Beijing Normal University

Beijing Normal University was founded in 1902 and is China's leading institution for teacher education, alongside strong provision in psychology, geography, the humanities and environmental science. It is one of eight Project 985 universities in Beijing. Its structure is unusual: around 22,175 of its 38,718 students are postgraduates against 16,543 undergraduates. A postgraduate body larger than the undergraduate one reflects a research and teacher-training orientation rather than a mass undergraduate institution. For a Kazakh applicant intending education, psychology or the humanities, Beijing Normal is a stronger fit than a higher-ranked technical university. Those fields are taught in Chinese and carry a heavy language load, so HSK 5 is a realistic expectation rather than a formality. Beijing Normal is distinct from Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College in Zhuhai, a separate joint-venture institution teaching in English.