About NENU

Northeast Normal University, or NENU, is an institution of higher learning under the direct administration of the Ministry of Education, being selected as one of the universities given priority in construction of the211 Project. NENU is situated in Changchun City—the beautiful Spring City of northern China—with the main campus locatedin the Renmin Street, covering 730,000 square meters and the Jingyue campus located in the picturesque Jingyuetan Tourism Development Zone, occupying 940,000 square meters.

NENU's predecessor is Northeast University. It was the first comprehensive university founded by the Communist Party in Northeast China in 1946 and located in Changchun City in 1949. The university was renamed Northeast Normal University in 1950 according to the needs of national education development. Zhang Xuesi, vice president of the Northeast Administrative Council and brother of General Zhang Xueliang, was the first president of NENU. Zhang Ruxin, Cheng Fangwu, Ding Haochuan and other famous educators had in turn taken the leading position in NENU. The current Party’s Secretary is Professor Yang Xiaohui and the President is Professor Liu Yichun.

There were 25,218 full-time students in NENU, including 14,719 undergraduates, 9,864 M.A. and Ph. D students. This includes 635 foreign students.

In 2004, the Ministry of Education approved the establishment of the Graduate School, which strengthened the disciplinary structure of NENU. NENU has 23 schools and 68 undergraduate specialties. Up to now, there are 34 level-1 disciplines offering master's degrees and 22 level-1 disciplines offering doctoral degrees; 11 level-2 disciplines offering master's degrees (excluding level-1 disciplines of master's degrees) and 3 level-2 disciplines offering doctoral degrees (excluding level-1 disciplines of doctoral degrees) as well as 16 Post-doctoral R&D Stations, one professional doctoral degree of education and 19 professional master degrees. NENU also has a 985 Project Innovation Platform for Teacher Education & Advantageous Discipline, 5 Level-2 national key academic disciplines，8 key disciplines of 211 Project, 32 level-1 provincial key characteristic disciplines of the twelfth five-year plan. History, Chinese and Biology are personnel training and scientific research bases of the national fundamental disciplines of arts and sciences. NENU has formed a comprehensive discipline structure, covering 11 discipline fields, except military and medical science.

In NENU, there is 1 key national laboratory—Engineering Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Proteins and Genes Screening,and 5 key laboratories of the Ministry of Education. These include the Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Laboratory of Polyoxometalates Science, Laboratory of Applied Statistics, Laboratory of Molecule Epigenetics and Laboratory of Ultra Violet (UV) Light Emitting Materials and Technology (under construction). The Laboratory of Ecological Restoration and Ecological System Managementof NENUis a provincial and ministerial joint base for state key laboratory cultivation. The Laboratory of Power Batteryof NENUis a national and local joint engineering laboratory.

NENU also has two engineering research centers of the Ministry of Education and1 key laboratory of the Ministry of Environmental Protection .The engineering research centers are the Research Center of Agriculture and Medicine Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center for Digital Learning Support Technology (under construction), and the key laboratory of the ministry is the Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration. NENU has 2 bases of the Program of Introducing “Talents of Disciplines” to Universities—one is on the science of plant genomics, the second one is on the science of micro-nano optoelectronic materials. The University also has 1 International Science and Technology Cooperation Base, that is, the International Research Center of Human Stem Cells Bank. The Institute for Basic Education Research in Rural Areas, and Research Center of the History of World Civilization in NENU are key research bases for humanities and social sciences under the Ministry of Education. The Training and Research Base for College Counselors, and National Training Base and Research Center for Women/Gender Studies were set up in NENU by the Ministry of Education and the All-China Women’s Federation respectively.

Many institutes of training and research have been set up in NENU. These institutes include the Research Center of National Basic Education, the NENU Research Center of National Secondary and Primary School Teachers' Continuing Education,the National Training Center of Modern Educational Technology, the Preparatory School for Chinese Students to Japan and the National Training Center for Kindergarten Principals. Others include Northeast Education Management Cadres' Training Center of the Ministry of Educationand Northeast Higher Normal Education Teachers' Training Center of the Ministry of Education. In NENU, there is also the School of Distance and Continuing Education, and some high schools, primary schools and kindergartens are attached to it，as well as a university press famous for publishing educational books.

NENU has famous experts and scholars at home and abroad.NENU has1489 full-time teachers, including 451 professors, 522 associate professors and 350 Ph.D. supervisors. Among the outstanding faculty, there are 17 members of the Third World Academy of Science and the Academic Degree Committee of the State Council, 2 experts of the "Thousand Talents Program", 7 distinguished professors and 4 visiting professors of the Chang Jiang Scholars Program. The university also has 4 winners of the National Fund for Excellent Young Scholars, 3 winners of National Young & Middle-aged Experts with Outstanding Contributions, 3 experts of the "One Hundred Talent Plan" of the Chinese Academy of Science, 69 members of the Program for Trans-century (New Century) Excellent Talents in Universities and 4 members of National Distinguished Teacher.

Under the guidance of the concept of “Respect-based Education” in recent years, NENU has based its development on education and teaching, and explored and reformed the talents training mode in accordance with its goal positioning of talents training. In 2003, NENU began its education and teaching reform and embarked on a new round of undergraduate teaching reform in line with the talents training objective of “easy access, solid foundation, professional skills and more employment”. In 2005, NENU successfully passed the assessment of undergraduate teaching performance by the Ministry of Education and gained an excellent result. In 2007, in order to implement the national policy of free normal education, NENU adopted the talents training mode of “3+0.5+0.5+2” which integrated undergraduate study with postgraduate study and launched the “Educator Training Project”. In 2008, supported by the Project “Innovation Platform for Advantageous Discipline” of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance, NENU started the Project “Innovation Platform for Teacher Education” to achieve the higher goal of the “cradle of educators”. To improve the quality and deepen the reform of teacher education, NENU initiated and implemented the cooperative model of “Normal Universities-Local Government-Elementary & Secondary Schools” (U-G-S) for cooperative education, which forms the teacher education and talents training pattern highly integrating theories with practices. In 2014, 7 doctoral dissertations from NENU were rated as National Excellent Doctoral Dissertations (NEDD) and another 17 doctoral dissertations were nominated for NEDD.

The graduates of NENU receive a positive evaluation from the society with their solid professional ideas, generous basic knowledge, high-quality education, well-knit basic theory and professional skills. The university has enjoyed high prestige in basic education such that its graduates are always in high demand. Nearly 40% of the graduates pass the entrance exams of NENU and other famous colleges and universities, such as Peking and Tsinghua Universities, to seek a master degree every year. Many of our graduates find jobs in Beijing and such coastal cities as Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. In 2004, NENU was granted “the Advanced Work Units” by the State Council, being one of the four colleges and universities in China to get this title of honor. In September 2009, the title of “the Advanced Collectives in the National Education System” was conferred on the Student Career Center by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Ministry of Education. In 2010, NENU got a title of “a Model for National Colleges and Universities in the Employment of Graduates in 2010”. In 2012, “the Advanced Work Units” was conferred on NENU again by the State Council, making NENU become one of the two colleges and universities in China to get the honor twice.

Northeast Normal University is strengthened by scientific research through advancing high-level and distinctive scientific researches. From 2006 to the end of 2013, NENU undertook 3,257 scientific research projects at or above provincial level with RMB 823 million funds in total. Among these projects, there are 92 humanity and social sciences projects including Marxism Theory Research and Construction Project, major projects supported by National Social Sciences Foundation, major projects and key programs in Philosophy and Social Sciences Research supported by the Ministry of Education, major projects for key research centers of Humanity and Social Sciences Research supported by the Ministry of Education, New Century Excellent Talents Supporting Program, National Qing-Dynasty History Editing Projects and major projects entrusted by the state ministries or national committees. Other projects include 117 natural science research projects covering national “863” and “973” Programs, and major projects of the Ministry of Education as well as the Ministry of Science and Technology. Since 2006, there have been over 5,000 CSSCI papers and 3,900 SCI papers published by the students of NENU. In November 2013, as indicated by the Basic Scientific Index database, the total cited number of NENU’s ESI papers ranked 33rd among China's universities with average cited frequency per paper ranking 1st. Since 2001, the humanity and social sciences of NENU have obtained 799 awards at or above provincial level, including 32 excellent achievement awards for national universities' humanities and social sciences research and 12 outstanding achievement awards for national education science. The natural sciences of NENU have also obtained 86 awards at or above provincial level, including 4 national awards.

For more than half a century, the outstanding disciplines of NENU, especially the Life Science, Ecology, Education and Historical Education, have achieved a higher status in Chinese academic circles. Cytogenetic, Ideological and Political Education, Grassland Ecology, Applied Mathematics, Multi-acids Chemistry, Functional Materials, Environment Science, Ancient History of the World and Middle Ages History of the World are in a leading and influential position at home and abroad. The researches on comparison of world civilization, major issues of basic education, grassland ecology, cytogenetic and other outstanding areas are all progressing in encouraging ways and gradually forming the informative China northeast materials science and other new research areas.

NENU enjoys the reputation as “Parkview School” with grassy land, swaying willows in summer and silver dancing snowflakes in winter. In recent years, NENU continues to strengthen infrastructures for students’ learning and living to provide a comfortable environment and good condition. As one of the first colleges and universities connecting into the China Education and Research Network (CERNET) and the Next Generation Network, NENU has three Internet service providers—CERNET, China Unicom and China Telecom. With the total bandwidth reaching 3.5G, the number of Internet users is over 30,000. Through the construction project of “Digitalized University”, NENU has developed a platform covering unified identity authentication, consolidated database and payment system, creating a network environment of a good user experience. The functional campus card system can provide teachers and students with such services as paying, passing the accessing control system, checking attendance, controlling water consumption and recording fitness test results. There are two libraries with a total construction area of 38,300 square meters. All together there are about 3.53 million paper books, 1.348 million e-books and 5154 seats provided for the students. NENU has a relatively complete digital library, with its abundant electronic resources reaching 187.5T. There are 117 databases, of which 20 are built by NENU. The library of NENU provides nearly 900 computers for students to search and read documents on line. It is one of the large libraries among the libraries of domestic colleges and universities with a rich collection of books and a higher degree of modernization. With a total construction area of 16,700 square meters, the Museum of Natural History has nearly 90,000 specimens. It is a comprehensive museum including science education, collection of research, cultural exchanges and intellectual leisure. The Museum is identified as the “Scientific Activity Base for Students in Primary and High Schools of Changchun” by the Changchun Education Committee in 2000, “Science Base of Jilin Province” by the Department of Science and Technology of Jilin Province and “the Training Base for Youth Reporters in Jilin Province” by 7 units such as the Communist Youth League of Jilin Province and the Department of Education of Jilin Province in 2007. In 2008, the Museum was rated as a National First-class Museum by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage in 2008 and “a National Environmental Science Base” by the Ministry of Environmental Protection in 2010. Also,NENU established basketball courts, volleyball courts, tennis courts, roller skating rink, swimming pool, plastic track and field stadium, indoor track and field hall and so on which are first class among domestic universities. Northeast Normal University Gymnasium covers a construction area of 25,500 square meters, with a capacity of 6000 spectators. Its main building consists of a comprehensive competition hall and nine training centers, which is a comprehensive gymnasium with the most versatile and advanced facilities in domestic universities.

The students in NENU have colorful extracurricular activities. The University has formed a campus cultural pattern with a series of excellent and characteristic activities at the school level and the university level. These activities include the academic report of “Double Hundred Forum”, the science and technology contest of “Challenge Cup”, moral construction project of “Civilization and Cultivation”, the original art festival of “Shining NENU”, the fascinating show of “Passion of Youth”, the basketball and football competitions of “Bachelor Cup” and “Elite Cup” and other competitions of different majors or academic disciplines. These activities have provided a platform for students to improve their comprehensive quality, enrich their spiritual life and sublimate their moral state.

In January 2007, NENU hosted the opening performance of the 6th Asian Winter Games, and this was the first time for a university in china to prepare and host the opening performance of an international sports event. In 2012, NENU got a second prize in the A-level Group of Art Performance of the 3rd National College and University Students Art Performance Activities. In the “Challenge Cup”, a competition of science and technology works of national college and university students, the students of NENU got the Grand Prize of the Science Group and the Art Group in the 9thand the 11thcompetition respectively, and this was the first time for Jilin Province to win the Prize in the competition. In the 10thCompetition of the “Challenge Cup”, the students of NENU got a Winning Prize. In the China Adolescents Science and Technology Innovation Contest, which is recognized as the top contest of science and technology for Chinese adolescents, the students of NENU have made it on the list for four consecutive years. In 2007, 2008 and 2012, three students of NENU were given the title of Self-improvement Star of National College and University Students. The volunteer service activities of NENU also have a national wide influence. The Red Candle Voluntary Association of NENU is rated as China’s Top 10 Advanced Unit of Youth Volunteer Service, an Outstanding Organization of Youth Volunteer Service, a National Advanced Unit of “Learn from Lei Feng” Volunteer Service and a National Advanced Unit of Helping the Disabled. Apart from this, the Red Candle Voluntary Association of NENU has won three times the title of China’s Top 100 Advanced Unit of Excellent Volunteer Service.

NENU attaches great importance to the development of international cooperation and exchanges. It has established cooperation and exchange relations with more than 220 universities and colleges and research institutions in over 30 countries, including the USA, Canada, Japan, the UK, Korea, Australia, and Russia. The university has alsoinvited more than 270 foreign experts as honorary professors or visiting professors，suchas the Noble Prize winner, Professor Yang Zhenning. Over the past five years, NENU has sent its teachers abroad as visiting scholars for further improvement and study. Recent years have seen NENU hold over 90 international and regional academic conferences and conduct many significant cooperative researches, which have improved NENU’s influence and international reputation. In order to cultivate internationalized talents, NENU sends more than 200 students abroad and enroll students from over 80 countries and regions for further study in NENU every year. NENU has established Confucius Colleges in Dong-A University, Korea, Spanish Valencia University, American University of Alaska-Anchorage and Canadian Seneca College as well as the Confucius Classroom in The National University of Mongolia. In order to promote the experience of NENU in normal education, a number of efforts have been made including the setting up of the Training Base of International Chinese Language Teachers, the Chinese Education Base and the Foreign Aid Base of NENU.

For over 60 years since its foundation, NENU has produced more than 200,000 graduates who become all kinds of talents for national modernization construction.

Entering into the new century, according to the development ideasof “make the school more strong, more open, more harmonious to fully demonstrate the characteristics of school”, the management of NENU is working hard to follow through with the Concept of Respect-based Education, pursuing educational innovation, stressing the distinctive characteristics of management, enhancing quality of education, and making great efforts to build NENU into a first-class normal university worldwide.

School Orientation

Motto: To be diligent and innovative, to be a paragon of education.

Guiding Principle: To serve basic education as well as economic and social development.

Construction Goals：To build NENU into a first-rate normal university worldwide, as its intention is to make the education and teaching reach a first class level in the world and several disciplines reach a first-classlevel in China, characterized by researches and internationalization.

Development ideas: To make the university stronger, more open, and more harmonious to fully demonstrate the characteristics of a university.

Strategy of Running the University：Education is the foundation to build the university，scientific research the foundation to strengthen the university and running the university by law the foundation to govern the university.

Education Philosophy：Respect-based Education——respect the rules of education, the rules of talent development, the personality of students and the fruits of educators’ labor.