Peking University is a comprehensive and national key university. The campus, known as "Yan Yuan"（the garden of Yan）, is situated at Haidian District in the western suburb of Beijing, with a total area of 2,743,532 square metres (or 274 hectares). It stands near to the Yuanmingyuan Garden and the Summer Palace.  

Peking University is proud of its outstanding faculty, including 53 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), 7 members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), and 14 members of the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS).

The university has effectively combined research on important scientific subjects with the training of personnel with a high level of specialized knowledge and professional skill as demanded by the country's socialist modernization. It strives not only for improvements in teaching and research work, but also for the promotion of interaction and mutual promotion among various disciplines.

Thus Peking University has become a center for teaching and research and a university of a new type, embracing diverse branches of learning such as basic and applied sciences, social sciences and the humanities, and sciences of medicine, management, and education. Its aim is to rank among the world's best universities in the future.

北京大学创办于1898年，初名京师大学堂，是中国第一所国立综合性大学，也是当时中国最高教育行政机关。辛亥革命后，于1912年改为现名。

作为新文化运动的中心和“五四”运动的策源地，作为中国最早传播马克思主义和民主科学思想的发祥地，作为中国共产党最早的活动基地，北京大学为民族的振兴和解放、国家的建设和发展、社会的文明和进步做出了不可替代的贡献，在中国走向现代化的进程中起到了重要的先锋作用。爱国、进步、民主、科学的传统精神和勤奋、严谨、求实、创新的学风在这里生生不息、代代相传。

1917年，著名教育家蔡元培出任北京大学校长，他“循思想自由原则，取兼容并包主义”，对北京大学进行了卓有成效的改革，促进了思想解放和学术繁荣。陈独秀、李大钊、毛泽东以及鲁迅、胡适等一批杰出人才都曾在北京大学任职或任教。1937年卢沟桥事变后，北京大学与清华大学、南开大学南迁长沙，共同组成长沙临时大学。不久，临时大学又迁到昆明，改称国立西南联合大学。抗日战争胜利后，北京大学于1946年10月在北平复学。

中华人民共和国成立后，全国高校于1952年进行院系调整，北京大学成为一所以文理基础教学和研究为主的综合性大学，为国家培养了大批人才。据不完全统计，北京大学的校友和教师有400多位两院院士，中国人文社科界有影响的人士相当多也出自北京大学。

改革开放以来，北京大学进入了一个前所未有的大发展、大建设的新时期，并成为国家“211工程”重点建设的两所大学之一。

Since 1952, Peking University has been accepting foreign students; it is the university with the longest history in teaching Chinese language to foreign students in new China. On 29th June 2002, the School of Chinese as a Second Language (SCASL) of Peking University was established; it signified a new chapter of Peking University in teaching Chinese language as a second language.

As a special institution for Chinese language studies, SCASL is committed to the teaching of Chinese to overseas students and introduction of China and Chinese culture. With joint efforts of the departments concerned, the school has established a system in teaching and research with an orientation of teaching Chinese as a second language.

SCASL has three levels in management, which are the school, teaching and research sections and teaching group. Within the school, there are five Chinese language teaching and research sections, which are Intensive Chinese Reading, Audio-visual and Spoken Chinese, Selective Courses, Foundation Courses, and Postgraduate Courses. With improved teaching facilities, efficient education management, well-equipped facilities and environment and high-class teaching standard, the school has won reputation from students of both home and abroad. 

2002年6月29日，“北京大学对外汉语教育学院”成立，北大的对外汉语教学进入一个新的历史时期。对外汉语教育学院下设汉语精读教研室、汉语视听说教研室、选修课教研室、预科教研室等4个汉语教学机构。学院实行院、教研室、教学小组三级管理体制。学院教学设施完善，教学管理规范，学习环境和教学质量受到了外国留学生广泛的好评。

学院每年接收长期汉语进修生-2年）近800人，短期汉语进修生（1星期至半年）近800人。开设的主要课程有必修课：汉语精读（初级、中级、（1高级）、汉语口语（初级、中级、高级）、汉语听力（初级、中级）；选修课（初级、中级、高级）：汉字、正音、词汇、语法、阅读、报刊、写作、商贸汉语、古代汉语、英汉翻译、日汉翻译、电影欣赏、中国概况、语言与文化、传统文化与现代生活、中国古代诗歌选、现当代文学作品选、文化讲座等。此外，还组织汉语演讲比赛、校外参观实习、文艺表演、书法班、国画班、民族乐器班、太极拳班等丰富多彩的课外活动。

Schoolof Chineseas a Second Language

Office Add.: No.2 Shaoyuan Building, Peking University
Tel: 86-10-62751916
Fax: 86-10-62754122
E-mail： This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: www.pku.edu.cn
 

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