The School of Education Science at Nanjing Normal University (NNU), centered on discipline construction and educational research modernization and assuming the mission of promoting people’s development and social progress, devotes itself to building an internationally influential, first-class, and distinctive education program. It rankedthird in the second and third time of the China Discipline Ranking (CDR) and entered level A (2-5%) in the fourth one.
1.Discipline Basis
The School of Education Science at NNU is well-known domestically and internationally with hundreds of years of history. The famous educators of modern China, Xingzhi Tao and Heqin Chen founded this discipline, and initiated many modern education theories and practice research. Since China’s reform and opening up began, it ushered in a new period of vigorous development thanks to such renowned scholars as Jie Lu, Hua Ban, Xiaoman Zhu, Kangning Wu, Shouyao Teng, Qiliang Yang, and Jianhua Hu.
The school was authorized to conferdoctoral degrees in 1986andthe third one in China to set up mobile post-doctoral programs.It was also authorized to conferdoctoral degreesin the “first-level discipline” of education. The principles of education and preschool education are both national key disciplines; and the theory of curriculum and teaching are national key (cultivation) disciplines. Education is a key (cultivation) discipline of the national first-level disciplines, a key discipline of Jiangsu province first-level disciplines, and a key discipline in Jiangsu province.  Due to its outstanding academic strength, the school has an Institute for Moral Education, a leading research institute of the Humanities and Social Sciences by the Ministry of Education, Research Centre for Elementary Curriculum Development by the Ministry of Education, Research and Training Centre for Teaching Instrument and Equipment, Research and Training Centre for Rural Education (UNESCO, Nanjing), Research Centre for Education Sociology at Nanjing Normal University and Centre for Collaborative Innovation in Talent Nurturing for Elementary Education. In addition, various academic bodies are attached to the school, such as the China Association of Preschool Education, a Professional Committee of Curriculum and Pedagogy, a Professional Committee of Health Education, a Professional Committee of Moral Education in the China Education Society, and a Professional Committee of Education Sociology in the China Education Society.
2.Team Building
Thisschool has a high-quality, productive, and rationally structured team. The facultytotals 105, including 47 professors, 35 associate professors and 2 foreign lecturers. The school has many outstanding scholars active in the forefront of their disciplines, including one member of the Committee of Social Science, Ministry of Education P. R. C, three members of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, one national educational inspector, five members of the National Office for Education Sciences Planning, and two Yangtze Scholars.
3.Talent Cultivation
The school offers a Post-doctoral program and a first-level Doctoral program in education, and 12 second-level Doctoral Degree programs, including in educational principle, curriculum and pedagogy, pre-school education, history of education, comparative education, higher education, adult education, professional technology education, education technology, moral education, aesthetic education, school leadership and administration, as well as a Doctor of Education program. Furthermore, the school offers 13 Masters programs including education administration, preschool education, primary education, science and technology education, modern education technology, vocational and technical education. The school offers Bachelor’s degrees in the following four disciplines, namely, preschool education, primary education, education technology, and pedagogy.
The school has one national project for fostering talent in the field of education  and one Jiangsu Provincial project for fostering talent in the field of education. In the past years, the school has wontwo first prizes and two second prizes of the State-Level Teaching Award, and twoNational Postgraduate Students Teaching Awards. Two doctoral theses were awarded the National Hundred Outstanding Doctoral Theses, ranking the school third nationally. A number of postgraduate studentshave enrolled in Harvard University, Yale University and Cambridge University for their doctoral studies.
4.Scientific Research
Guided by the principle of scientific research innovation, the school has been recognized for its accomplishments, such as two second prizes of the Award for Outstanding Research Achievements in Humanities and Social Sciences and one first prize for having Outstanding Achievement in National Education Scientific Planning.Faculty members have been awarded two national key projects in the Humanities and Social Sciences by the Ministry of Education, two key programs funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, one major program funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.Many theories put forth by the scholars exert great influence nationwide.
This school has already established a good foundation for international exchange and cooperation, including maintaining close relationships with international organizations, establishing education-related bases, and holdinginternationalsymposiums. In the first half of the 20th century, 17 scholars graduating from Columbia University, like Xingzhi Tao and Heqin Chen devoted their lives to this school at NNU. Close cooperation has been established with UNICEF starting in 1980s and UNESCO by the end of the last century.The International Center for Rural Education UNESCO Nanjing, the International Technology, Engineering Educators Association China Center(ITEEACC) and the International Partnership on Rural Education in Sixteen China-African Countries were established at Nanjing Normal University. Many internationalsymposiums have been held at NNU, such as the 2015 International Maker Education Summit Forum, China-Africa Forum on Rural Education and Ideas and Actions for Educational Excellence.
5.International Exchange and Cooperation
This school has established collaborations with more than 20 universities around the world, including a number of top-notch universities, like the University of Strathclyde, Tohoku University, the University of Hong Kong, the University of British Columbia and the University of Alabama. The school not only trains officials for an education project for developing countries such as Africa to promote  anti-illiteracy education and rural education, but it also trains kindergarten principals, pre-school education masters and doctors candidates and provides an educational reform consulting service for Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, southeast Asia and other countries and regions. This school also is responsible for editing the international EI journals published by the Springer Publishing Company.
6.Social service
This school gives full play to the leading edge of the first-level discipline of education, and has achieved remarkable results in promoting culture, promoting the growth of young children, giving play to the role of think tanks, and leadingin academic development. The textbooks for primary and middle schools, written by faculty members, are used by over 100 million students.This school has engaged in China’s preschool education legislation work and played an important role in national and local education policy consultation.Two experimental schools have been set up, and an educational reform experimental area has been set up in more than 30 districts, cities, and counties in China. Also, a collaborative innovation experimental school alliancehas been established with more than 60 primary schools, middle schools and kindergartens.