As one of the first group authorized to recruit MPA students by the Academic Degree Committee of China, the MPA of the Beijing Normal University（BNU）was initiated in 2001. Based on the requirements of the times and positioning and characteristics of the university, the program implements graduate classification reforms and formulates a work plan with the objective of cultivating “high-level managers in government departments and nongovernment public institutions with knowledge and skills of public administration, spirits of public services and international vision as well as ability of leading economic and social changes and development.” The School of Government (SG) has constantly promoted innovation in education and become a significant generator of public administration talent in mainland China.

　　BNU is a century-honored institution of higher education known for its education science programs and foundational learning in the arts and sciences. The university’s predecessor, the Normal College of the Imperial University of Peking, was founded in 1902. In 1923, the name was changed to Beijing Normal University, the first normal university in Chinese history. Embodying the spirit of “Learn, so as to instruct others, and Act, to serve as example to all,” BNU, a key university under the administration of the Ministry of Education, features fundamental learning in pedagogy and psychology, literature, natural sciences, social sciences, engineering, arts, and physical education. BNU ranked twelfth among the universities of mainland China according to U.S. News & World Report’s World University Rankings and eighth in the QS World University Rankings.

　　SG was established in 2013 as an offshoot of the former School of Management, founded in 2001. With over sixty faculty members and staff and thousands of students, the SG has formed a complete education and development system spanning from the bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and doctorate to the post doctorate program. The SG is dedicated to cultivating talents in public administration with solid professional knowledge, deep interdisciplinary understandings, spirits of innovation and practice, and an international competitive edge by developing students’ human, social, and psychological capital (3Cs). The SG remains a major player for BNU in becoming a world-class university while adhering to Chinese characteristics and upholding the spirit of BNU.