East China Normal University China

East China Normal University (Chinese: 华东师范大学), commonly referred to as ECNU, is a comprehensive research university in Shanghai, China. Established in 1951, it is the first national normal university of the People's Republic of China.

Originally founded to train school teachers, the University is now an institution training researchers, professors, high-level civil servants, as well as business and political leaders. Sponsored by the national program "Project 211" and "Project 985",the university is a staunch force in the nation's research in the humanities, social sciences and technology innovation,and is reputed to be the "Columbia of the East".ECNU is ranked 67th in Asia according to the Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings in 2014, while the Leiden Ranking considered it 280th worldwide in 2013.ECNU is an institution of higher education with global impact. China's first Sino-US higher education institute – New York University Shanghai (NYU Shanghai) – is jointly operated by New York University and ECNU. King's College London, the University of California, as well as the University of Manchester hold their international summer schools at ECNU each year.

Since 2013, the University officially changed its French name to École normale supérieure de l'Est de la Chine, to put forward the academic cooperation between ECNU and the École Normale Supérieure Group in France. And the ENS-ECNU Joint Graduate School was formally established in June 2005. Based on the Great China University (or Daxia University, founded in 1924) and Kwang Hua University (founded in 1925), East China Normal University was established in October 1951 on the site of Great China University and was joined at the same time by a number of faculty members from Fudan University, Tongji University, University of Shanghai and East China PE Academy.

In 1952, the Chinese government regrouped the country's higher education institutions in an attempt to build a Soviet-style system, departments from Saint John's University, Zhejiang University, University of Shanghai, Utopia University, Aurora University, Tongji University and Jiaotong University were incorporated into ECNU. After the adjustment, ECNU was changed to a comprehensive multi-disciplinary university in China.In March 1959, ECNU was authenticated as one of the first 16 National Key Universities in China, and this status was reaffirmed in 1978. From 1972 to 1980 (the Cultural Revolution in mainland China), it was known as Shanghai Normal University, and in 1980 its original name "ECNU" was resumed. In June 1986, ECNU was selected to be one of the first 33 higher education institutions authorized, by the State Council, to establish their graduate schools.

In 1996, ECNU passed the prerequisites appraisal and became one of universities sponsored by the major national program "Project 211". In 2006, the Ministry of Education and Shanghai Municipality signed into a partnership for co-sponsoring the development of the university, qualifying ECNU as a member of the "Project 985" and facilitating ECNU's efforts and progress toward a comprehensive, research-oriented and internationalized world-class university.

ECNU Library, Minhang Campus.

ECNU is a nationally renowned university under the direct auspices of the Ministry of Education of China and sponsored by the prestigious national program "Project 211" and "Project 985". Boasting one of the most beautiful university campuses in China, ECNU is reputed as the "garden university".The University sponsors or supervises publication of more than 20 academic journals and periodicals. The library collection exceeds 4,000,000 volumes. 21 primary or secondary schools are affiliated to the university.

The development and transformation of the country and the modernized international metropolis of Shanghai brings huge opportunities to the university for its progress. ECNU is working its way up enthusiastically and steadfastly toward the goal of establishing itself as "an internationally renowned high-level research university".