Peking University: a cutting-edge research center that has marked the social and cultural history of China
Having its roots in ancient origins, China has built its peculiar identity, made up of memories, customs and precious traditions, through the numerous social and cultural stratifications that have occurred over the centuries. And if still today the principles of Confucianism dictate the rules for sharing a code of moral behavior that inspires the way of being of the population, the impetuous economic growth and the progressive opening to the world, carried out by the "Middle-earth" in the last decades, have imposed a marked acceleration in terms of technology and innovation. Thus, to respond to the extraordinary challenges imposed by the new economic market, China has wisely decided to invest in a timely reform of the education system capable of transforming the country into a mine of competent and prepared human resources.
And which place more than the University can constitute the best scenario to generate talent and cultivate that human capital that is the protagonist of innovation? For this reason, for several decades, there have been numerous Chinese universities and academies that are working to become centers of excellence in research and development of new cutting-edge technologies. Among these, a prominent place is certainly occupied by the authoritative Peking University, the first national university in the Land of the Dragon. Founded in Beijing in 1898 with the name of Imperial University of the Capital, replacing the ancient Guózǐjiàn, the University took its present name in 1912 when the government placed it at the top of the promotion of higher education, with the aim of building the ruling class of the 21st century. Commonly known as Beida, from the initial characters of its Chinese name, Peking University has played an essential role over time in the construction and growth of modern China, cleverly combining the traditional values of Chinese culture with the new dictates of science and progress imposed by the new millennium.
Throughout its history, Peking University has in fact distinguished itself as a center of intellectual freedom, propelling some of the main cultural and political movements that have marked the country, such as the Tiananmen Square protest in 1989. It is in its classrooms thart many of the characters who have made history in the past and in the most recent present have been formed.
Among the most important we have:
Lu Xun, founder of the modern Chinese language;
Mao Zedong, revolutionary spokesman of the Communist Party;
Robin Li, co-founder of Baidu, Google's chinese equivalent;
Today, thanks to a wide didactic offer consisting of 93 degree courses, 199 post-graduate specialization programs and 173 doctoral programs, Peking University is included in the ranking of the fifty most prestigious universities in the world, in terms of quality of the teaching and student services.
In addition to a high-profile training, students can cultivate their own interests and take care of their psycho-physical well-being through multiple extracurricular activities, such as participation in the annual Beida Cup Athletic Championships competition or in the numerous competitions where they can try their own singing skills, having fun and making friends with students from all over the world.
In fact, the institution boasts an important record: it was the first Chinese university to admit foreign students to its courses in 1952, thus confirming its avantgarde vocation.
In addition, the School for Chinese teaching is dedicated to anyone who wants to learn the official language of the country. During the summer, it organizes Mandarin courses for foreigners of variable duration, from four up to eight weeks, combined with lessons about culture, society and history.
This exceptional didactic offer finds perfect location in a place of incomparable beauty. The university campus, known as "Yan Yuan", or Garden of Yan, is located in the Haidian district, a western suburb of Beijing, home to numerous colleges and universities. Surrounded by Lake Weiming and a few steps from the exceptional Summer Palace, the campus occupies the ancient site of the royal gardens of the Qing dynasty and preserves the classic Chinese landscape style, characterized by pagodas, gardens and historic buildings typical of the Chinese tradition. Furthermore, it houses several museums, such as the fascinating "Arthur M. Sackler Museum of Art and Archeology" in which you can admire objects and artifacts belonging to the Warring Kingdoms Period, when between 453 BC and the 221 A.C., numerous States entered the war to obtain the supremacy of ancient China. Not only cutting-edge didactic training, but history, tradition and culture are intertwined to trace the New Silk Road, a path made of cultural and scientific knowledge that is enriched every day to lead China into the Olympus of the world.
