Northeast Normal University is an institution of higher learning under the direct administration of the Ministry of Education, being selected as one of the universities given priority in the construction of "211 Project". The university, seated in Changchun city, Jilin province, occupies an area of 1,500,000 square meters, including 800,000 square meters of the main campus and 700,000 square meters of the new campus in Jingyue. The university was given the title of "Model Campus" by the Ministry of Education, after many years' hard work.

NENU enrolls more than 19,575 all kinds of students, including 14,466 full-time undergraduates, 4,583 M.A. and Ph.D. students, and 164 international students.

The university boasts excellent professors and leading scholars. There are 1401 full-time teachers, including 348 professors, 431 associate professors and 184 Ph.D. supervisors. There are 12 famous members of The Chinese Academy of Sciences, The Third World Academy of Science and The Academic Degree Committee of the State Council. In addition, there is one professor in the "Yangtze River Scholar Program" , three National Outstanding Youth Fund Recipients, five national outstanding young and middle aged specialists, three professors selected for the "One Hundred Experts Program" (a national personnel development project organized by The Chinese Academy of Sciences), 12 teachers selected for the personnel construction program sponsored by the Ministry of Education, and one state-level renowned teacher as well.

In the past nearly 60 years, represented by biology, ecology, pedagogy, history etc., NENU has developed the superior faculties which enjoy high prestige in the academic fields of China. NENU is presently comprised of 18 schools, 56 undergraduate specialties and a graduate school, which offers 101 M.A. degree subjects/specialties, and 40 Ph.D. degree subjects/ specialties. There are 3 Ph.D. Degrees authorized as first class disciplines, 8 disciplines with Post-doctoral R&D Stations, 3 professional M.A. degrees, 4 key disciplines of The National Institution of Higher Learning, 6 disciplines among the construction projects of the key disciplines of the national "Tenth Five-Year Plan" and the "211 Project". In addition, 3 disciplines are personnel training and scientific research bases of the national fundamental disciplines of arts and sciences; 2 disciplines are among the key research bases for Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education.

The university is equipped with advanced scientific facilities, such as the Laboratory of Grassland Ecological Engineering, a specialized state-level laboratory, the Laboratory of Vegetation Ecological Science and the Laboratory of Polyoxometalates Science, which are both key laboratories of the Ministry of Education. There is a Center for Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research under the Ministry of Education and a Laboratory for Wetlands Ecology and Vegetation Recuperation of the State Environmental Protection Administration. The Institute of Basic Education Research in Rural Areas and the Center for the History of World Civilizations are the national key research centers for social sciences.

NENU has set up a number of research institutions among which are the National Center for Experimental Studies in Basic Education, the NENU Center for Research in the Continuing Education of School Teachers, the National Training Center for Contemporary Educational Technology, the Preparatory School for Chinese Students to Japan (PSCSJ), the Northeast Center for Training Educational Administrators, and the Northeast Center for Retraining University Teachers. In addition, NENU has a College of Further Education, 4 attached primary and middle schools and a press which is celebrated both at home and abroad for publishing books on education.

NENU called "the cradle of teachers". Over the past half century, NENU has formed her own concept of education which is "BE DILIGENT AND CREATIVE IN STUDIES" and "BE EXEMPLARY IN VIRTUE". 180,000 students have graduated from here and became specialists in education and other areas. Particularly in recent years, the quality of students has been continuously improved and consequently there is an increasing demand for our graduates. For this, the university has enjoyed high prestige in basic education, has become extensively popularized and received a positive evaluation from society. NENU was named a "National Advanced Unit for Job-Hunting" by the State Council, becoming one of only four universities to be so named nationally in 2004.

NENU places great emphasis on scientific research and has made significant achievements. Since 2001, NENU has undertaken 918 scientific research projects, with funding of almost 80,000,000RMB. To date, NENU has undertaken 18 significant social sciences projects for the Ministry of Education. Also, there have been 29 natural science projects for the "High Tech Research and Development ("863") Program", the "973 Program", and the Ministries of Education and Technology. 1,571 articles from NENU have been selected for the Chinese Social Sciences Citation Index (CSSCI) since 2001. The number of articles selected for the Science Citation Index (SCI) increased to 190 in 2003, which is 54.5% more than that of the year 2002. As a result, NENU ranked 32 nd in 2003, compared with the 58 th position in the List of China's Renown Higher Universities in 2000. In the recent five years, NENU has received 190 social science awards above the provincial level, among which there were 8 state-level awards. In addition, NENU has on 3occasions been awarded second prize for National University Technology Progress, 4 items of the State Technology Progress Prize nominated by the Ministry of Education, and 2 awards of second prize for Technology Progress by the Ministry of Education. In addition, NENU has gradually developed some characteristic research areas such as the comparison of world civilizations, significant issues in basic education, study of grassland ecology and cellular genetics.

In recent years, NENU has successively established exchange programs with more than 110 overseas universities and research institutions in over 20 countries and regions, including the United States of America Canada, Japan, U.K., Korea, Australia, Russia and others. Since the year 2000, the university has appointed 193 foreign experts and scholars as long-term teachers and conferred upon 38 renowned scholars the titles of Honorary Professors or Guest Professors among whom the world-known physicist Professor YANG Zhenning is one representative. NENU sends nearly 100 teachers abroad to inspect, study and develop academic communication. In recent years, NENU has hosted more than 30 international and regional academic conferences, which promote the development of NENU and expand the school's influence and popularity.

The university enjoys the title of a "Garden Model" Campus. In summer, you find the campus carpeted with grass and shaded by trees, and in winter you feel delight at the falling snow and the frosted trees. In recent years, NENU has created ideal services and facilities concerning students' study lives and activities. Two libraries of NENU, covering an area of 35,600 square meters, have 2,300,000 volumes of books (excluding electronic books). The libraries are among China's major libraries, with a rich variety and high level of modernization in China . In addition, NENU has also made available basketball and volleyball playgrounds, tennis courts, roller-skating courts, a swimming pool, a first-rate plastic-cement sports ground and an indoor track and field area. NENU constantly enhances the construction of students' public service systems and has established a campus computer network. There is also a natural history museum with a total area of 14,700 square meters and a comprehensive gymnasium under construction.

NENU is pursuing educational innovation, stressing the distinct characteristics of management, working hard to follow through with the Concept of Respect-based Education, implementing reforms in education and teaching, the development of disciplines and instructors qualities, and the further development of the administrative abilities of the Party and executives . Together faculty and students are making great efforts to build NENU into a first-rate normal university in China and to make her well-known in worldwide.Looking forward, NENU envisages a bright future. Facing into the new century, the university will be guided by the Concept of Respect-based Education, continuous adherence to the guideline of providing basic education, preserving education and teaching as "the foundation of school setting", scientific research as "the basis of institution strengthening", rule-based administration of "the basis of school management". Inspired by the short-term goal to achieve "one characteristic, three first rates" (Overall focus on first-rate education, first-rate academic atmosphere, first-rate administration.), the staff and the students will make great efforts to build NENU into a first-rate normal university in China and make her well-known worldwide.