East China Normal University

East China Normal University (ECNU) is a comprehensive public research university in Shanghai. Its original role, back when it was formed in 1951, was to train teachers for secondary and higher education, as suggested by the name “Normal”, but very soon it housed top-class researchers and evolved into an elite research-intensive university. ECNU is a Chinese Ministry of Education Class A Double First Class University. It is often considered to be one of the most prestigious universities in China. Sponsored by the national program “Project 211” and “Project 985”, the university is a frontrunner in the nation’s research and innovation, and has been dubbed as the “Columbia of the East”. The university also has strong ties with the China Meteorological Administration, State Oceanic Administration and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.