East China Normal University facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
East China Normal University

华东师范大学
Former names	Kwang Hua University
Motto	求实创造，为人师表
Motto in English	Pursue what we have not been taught, and practice what we are going to teach
Type	Public university
Established	1951; 74 years ago (1951)
President	Xuhong Qian
Students	32,000
Location	Shanghai , China
Campus	North Zhongshan Rd. Campus (1072.25 acres) Minhang Campus (2071.53 acres)
Colors	Ecnu red
Affiliations	AALAU Yangtze Delta Universities Alliance
Mascot	ECNU Lions
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	华东师范大学
Traditional Chinese	華東師範大學
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Huádōng Shīfàn Dàxué

East China Normal University (ECNU) is a big public university in Shanghai, China. It works closely with China's Ministry of Education. The university is also supported by the Shanghai government. ECNU is part of special national programs like Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Construction. These programs help make it a top university in China.

ECNU was created in 1951. It was formed by joining two older universities: Great China University (started in 1924) and Kwang Hua University (started in 1925). Its history goes back even further to St. John's College, which began in 1879. As of 2020, ECNU has 22 schools and colleges. They are spread across two main campuses in Minhang and Putuo.

History of ECNU

How the University Started

Qun Xian Tang on the North Zhongshan Road Campus, built in 1929. It means "a place where talents and scholars gather."

Former Seal of ECNU.

East China Normal University's story begins with St. John's College. This college was founded in 1879. Its early history greatly influenced how modern higher education grew in China.

In 1879, two older colleges in Shanghai joined together to form St. John's College. This was done by William Jones Boone and Joseph Schereschewsky, who was a bishop in Shanghai. In 1905, the college became St. John's University. It was the first school in China to give out bachelor's degrees, starting in 1907.

After a big event called the May Thirtieth Movement in 1925, some teachers and students left St. John's University. They then started a new private school called Kwang Hua University. They wanted to support workers and oppose foreign control during that time in China.

In 1924, after a student protest at Xiamen University, some teachers moved to Shanghai. There, they started what became the Great China University, also known as Daxia University.

Forming East China Normal University

Siqun Auditorium, built in 1946. It is named after Wang Boqun, a former president of Great China University.

After the People's Republic of China was founded, East China Normal University was officially created in 1951. It was formed by combining Great China University and Kwang Hua University. Many teachers from other universities like Fudan University and Tongji University also joined. This made ECNU the first national university in China focused on training teachers. The government wanted to bring these schools' resources together. This helped train skilled people and improve education across the country.

In the 1950s, the Chinese government reorganized many universities. They wanted to create a system similar to what was used in the Soviet Union. Because of this, many departments from other universities joined ECNU. These included parts of Saint John's University, Zhejiang University, and Jiaotong University. This helped ECNU become a large, well-rounded university with many different subjects.

In March 1959, ECNU was chosen as one of the first 16 National Key Universities in China. This important status was confirmed again in 1978. From 1972 to 1980, during a period called the Cultural Revolution, ECNU and four other schools merged. They formed a new school called Shanghai Normal University. But in 1980, ECNU got its original name back.

Diploma from East China Normal University, 1953.

From 1980 to Today

University Library, Minhang Campus.

In June 1986, ECNU was one of the first 33 universities allowed to create their own graduate schools. In 1996, ECNU became one of the universities supported by "Project 211". This is a big national program. In 2006, the Ministry of Education and Shanghai City agreed to work together to support ECNU. This made ECNU a part of "Project 985", another important national program.

Today, ECNU is directly managed by the Ministry of Education. The university publishes more than 20 academic magazines and journals. Its library has over 4,000,000 books. Also, 25 primary and secondary schools are connected to the university.

Working with Other Universities

ECNU has made strong partnerships with many universities around the world. These include famous schools like École Normale Supérieure in France, the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University in the USA. They also work with Tokyo University in Japan and the University of Melbourne in Australia. ECNU has academic exchange programs with over 150 universities in many countries.

ECNU also hosts a CIEE campus, where American college students come to study. The university runs an online Chinese language college with the National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (NOCFL). This online college has over 5,800 students in 137 countries. In 2008, ECNU also set up a training center for international Chinese teachers.

• In 2002, several French universities started a Master's-PhD program at ECNU in Shanghai.
• In 2007, the EMLYON Business School opened its official Asia Campus at ECNU.
• In 2008, the Cornell-ECNU Center for Comparative Culture was started by Cornell University and ECNU.
• China's first joint Chinese-American university, New York University Shanghai (NYU Shanghai), was created by New York University and ECNU. It was approved in 2011.

Study China Programme

East China Normal University has hosted the Study China Programme for many years. This program is funded by the United Kingdom (UK) government. Students from UK universities spend one to two summer months at ECNU. They study Mandarin Chinese and Chinese culture. The program helps build stronger connections between UK students and China. It has also improved relationships between ECNU and many leading UK universities.

Diplomats' Program

Since 2011, ECNU has organized the Diplomats' Program. This program is supported by the Shanghai government. Consular officials from over 20 countries come to ECNU for two months in the summer to study.

University Research

University Auditorium.

ECNU has many important research centers. These centers study different topics, from science to social studies.

Top National Laboratories

• State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research
• State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy

Key Laboratories at City and Ministry Levels

• Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education
• Key Laboratory of Geography-Information Science, Ministry of Education
• Shanghai Institute of Brain Functional Genomics

Important Research Centers for Humanities and Social Science

• Institute of Curriculum and Instruction
• Institute of Modern Chinese Thought and Culture
• Center for Russian Studies

Joint Research Centers

• Cornell-ECNU Center for Comparative Culture
• KUL-ECNU Sino-Euro Culture Research Center

University Rankings

ECNU is often ranked among the top universities in mainland China for Education and Training. This is shown in global rankings like the QS World University Rankings by Subjects and Academic Ranking of World Universities by Subjects.

In 2021, it was ranked 37th globally in the Times Higher Education Rankings by Subjects for "Education". This shows the university's strong history in teacher training, as its name "Normal" suggests. East China Normal graduates are also highly sought after for jobs. In 2017, the QS Graduate Employability Rankings placed ECNU at #151-200 in the world for how well its graduates find jobs. Overall, East China Normal University is known as a strong university with a good reputation among Chinese universities.

Famous People from ECNU

Alumni (Former Students)

Writers

• Chen Danyan: A well-known writer.
• Dai Houying: Another famous writer.
• Ge Fei: A writer and professor of literature at Tsinghua University.

Academics (Scholars and Scientists)

• Yu Lizhong: The Chancellor of New York University Shanghai.
• Wang Xingyu: Former President of East China University of Science and Technology.
• Xi Nanhua: A member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
• Joe Z. Tsien: A Neuroscientist who studies the brain.
• Yuan Zhongyi: An Archaeologist known as "the father of the Terracotta Warriors".

In Politics

• Han Zheng: The Vice President of China.
• Chen Hao: The Governor of Yunnan, China.
• Yin Yicui: Chairwoman of the Shanghai People's Congress.

In Business and Media

• Daniela Anahi Bessia: A celebrity performer for major TV channels in China.
• Jason Jiang: The founder of Focus Media.
• Dong Qing: A popular television host.

In Sport

• Liu Xiang: A gold medalist in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Notable Faculty Members (Teachers)

• Meng Xiancheng: An educator and the first president of East China Normal University.
• Li Linsi: An educator and diplomat.
• Shen Zhihua: A history professor and expert on the Soviet Union and the Cold War.
• Hu Huanyong: A demographer who founded China's population geography.
• He Jifeng: A computer scientist and member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Alumni Associations

• East China Normal University Alumni Association
• East China Normal University Alumni Association in US
• East China Normal University Alumni Association in North California

See also

In Spanish: Universidad Normal del Este de China para niños

• No. 1 High School Affiliated to East China Normal University
• No. 2 High School Attached to East China Normal University
• East China Normal University Press