Beihang University

Beihang University, also known as Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, was established in 1952 as the first aerospace higher education institution in the People’s Republic of China. It has Xueyuan Road, Shahe and Doudian campuses, covering over 3000 mu, with over 1.7 million square meters of buildings. Since its founding, Beihang has always been a university receiving priority national development. It was among the first institutions in the “211 Project,” joined the “985 Project” in 2001, and was selected for the national “Double First-Class” university development list in 2017. In December 2016, it adopted a long-term vision of building a world-class university rooted in China.

The university has flourishing disciplines and distinctive strengths across 10 disciplinary categories: engineering, science, management, literature, law, economics, philosophy, education, medicine and arts. It has 8 national key first-level disciplines, tied for 7th among Chinese universities, and 28 national key second-level disciplines. A total of 13 disciplines rank among the national top ten, with aeronautical and astronautical science and technology, and instrumentation science and technology ranking first. It has 55 undergraduate programs, 22 first-level doctoral degree authorizations, 39 first-level master’s degree authorizations and 20 postdoctoral research stations. Emphasizing the foundational role of disciplines, it is developing a first-class system integrating aviation, space and information, crossing science, engineering and humanities, and combining medicine and engineering. It has clear comparative strengths in aviation, astronautics, power, information, materials, instrumentation, manufacturing and management, forming two strong discipline clusters in aerospace and information technology. In the 2017 ShanghaiRanking Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, aerospace engineering ranked second worldwide and first in China.

The university brings together distinguished teachers and talented people. It has 3907 faculty and staff, including 2147 full-time teachers. It carefully nurtures talent and fosters virtue. It has over 30000 full-time students, with a 1:1 ratio of undergraduates to postgraduates, and nearly 1300 international students pursuing degrees. Upholding its fundamental task of fostering virtue and educating people and placing talent cultivation at the center, it aims to develop leaders with high ideals, first-class knowledge, a global outlook and a commitment to truth and practical work. Beihang is globally oriented, open and collaborative. Through its “UPS International Development Strategy,” it has developed international exchange and cooperation networks and platforms, creating a comprehensive, multilevel and wide-ranging approach to openness that has greatly increased its international influence and competitiveness. It has established stable, long-term partnerships with nearly 200 renowned overseas universities, leading research institutions and multinational corporations. It has joined international alliances and academic organizations including the International Astronautical Federation, the T.I.M.E. Association and the Association of Sino-Russian Comprehensive Universities.

Beihang’s international student education emphasizes both scale and quality, combining distinctive development with overall improvement. It continuously innovates its international talent training models, promotes integrated education for Chinese and international students, strengthens the “Study at Beihang” brand, and advances its vision of “Study at Beihang, Light Up Your Dreams.” It has achieved breakthroughs in international student numbers, incoming student quality, degree levels and educational standards, ranking among China’s leading universities. It has over 2000 international students from 140 countries, including over 1200 degree students. By 2024, over 3000 international students had graduated with degrees. Generations of outstanding alumni have returned home after their studies, becoming links between Beihang and countries around the world.

Beihang currently offers a range of degree and non-degree programs for international students, including undergraduate programs taught in Chinese or English, master’s and doctoral programs, Chinese language study, subject-based non-degree study including inter-university exchanges, and preparatory programs, as well as distinctive offerings such as postgraduate programs in space technology applications. Chinese-taught undergraduate programs offer over 30 programs and over 60 specializations in four broad areas: science and engineering, economics and management, humanities and law, and arts. English-taught undergraduate programs cover 5 subjects: electronic information engineering, mechanical engineering, aircraft design and engineering, civil engineering, and international economics and trade. Postgraduate programs offer fully English-taught master’s and doctoral study in multiple categories including science, engineering, economics, management, literature and law. Master’s programs cover 25 first-level and 56 second-level disciplines; doctoral programs cover 19 first-level and 44 second-level disciplines.

Beihang was the first university in China to offer all international postgraduate courses in English. It has 284 English-taught courses, including 7 approved by the Ministry of Education as “Branded English-Taught Courses for International Students in China,” and has formally published 9 English-language textbooks.

Beihang has received approval to establish the “Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization Education and Training Center in China” and the “BeiDou International Exchange and Training Center.” Its second-level discipline of “Space Technology Applications” has been approved, and it has enrolled 259 doctoral and master’s students across 10 cohorts. The Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific (China), affiliated with the United Nations, was established at Beihang in 2014 as the world’s sixth such center and China’s only one. As an education and training body supported by the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, it uses capacity building, information exchange, education and training in remote sensing and geographic information systems, satellite communications, global navigation satellite systems, small-satellite technology, and space law and policy. It contributes to the implementation of the committee’s “Programme on Space Applications” and improves member countries’ space science and technology education, training and application capabilities.

Beihang jointly established a Confucius Institute with Kogakuin University in Japan, has approval to operate HSK and HSKK testing centers, and offers diverse Chinese language training, cultural study and preparatory education programs for international students at different levels.

Beihang has developed a diversified, multichannel scholarship system for international students with considerable recognition and influence. It includes the Chinese Government Scholarship, Confucius Institute Scholarship, Beijing Government Scholarship for International Students, Beihang University Scholarship for International Students, and corporate-sponsored scholarships. This comprehensive scholarship system has greatly strengthened the competitiveness of Beihang’s international education.

Beihang welcomes you!