Peking University

Peking University, often called PKU, is a major public research university located in Haidian, Beijing, China.

It is a central institution in the Chinese education system. The university is funded by the Ministry of Education. It belongs to several prestigious groups, including Project 211 and Project 985. It is also part of the Double First-Class Construction initiative. Furthermore, PKU is a member of the C9 League, a group of top universities in China.

The university operates through a complex system of academic divisions. It is organized into eight main faculties. These are Sciences, Informatics, Engineering, Humanities, Social Sciences, Economics and Management, Interdisciplinary, and Health Science. Within these faculties, there are 55 distinct schools and departments. The institution also manages 24 research entities and six affiliated hospitals. For students, this means a massive range of study options. There are 137 undergraduate majors, 59 Master's programs, and 59 doctoral programs available.

The history of the university began in the late 19th century. In 1896, Minister Li Duanfen proposed creating a university in the capital. Following the Sino-Japanese War, intellectuals like Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao called for educational reforms. On June 11, 1898, the Guangxu Emperor authorized the creation of the Imperial University of Peking. This was done as part of the Hundred Days' Reform. The university was formally established on July 3, 1898, through a royal charter.

In its earliest days, it served as China's first national university. It also acted as the highest administrative authority for education in the country. The first president was William Alexander Parsons Martin. However, the conservative Empress Dowager Cixi seized power in September 1898. This caused many reforms to be abolished. The university survived but had a reduced scope. It opened on December 31 with only 160 students.

Significant changes occurred during the early 20th century. In May 1912, the government of the Republic of China renamed it Peking University. Later, in 1919, it was called the National University of Peking. A major turning point came in 1917 when Cai Yuanpei became president. Cai was inspired by the German model of academic freedom. He introduced faculty governance and democratic management. Under his leadership, the university grew to 14 departments and over 2,000 students. He recruited a diverse faculty. This included progressive figures like Hu Shih and Lu Xun, as well as conservatives like Gu Hongming.

Peking University students have played key roles in national movements. On May 4, 1919, students learned about the Treaty of Versailles. The treaty planned to give Germany's rights in Shandong province to Japan. Students organized an assembly and later marched to Tiananmen. They demanded that the government refuse to sign the treaty. They also called for the resignation of three specific officials. These officials were Cao Rulin, Zhang Zongxiang, and Lu Zongyu.

The protests led to strikes and boycotts across China. Eventually, the government released the arrested students and fired the officials. During World War Two, the university faced further disruption. Staff from PKU joined Tsinghua and Nankai universities in Kunming. Together, they formed the National Southwestern Associated University to continue their work.

In the modern era, the university has achieved global recognition. In 2015, alumna Tu Youyou won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. She discovered artemisinin, which helps fight malaria and has saved millions of lives. The university continues to expand its reach through new centers and campuses. It established an Oxford Campus in 2017. It also created the Sino-Russian Mathematics Center in 2020. In 2021, it opened the Changping campus and the School of Integrated Circuits. In 2025, the university further reorganized by splitting the Faculty of Information and Engineering into two separate faculties.

The physical campus is a blend of history and nature. It sits on the former site of Qing dynasty imperial gardens. The landscape includes traditional houses, gardens, and pagodas. The West Gate is a famous symbol of the campus.

Weiming Lake is a major feature in the north. The university also houses several museums. The Arthur M. Sackler Museum of Art and Archaeology displays ancient items. These include ritual pottery and jewelry from the Warring States period. Today, the university remains a global leader. In 2025, the QS Asia University Rankings placed it at the top of all Asian universities. It also ranks among the best in the world for teaching and research.