for the time period 2019–2022. For the high quality of research in natural science and health science, Peking University ranked 5th among the leading institutions, and 4th among the leading universities globally in the Nature Index 2025 Research Leaders by Nature Research. In 2024, it ranked 7th among the universities around the world by SCImago Institutions Rankings. In November 2024, Clarivate Analytics ranked Peking University 12th in the world for the most Highly Cited Researchers.

Subjects Rankings

QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024

Subject	Global	National
Template:Left	Template:Rise=22	Template:Same position1
Linguistics	Template:Fall21	Template:Same position1
Archaeology	Template:Rise13	Template:Same position1
Architecture and Built Environment	Template:Fall48	Template:Same position5
Art and Design	Template:Same position51–100	Template:Same position4
Classics and Ancient History	Template:Fall10	Template:Same position1
English Language and Literature	Template:Rise33	Template:Same position1
History	Template:Same position17	Template:Same position1
Modern Languages	Template:Rise9	Template:Same position1
Performing Arts	Template:New entry51–100	Template:New entry2–3
Philosophy	Template:Fall51–100	Template:Rise1–2
Template:Left	Template:Fall33	Template:Rise2
Engineering – Chemical	Template:Rise=23	Template:Same position2
Computer Science and Information Systems	Template:Rise15	Template:Same position2
Engineering – Electrical and Electronic	Template:Rise26	Template:Rise2
Engineering – Mechanical	Template:Rise25	Template:Same position3
Template:Left	Template:Fall=42	Template:Same position1
Agriculture and Forestry	Template:Rise67	Template:Rise6
Anatomy and Physiology	Template:Rise35	Template:Rise1
Biological Sciences	Template:Rise28	Template:Fall2
Dentistry	Template:Fall=33	Template:Same position2
Medicine	Template:Rise36	Template:Same position1
Nursing	Template:Same position51–100	Template:Same position1–4
Pharmacy and Pharmacology	Template:Rise23	Template:Same position1
Psychology	Template:Rise35	Template:Same position1
Template:Left	Template:Rise17	Template:Fall2
Chemistry	Template:Rise14	Template:Fall2
Earth and Marine Sciences	Template:Rise=35	Template:Rise1–2
Environmental Sciences	Template:Same position15	Template:Same position2
Geography	Template:Fall25	Template:Same position1
Geology	Template:Rise25	Template:Rise1
Geophysics	Template:Rise=25	Template:Rise1
Materials Sciences	Template:Fall=17	Template:Same position2
Mathematics	Template:Rise23	Template:Same position2
Physics and Astronomy	Template:Rise16	Template:Same position2
Template:Left	Template:Rise18	Template:Same position1
Accounting and Finance	Template:Rise19	Template:Same position1
Anthropology	Template:Same position51–100	Template:Same position1
Business and Management Studies	Template:Rise=30	Template:Rise2
Communication and Media Studies	Template:Fall51–100	Template:Rise1–2
Economics and Econometrics	Template:Rise20	Template:Same position1
Education and Training	Template:Rise19	Template:Rise2
Law and Legal Studies	Template:Fall=31	Template:Same position1
Library and Information Management	Template:Fall33	Template:Same position2
Politics	Template:Rise=39	Template:Rise2
Social Policy and Administration	Template:Fall51–100	Template:Fall2–4
Sociology	Template:Fall35	Template:Same position1
Sports–Related Subjects	Template:Same position51–100	Template:Same position1
Statistics and Operational Research	Template:Fall35	Template:Same position2

THE World University Rankings by Subject 2024

Subject	Global	National
Arts & humanities	Template:Fall28	Template:Same position1
Business & economics	Template:Rise10	Template:Same position2
Clinical & health	Template:Same position24	Template:Same position2
Computer science	Template:Rise16	Template:Same position2
Education	Template:Fall12	Template:Fall2
Engineering	Template:Fall14	Template:Same position1
Life sciences	Template:Rise=12	Template:Rise1–2
Physical sciences	Template:Rise15	Template:Fall2
Psychology	Template:Rise22	Template:Same position1
Social sciences	Template:Rise17	Template:Rise1

ARWU Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2023

Subject	Global	National
Natural Sciences
Mathematics	Template:Rise28	Template:Same position1
Physics	Template:Rise25	Template:Same position3
Chemistry	Template:Rise10	Template:Fall4
Earth Sciences	Template:Rise24	Template:Rise4
Geography	Template:Same position76–100	Template:Fall6–8
Ecology	Template:Rise18	Template:Same position1
Atmospheric Science	Template:Fall23	Template:Fall5
Engineering
Electrical & Electronic Engineering	Template:Same position51–75	Template:Same position15–26
Automation & Control	Template:Same position51–75	Template:Fall21–30
Telecommunication Engineering	Template:Fall46	Template:Fall23
Biomedical Engineering	Template:Rise8	Template:Rise5
Computer Science & Engineering	Template:Rise13	Template:Same position5
Materials Science & Engineering	Template:Rise11	Template:Same position3
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Template:Same position4	Template:Same position3
Energy Science & Engineering	Template:Fall14	Template:Fall9
Environmental Science & Engineering	Template:Rise5	Template:Rise2
Water Resources	Template:Rise24	Template:Fall11
Biotechnology	Template:Rise29	Template:Fall17
Aerospace Engineering	Template:Fall44	Template:Fall12
Transportation Science & Technology	Template:Rise30	Template:Same position20–21
Remote Sensing	Template:Fall31	Template:Fall16
Metallurgical Engineering	Template:New entry76–100	Template:New entry28–30
Life Sciences
Biological Sciences	Template:Rise51–75	Template:Same position2–5
Human Biological Sciences	Template:Same position101–150	Template:Fall3–8
Agricultural Sciences	Template:Fall76–100	Template:Fall22–30
Medical Sciences
Clinical Medicine	Template:Same position201–300	Template:Fall7–9
Public Health	Template:Rise48	Template:Same position2
Dentistry & Oral Sciences	Template:Fall46	Template:Same position4
Nursing	Template:Rise51–75	Template:Rise9–14
Medical Technology	Template:Same position151–200	Template:Fall12–16
Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences	Template:Rise76–100	Template:Fall13–16
Social Sciences
Economics	Template:Rise37	Template:Same position1
Statistics	Template:Rise40	Template:Rise2
Political Sciences	Template:New entry201–300	Template:New entry4–13
Sociology	Template:Rise76–100	Template:Same position2
Education	Template:Rise101–150	Template:Rise8–10
Psychology	Template:Rise151–200	Template:Same position5–7
Business Administration	Template:Same position101–150	Template:Same position8–15
Finance	Template:Rise46	Template:Fall9
Management	Template:Same position76–100	Template:Same position11–18
Public Administration	Template:New entry101–150	Template:New entry4–8
Library & Information Science	Template:Rise33	Template:Rise9

List of schools

Faculty of Sciences
School of Mathematical Sciences	School of Physics	College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering	School of Life Sciences
College of Urban and Environmental Sciences	School of Earth and Space Sciences	School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences	College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
Faculty of Information and Engineering
School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science	College of Engineering	Institute of Computer Science and Technology	School of Software and Microelectronics
College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering	National Engineering Research Center for Software Engineering*	Wangxuan Institute of Computer Technology	School of Materials Science and Engineering
College of Future Technology
Faculty of Humanities
Department of Chinese Language and Literature*	Department of History	School of Archaeology and Museology	Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
School of Foreign Languages	School of Arts	School of Chinese as a Second Language	Academy of Opera
Faculty of Social Sciences
School of International Studies	Law School	Department of Information Management	Department of Sociology
School of Government	School of Marxism	Graduate School of Education	School of Journalism and Communication
Department of PE
Faculty of Economics and Management
School of Economics	Guanghua School of Management	Institute of Population Research	National School of Development
Peking University Health Science Center
School of Basic Medical Sciences	School of Pharmaceutical Sciences	School of Public Health	School of Nursing
School of Health Humanities	School of Continuing Medical Education*	Peking University First Hospital	Peking University People's Hospital
Peking University Third Hospital	Peking University Hospital of Stomatology	Peking University Sixth Hospital	Peking University Cancer Hospital
Peking University Shenzhen Hospital	Peking University Shougang Hospital	Peking University International Hospital	Peking University BinHai Hospital
Interdisciplinary
Yuanpei College (undergraduate liberal arts)	Yenching Academy	Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies	Institute of Molecular Medicine
The Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics	Institute of Nuclear Sciences and Technology	Beijing International Center for Mathematical Research	School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences
Shenzhen Graduate School
School of Transnational Law	HSBC Business School	School of Environment and Energy*	School of Urban Planning and Design
School of Advanced Materials	School School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology	School of Electronic and Computer EngineeringSchool of Tra	School of Humanities and Social Sciences
School for AI Science

Library

On 24 October 2018, Peking University Library, the largest library among Asian universities, held the opening ceremony of the 120th anniversary at the Yingjie Overseas Exchange Center.

National School of Development

The National School of Development (formerly China Center for Economic Research) is ranked amongst the top five most influential think tanks in China.

In 1998, Justin Yifu Lin et al. jointly founded the Beijing International MBA at Peking University (BiMBA), which is ranked among the top six MBA programs by Quacquarelli Symonds in its TopMBA ranking of the best MBA programs in Asia Pacific for the year 2014–2015. BiMBA has also been ranked as the second most valuable full-time MBA in China by Forbes (after CEIBS) and among Asia's best business schools by Bloomberg Business.

Shenzhen Graduate School

File:PekingUHSBCBizSchool.jpg

Peking University HSBC Business School at its Shenzhen campus.

Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School is a satellite campus of Peking University located in Shenzhen, Guangdong. It was founded in September 2001 in collaboration with the Shenzhen Municipal Government and is located in University Town of Shenzhen along with Tsinghua University Shenzhen International Graduate School and Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen) campus. Dr. Wen Hai, a renowned economist in China and the vice-president of Peking University is the present chancellor of PKU Shenzhen. The graduate school houses several research schools including, Peking University HSBC Business School and Peking University School of Transnational Law.

On 29 August 2016, Peking University signed a strategic agreement with the Shenzhen Municipal Government to further develop its Shenzhen Graduate School, the university plans build a brand new campus near the existed graduate school and open undergraduate programs.

International cooperation

File:Langrun garden skyview.jpg

The Langrun Garden, located in the north-eastern area of the university, is the home of the Beijing International MBA at Peking University

Every year, there are approximately 7,000 international students studying at Peking University.

Peking University offers dual degree programs at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels with the renowned Waseda University (早稲田大学) in Northeast Asia. It is one of the most engaged partners with Waseda, having established a strong cooperative relationship of the highest level. This partnership began with an academic agreement in 1982, enhancing dual degree programs and joint research initiatives since 2003. Under the PKU-Waseda project, each year, the university selects undergraduates to spend their third year studying at Waseda University in Japan, and then they return to Peking University for their fourth year. Simultaneously, Waseda University sends numerous students to Peking University as exchange students. Upon graduation, students receive two bachelor's degrees, one from each university. Additionally, joint master's student training programs and dual doctoral degree programs with Waseda University are also in operation. The comprehensive collaboration of offering dual degrees at all bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels, as seen in the Peking-Waseda partnership, is rare on a global scale.

The dormitories for international students at the main campus are located at Shaoyuan Garden (勺园) and Zhongguanyuan Global Village (中关新园). Its international students are made up of students from most countries in the world including most of Western Europe, North America, and South America, Asia, Australia and many countries in Africa. In 2005, Peking University and Cornell University 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. In 2006, PKU launched a joint undergraduate program with Yale University in which students will spend a semester overseas, living and studying together with the host institute's students. PKU's School of International Studies also launched joint degree programs with London School of Economics, Paris School of International Affairs, Seoul National University, and the University of Tokyo. PKU also has a longstanding relationship with Stanford University which operates a joint research center and base for Stanford students and scholars at the Stanford Center at Peking University, located in the Lee Jung Sen Building. The Peking University HSBC Business School has joint degree programs with University of Hong Kong and Chinese University of Hong Kong. The university has maintained a partnership with the Freie Universität Berlin since 1981 and the Higher School of Economics since 2015, and in 2019, became a partner of Washington University in St. Louis through the McDonnell International Scholars Academy.

Global excellence strategy

On the 121st founding anniversary, Peking University unveiled the "Global Excellence Strategy", an international blueprint aiming to enhance Peking University's global presence during the "Fourth Industrial Revolution". The "Global Excellence Strategy" aims to strengthen international cooperation, overcome development barriers, gather global resources, and stimulate collegial relationships. The Global Excellence Strategy is based upon the English word "CLOUDS", representing the "cloud era" of the "Fourth Industrial Revolution". Each letter stands for a corresponding word, namely creativity, leadership, openness, uniqueness, diversity and shaping.

Art research

File:Pekinguniversitykunqu1.jpg

A performance of Kunqu at Peking University

Peking University has participated in many joint art-research projects, such as the Center for the Art of East Asia (CAEA) with the University of Chicago, and Department of Digital Art and Design with UNESCO.

Notable people

File:蔡元培雕像.JPG

Statue of Cai Yuanpei on Peking University's campus

Notable alumni

Notable alumni include the current chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and the third-ranking member of the CCP Politburo Standing Committee Zhao Leji. Other alumni in politics include former premier of China Li Keqiang, former vice premier of China Hu Chunhua, former minister of Education, Chen Baosheng; current Chief Executive of Macao, Sam Hou Fai; former minister of Natural resources, Wang Guanghua; current Minister of the United Front Work Department, Shi Taifeng, former Governor of the Central Bank of China, Yi Gang, former Interpol-president, Meng Hongwei, and former minister of commerce and Communist Party Secretary of Chongqing, Bo Xilai.

Notable alumni in the sciences include Nobel laureate Tu Youyou, who for her work in discovering artemisinin and dihydroartemisinin used to treat malaria, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with William C. Campbell and Satoshi Ōmura; nuclear physicists and contributors to Chinese nuclear weapons program Qian Sanqiang and Deng Jiaxian, and "father of the Chinese hydrogen bomb" physicist Yu Min, nuclear physicist Zhu Guangya, particle physicist and discoverer of the partial conservation of the axial current, Zhou Guangzhao; mathematician and MacArthur Fellow Yitang Zhang, neurosurgeon Wang Zhongcheng, pulmonologist and recipient of the Medal of the Republic, Zhong Nanshan, and chief economist of the World Bank, Justin Yifu Lin.

Notable alumni in the humanities and arts include author Lu Xun, philosopher and essayist Hu Shih, polymath Lin Yutang, philosopher Liang Shuming, Zhang Shenfu, Qing-dynasty educator Gu Hongming, anthropologist Fei Xiaotong, translator Li Bulou, computer scientist Wang Xuan, and author Jin Yong. Notable international alumni include emeritus professor and linguist Michael Halliday, author Julia Ebner, and philosopher Professor Li Chenyang.

Notable alumni in business include co-founder and CEO of Baidu, billionaire Robin Li, and cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun.

Other notable alumni include chess grandmaster, four-time Women's World Chess Champion, and Rhodes Scholar Hou Yifan.

• Gu Hongming, translator and educator.
  Gu Hongming, translator and educator.
• Lu Xun, leading figure of modern Chinese literature.
  Lu Xun, leading figure of modern Chinese literature.
• Hu Shih, influential Chinese philosopher and essayist.
  Hu Shih, influential Chinese philosopher and essayist.
• Lin Yutang, Chinese writer, linguist, inventor, and translator.
  Lin Yutang, Chinese writer, linguist, inventor, and translator.
• Liang Shuming, philosopher.
  Liang Shuming, philosopher.
• Nuclear physicist and key contributor to the Chinese nuclear weapon program Deng Jiaxian.
  Nuclear physicist and key contributor to the Chinese nuclear weapon program Deng Jiaxian.
• Fei Xiaotong, sociologist and anthropologist.
  Fei Xiaotong, sociologist and anthropologist.
• Nuclear physicist and leading organizer of the Chinese nuclear weapon program, Qian Sanqiang.
  Nuclear physicist and leading organizer of the Chinese nuclear weapon program, Qian Sanqiang.
• Former Premier of China, Li Keqiang (LLB, PhD)
  Former Premier of China, Li Keqiang (LLB, PhD)
• Nobel laureate Tu Youyou, pharmaceutical chemist and educator, recipient of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
  Nobel laureate Tu Youyou, pharmaceutical chemist and educator, recipient of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
• Co-founder and CEO of Baidu, billionaire Robin Li (BSc, Information Management, 1991)
  Co-founder and CEO of Baidu, billionaire Robin Li (BSc, Information Management, 1991)
• Four-time Women's World Chess Champion, Hou Yifan (BA, International Relations, 2018)
  Four-time Women's World Chess Champion, Hou Yifan (BA, International Relations, 2018)
• World Chess Champion and highest-rated Chinese chess player in history, Ding Liren (BA, Law)
  World Chess Champion and highest-rated Chinese chess player in history, Ding Liren (BA, Law)
• Mathematician and MacArthur Fellow Yitang Zhang (BA 1982, MA 1984)
  Mathematician and MacArthur Fellow Yitang Zhang (BA 1982, MA 1984)

Notable academics and staff

Peking University has benefited from the services of notable academics and staff. These include founder of the People's Republic of China Mao Zedong who worked as a library staff at the university, as first claimed in Edward Snow's Red Star Over China. Although Mao audited classes while working at PKU, he was not a formally enrolled student and did not graduate from the university.

The university's second president was educator, politician, and revolutionary Cai Yuanpei, who was the first to bring European university concept to China after a stint at Free University of Berlin and fought for the school to be named "Beijing Daxue". Cai equally protected the freedom of expression of his staff and students, allowing a plethora of influential journals, including New Youth and New Tide. Peking University students participated heavily in the May Fourth Movement, spurned and sometimes also held back by staff from the time.

More recently, the university has been home to influential economist Michael Pettis.

See also

• 7072 Beijingdaxue – asteroid named after Peking University
• Affiliated High School of Peking University
• Beijing Guozijian
• China Family Panel Studies
• History of Beijing

Further reading

• Lin, Xiaoqing Diana (2005). Peking University: Chinese Scholarship and Intellectuals, 1898–1937. State University of New York Press. Template:ISBN.

External links

• Official English Website
• Template:Official website Template:In lang
• Peking University Alumni Association