Yanjing University

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Yanjing University
Original Name	燕京大学
Type	Comprehensive research university
Location	The Capital
Administration	Reports directly to the central government rather than the Ministry of Education 101
Historical Heritage	Its predecessor, the Imperial University of Peking, is described as China’s first formally established modern university. 389
Affiliation	Alma mater and later employer of Shen Qi
Status	Active
First Appearance	37

History

Yanjing University is a century-old institution with a campus culture shaped by its historical legacy and broad academic scope. A friendship stone sent by Shuimu University for Yanjing’s centenary bears the inscription, “Yanjing University, Shuimu University, Friendship Evergreen.” 60

The university hosted the CPhO National Final, housing more than 400 contestants and serving as the competition venue. Its Physics Department was regarded as stronger than Shuimu University’s at the time. 93

Shen Qi chose Yanjing over competing recruitment efforts after becoming the National Mathematics Competition’s perfect-score gold medalist. He later enrolled in the School of Mathematics, completed Math and Physics degrees ahead of schedule, and left for Princeton after two undergraduate years. 51 114 211 212

Milestone	Chapter	Notes
Golden Autumn Camp	60	Hosted hundreds of outstanding graduating high-school students from across China; participants were divided into discipline-based camps.
Shen Qi’s enrollment	114	Shen Qi entered the School of Mathematics and was personally escorted to his dormitory by the freshman counselor.
Shen Qi’s early graduation	211	He completed double undergraduate degrees in Mathematics and Physics, ten mathematical papers, a National Natural Science Foundation project, and a 4.0 GPA within two years.
Visiting professorship	353	The School of Mathematics appointed Shen Qi its seventh visiting professor and its only active one at the time.
Zhengting Professorship and research center	389	Yanjing created the unique Zhengting Professorship for Shen Qi and established the Shen Qi Mathematical and Physical Research Center.
Center building accepted	453	The new four-story research-center building was completed near a campus side entrance.
Center expansion	572	The Shen Qi Mathematical and Physical Research Center was renamed the Shen Qi Science Research Center, adding Chemistry as a full research division.
Internationalization agenda	692	Senior leadership discussed international faculty, international-student policies, tuition standards, and global academic competitiveness.

Campus and Culture

Yanjing’s main campus is commonly called Yan Yuan. Its Mathematics Building, Modern Physics Research Center, Old Chemistry Building, and Science Teaching Building are clustered near the East Gate; the newer Physics Department building stands outside that gate in Yandong Garden. 190 290

The university has no official motto. Its stated rationale is that the Yanjing spirit is inclusive, respects differing views, and does not restrict teachers’ and students’ free thought with rigid wording. 189

• The campus hosts hundreds of clubs and associations, over 90% of them student organizations. 409
• The Mountain Eagle Club, centered on mountaineering and wilderness exploration, is among its best-known student associations. 409
• The university’s Track and Field team has ten specialized coaches and 48 athletes; it previously supplied athletes to the national team. 158
• Academic outsiders are not guaranteed access at all times; campus gates use access control outside open days. 453

Academic Strength

School of Mathematics

The School of Mathematics is described as the strongest school at Yanjing University and ranked first nationally in Mathematics. It has seven Chinese Academy of Sciences academicians, and has invited Wolf Prize laureates Eliyahu Stern and Peter Lax as visiting professors. 149 186

In global Mathematics-program rankings, Yanjing tied for fifteenth with the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and was the only Chinese university listed in the global top thirty; its School of Mathematics was expected to enter the top ten within a decade. 368

Physics Department

Yanjing’s Physics Department became stronger than Shuimu’s after Shuimu’s earlier period of dominance ended. It hosts training for the national Physics Olympiad team and maintains an experimental class regarded by competitors as a route to university admission. 87 93

The department’s degree committee granted Shen Qi his second bachelor’s degree after he completed all required Physics credits and earned a perfect score in Topological Physics. 211

Humanities, Medicine, and Applied Fields

• Yanjing is characterized as strong in both humanities and sciences, with 79 Chinese Academy of Sciences academicians and 19 Chinese Academy of Engineering academicians among its alumni or affiliates. 60
• Its Chinese and Philosophy programs produce undergraduates capable of winning major professional and industry awards. 188
• The School of Medicine traces its origins to Capital Medical University and maintains established teaching and research laboratories. 635
• The university’s relatively larger Chinese Academy of Sciences representation is presented as evidence of stronger theoretical work than application-oriented work, relative to Shuimu University. 60

Shen Qi Science Research Center

Originally founded as the Shen Qi Mathematical and Physical Research Center, the center is independent of Yanjing’s academic schools and reports directly to the university administration. Its stated goal is to become a Chinese version of the Princeton Institute for Advanced Study while combining basic theory with applications. 389 392

• The center initially operated from several third-floor offices in the School of Mathematics. 391
• Its completed building covers 2.33 hectares and has a total floor area of 33,508 square meters, including four above-ground floors, underground utility rooms, a garage, and raw-material storage space. 453
• Yanjing’s Physics Department supplies high-end equipment when the center’s own laboratory capacity is insufficient. 414
• The center received the university’s Advanced Collective designation after strong annual performance in Mathematics, Physics, administration, safety, and cost control. 436
• Its Chemistry group was elevated into a Chemistry Room when the center was renamed the Shen Qi Science Research Center. 572

Research and Technology Transfer

Yanjing received nearly 3 billion RMB in research funding in one year, while a later annual budget placed its total funding at 57.2 billion RMB, including 10.2 billion RMB for research. 401 696

The university’s Technology Transfer Center provides legal support for patents, intellectual-property protection, and technology-transfer negotiations. It does not charge researchers or companies for its intermediary services. 440

• Research funds are centrally managed through the Research Affairs Office and released through advance claims and reimbursements tied to project progress and invoices. 401
• Yanjing and Shuimu have autonomy in Zhongguancun technology-innovation matters, allowing direct patent-development negotiations with companies subject to Ministry of Finance filing. 439
• The Technology Transfer Center helped secure patent protection for the Ce-Al-Cu metallic-plastic project; its commercial development rights belonged to Shen Qi’s research team. 440

Admissions and Student Body

Yanjing uses both competition-based recommendation and Gaokao admission. Its Golden Autumn Camp recruits high-achieving students in Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, writing, music, public speaking, and other fields. 60 617

In the five years preceding Shen Qi’s later career, Yanjing’s average Gaokao admission score exceeded Shuimu’s by 15 points nationally. Mathematics and Physics applicants admitted through the Gaokao generally needed scores more than 30 points above Yanjing’s minimum line. 690

• Shen Mengmeng received an offer after scoring 691 on the Gaokao, above the provisional 672 science-stream admission line for Nanyue Province. 617
• Competition medalists and national training-team members are heavily recruited by Yanjing and Shuimu. 101
• The School of Mathematics increased its freshman intake as more high-performing students chose Mathematics as a long-term career path. 186

Internationalization

Yanjing pursues an “inviting in” and “going out” international-development strategy, emphasizing international standards in research, teaching, faculty recruitment, and treatment of overseas students. 692

The university sent a delegation led by Shen Qi to Princeton for academic exchange, where its members met Princeton faculty, students, and former Yanjing affiliates. 547

• Every school at Yanjing enrolls international students. 692
• The university offers financial-aid loans for impoverished international students. 692
• Its international-student budget reached 88 million RMB; 3,000 international students collectively contributed enough tuition and fees for the university to recover 110 million RMB. 696
• Yanjing’s policy emphasizes Chinese-language ability and academic quality rather than broad subsidies for international students. 696

Relationships

• Shen Qi — Mathematics undergraduate, Physics double-degree graduate, visiting professor, first Zhengting Professor, and director of the Shen Qi Science Research Center. 211 353 389 572
• Ou Ye — Shen Qi’s partner; she accepted a School of Mathematics position when the couple returned to Yanjing. 389
• Zhou Yu'an — Shen Qi’s undergraduate roommate and later head of the center’s Mathematics Room. 290 572
• Sun Erxiong — Mathematics professor who recruited, mentored, and defended Shen Qi’s place in Mathematics against Physics Department recruitment. 94 101
• Principal Lu — Chemistry-trained principal who arranged Shen Qi’s Zhengting Professorship, research center, and return to Yanjing. 290 389
• Shuimu University — Longstanding rival and partner; the universities commemorate their friendship with a centenary stone, while Shen Qi later advocated deeper cooperation. 60 295
• Princeton University — Shen Qi’s graduate alma mater and a major international academic-exchange partner. 212 547