The Beijing Institute of Aeronautics, which later became Beihang University (previously known as Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics), was established on October 25, 1952, and was composed of the aeronautical departments of Tsinghua University, Beiyang University, Xiamen University, Sichuan University, etc. Beihang is the first university in China to concentrate on aviation and astronautical teaching and research. It is situated in the heart of the Zhongguancun Science Park and is conveniently close to central Beijing. The suburban Shahe campus, which is located around 26 kilometers from the main campus, offers a peaceful study environment and is also the location of the National Laboratory of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NLAA). The brand-new Doudian campus strives to advance science and technology by fusing engineering and medicine.
The university currently has more than 30 schools and colleges and offers degrees in ten different academic fields, including science, technology, medical, liberal arts, law, business, and education. There are 28 second-level and 8 first-level national key disciplines overall. The university offers 74 undergraduate programs based on its many areas, and it is authorized to grant 25 different types of doctoral degrees as well as 39 different types of master’s degrees. 23 post-doctoral research centers are also located there. According to the ESI rankings, six disciplines, including engineering and material science, are rated in the top 1% in the world, along with physics, computer science, chemistry, and social sciences. For the third year in a row, aeronautical engineering was ranked top in the world by Shanghai Ranking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2020.