Peking University

Peking University, commonly known as PKU or Beida, sits in Haidian District, Beijing, surrounded by more than a dozen other major universities. It operates as a public research institution under China's Ministry of Education and holds membership in the C9 League, Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Construction. These affiliations place it at the center of the country's academic elite.

The university's roots go back to July 3, 1898, when the Guangxu Emperor issued a royal charter creating the Imperial University of Peking during the Hundred Days' Reform. That makes it the second-oldest university in China, behind only Tianjin University. After the Qing dynasty fell in 1912, the new Republic of China government renamed it Peking University. Its current campus, originally the site of Yenching University, became home to the institution in the 1950s.

PKU is a comprehensive university with strengths across the humanities, sciences, engineering, and social sciences. It consistently lands near the top of global rankings: #13 in the QS World University Rankings 2027 and #19 in US News Best Global Universities. The university also draws international attention through its English-language website and an active recruitment effort for overseas students, with a dedicated portal at studyatpku.com. [edit]

Peking University aims to cultivate talent with a global perspective and a deep sense of social responsibility. It seeks to advance knowledge through cutting-edge research across disciplines, while preserving and promoting China's cultural heritage. The university is committed to serving national development and contributing to global academic exchange. [edit]

Peking University began as the Imperial University of Peking, created by royal charter in 1898 as part of the Hundred Days' Reform, an attempt by the Qing court to modernize after military defeats. The reform was short-lived, but the university survived, becoming a center for new learning. In 1912, after the Qing fell, it took the name Peking University.

During the May Fourth Movement in 1919, PKU students led protests against the Treaty of Versailles, which handed German concessions in Shandong to Japan. That movement ignited a wave of nationalism and cultural change, and the university became a hub for progressive thinkers like Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao, who later helped found the Chinese Communist Party.

In the 1950s, PKU moved to its current campus in Haidian, the former site of Yenching University, a Christian university that merged into PKU. The relocation allowed for expansion. Over the following decades, the university grew in size and reputation, especially after China's economic reforms began in 1978.

Recent milestones include the 2023 completion of a new School of Mathematical Sciences building, designed by FEI Architects after eight years of work. In 2026, mathematician Hong Wang won the Fields Medal, a first for a PKU-affiliated researcher, sparking national pride and debate about math education in China. [edit]